Men of Crimson, Men of Gold {Non Omnis Moriar} [Private]

[Erasmas]

This is a Private thread for Pife, for the gladiator management game. If you are not Pife... please leave this thread!


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Banner_zpsc9fc4037.jpg

Week II; Stronamoon, of the year 8786
Week VI Overall {Stronamoon = April}

Battle

Battle Chart
{table=head]Initiative|Name|HP|Crowd Favor|Position|Points|Notes
||||||
[/table]


The Adventuring Party
As It Stands Now
{table=head]Name|Role|Wage|Take|Notes
Proxitus|Leader|30 gp/week|30%|
Skewulf|Tracker|Adontus|Adontus|
Varus|Muscle|20 gp/week|10%|
'Iron Back'|Muscle|20 gp/week|10%|
Alador|Justicar|--|--|
Argedus|Justicar|--|--|
Cratus|Justicar|--|--|
Lora|Justicar|--|--|
Ferakhan|Falconer|Linus|Linus|
Aelius|Intel|Linus|Linus|
Garkensmee|Intel|Linus|Linus|
[/table]

Players
{table=head]Player|Character Name|Race|Class|Status
Pife|Linus Lyciscus Spurius (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=532447)|Human|Noble/Rogue|
[/table]

Noble Class

Hit die: d6
Class Skills: Appraise (INT), Bluff (CHA), Craft (INT), Diplomacy (CHA), Disguise (CHA), Entertain (CHA), Gamble (WIS), Gather Information (CHA), Knowledge (Local) (INT), Read/Write Language (n/a), Sense Motive (WIS), Speak Language (n/a).

{table=head]Level|BAB|FORT|REF|WILL|Special|Reputation
1st|+0|+0|+1|+2|Bonus Class Skill, Favor +1|+1
2nd|+1|+0|+2|+3|Inspire Confidence|+1
3rd|+2|+1|+2|+3|Favor +2, Resource Access|+1
4th|+3|+1|+2|+4|Coordinate +1|+2
5th|+3|+1|+3|+4||+2
6th|+4|+2|+3|+5|Bonus Feat|+2
7th|+5|+2|+4|+5|Favor +3|+2
8th|+6/+1|+2|+4|+6|Coordinate +2|+3
9th|+6/+1|+3|+4|+6|Bonus Feat|+3
10th|+7/+2|+3|+5|+7||+3
11th|+8/+3|+3|+5|+7|Inspire Greatness|+3
12th|+9/+4|+4|+6|+8|Favor +4|+4
13th|+9/+4|+4|+6|+8|Coordinate +3|+4
14th|+10/+5|+4|+6|+9|Bonus Feat|+4
15th|+11/+6/+1|+5|+7|+9||+4
16th|+12/+7/+2|+5|+7|+10|Favor +5|+5
17th|+12/+7/+2|+5|+8|+10||+5
18th|+13/+8/+3|+6|+8|+11|Coordinate +4|+5
19th|+14/+9/+4|+6|+8|+11|Bonus Feat|+5
20th|+15/+10/+5|+6|+9|+12|Coordinate +5|+6
[/table]

Skill Points @ 1st: (6 + INT modifier) x4
Skill Points @ Each Additional: 6 + INT modifier


Proficient with all simple weapons.
Not proficient with any armor.
Bonus Class Skill - May designate any cross-classed skill as a class skill.
Favor - Can call in favors from those she knows. May be used for information, loans of equipment, documents, etc. The noble makes a Favor Check (d20 roll + Favor Bonus) against a DC set by the DM (usually from 10-25). Cannot take 10 or 20 on this and cannot retry a failed roll.
Can use this a number of times per week equal to half her noble levels (rounded down, minimum of 1). Can be further influenced by bribes (money, sex, favors in return, etc.)
Inspire Confidence - Can use oratory to inspire confidence in allies. Allies must hear for a full round and the effects lasts for 5 rounds once combat begins. Can inspire a number of allies equal to half her noble levels (rounded up). Can use once/day per every four levels of noble.
An ally inspired with confidence gains a +2 morale bonus on saving throws and +1 morale bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls. Cannot inspire confidence in herself.
Resource Access - Once per day, noble can make a Charisma Check to gain resources from family, friends, etc. The value of these resources is (noble levels*CHA Check*2). Can also be further influenced by bribes (as ‘Favor’).
Resources gained can take almost any form the noble chooses (within reason), and are hers to do with as she pleases. The resources arrive in 1d8 hours after the check is made. Note: Resources tend to be monetary, while favors cannot necessarily be measured in gold pieces.
Coordinate - The listed bonus is applied to the appropriate d20 roll for the Aid Another action. To Aid Another with any action (Ability check, Skill Check, Saving Throw, etc.), it must be declared before the action is resolved. The individual that is aiding makes the roll as if performing the action herself; the result of which is calculated as if a main ability and assigned to proper modifier. This modifier then becomes a bonus (or possibly a penalty) to the individual's roll whom they were aiding.
For example: Caltanius is trying to turn over a chariot in order to use it for cover. It's going to require a Strength Check and Xarol wants to help him. Xarol first rolls his Strength check and scores a 16, which grants a +3 modifier. Caltanius then rolls his Strength Check and gets a 15, which becomes an 18 with Xarol's Aid Another bonus.
Bonus Feats: Fame/Infamy, Frightful Presence, Mimic, Persuasive, Sharp-eyed, Trick/Trustworthy, Headstrong.
Inspire Greatness: Works similar to Inspire Confidence, but only affects a single ally. Ally gets +2d6 temporary Hit Points, +2 competence bonus to attacks, and +2 morale bonus on saving throws. The effects lasts for 5 rounds once combat begins. This is usable once/day. For every three noble levels beyond 11th, the noble can inspire greatness in one additional ally. Cannot inspire greatness in herself.



Notes:

Each lower member of your household costs 10 gp a week to feed, cloth, train, etc. Higher members of your household (yourself, spouse, children, advisors, guests, etc.) cost 25 gp a week. Also figured into this number is a ‘household maintenance’ fee, to account for the other random costs that are needed. Weapons, armor, magic, special feasts, parties, gifts, bribes, fines, and additional costs are all separate from this figure.


Gladiator Sheet


Name:
Race:
Class:
Level:
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:
Gender:
Alignment:
---o---
STR:
DEX:
CON:
INT:
WIS:
CHA:
---o---
HP:
AC:
Initiative:
Speed:
BAB:
FORTITUDE:
REFLEX:
WILL:
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats

Special Abilities

---o---
Spells



NPCs


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/CaesarTitusCallaiusTriccata_zps57b4958f.jpg
Titus Callaius Triccata
Caesar of the Empire of Davenshad
1

Politicians & Officials
{table=head]Picture|Name|Position|Relations|Race
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-SenatorCicetusMutuusAechus_zpsa18eaefe.jpg|Cicetus Mutuus Aechus|Senator||Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-RegistrarGowanMacMillan_zps1a7a85d4.jpg|Gowan MacMillan|Registrar of Property|Father of Decidus Gowan MacMillan, Brother to Malatra Thera Meritus, Brother-in-law to Valemus Quindus Meritus|Human - Kamanish
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-RegistrarMarsoIsalus_zpsb1066dfe.jpg|Marso Isalus|Registrar of the Games|Cousin to Alaxion Meridras|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/jamesfrainface_zpscace0686.jpg|Gaus Bartonus|Senator||Human - Davenian
[/table]

Law Enforcement
{table=head]Picture|Name|Position|Relations|Race
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/05Face_zps2df61692.jpg|Adontus Faltis|Centurion, Warden of the Legion Stockade {military prison}|Husband to Aedea Porenia Faltis|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-JusticarAladorFeyley_zpsd5263ff8.jpg|Alador Feyley|Justicar||Elf
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-AlaxionMeridras_zpsecd13912.jpg|Alaxion Meridras|Legionnaire to the Legion Stockade {military prison}|Cousin to Marso Isalus|Human - 1/2 Davenian & 1/2 Baklan
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-JusticarArgedusQuinroHoradius_zpsd0d28d77.jpg|Arge dus Quinro Horadius|Justicar||Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-GuardsmanArlornVenstacia_zps65e32176.jpg|Arlorn Venstacia|Guardsman to the City Guard||Elf
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-CaptainCassimoProxiroCalatotis_zps7f5ac198.jpg|Cas simo Proxiro Calatotis|Captain to the City Guard|Son of Senator Proxiro Falcco Calatotis, Nephew of Maxinto Falcco Calatotis|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-JusticarCratusArmesoAuredras_zpsc250d42c.jpg|Cratu s Armeso Auredras|Justicar||Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-LegatusDruntoBruximusDico_zps2414f061.jpg|Drunto Bruximus Dico|Legatus of the Legion||Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-JusticarsThe_zpsd85de1d3.jpg|The Justicars|Formidable law enforcers who follow Evandel {Goddess of Justice}||
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/aveline__da2_by_fluffyturtle-d387llgface_zps6fd35530.jpg|Laviena Avelina Novellius|Warden of the Civilus Stockade {civilian prison}||Human - Kamanish
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-JusticarLoraGinnen_zps5c218721.jpg|Lora Ginnen|Justicar||Human - Kamanish
[/table]

Olivacus Academia
{table=head]Picture|Name|Position|Relations|Race
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-AmenokarahamHonofret_zps39f645a2.jpg|Amenokar aham Honofret|Doctores of Olivacus Academia, "The Dervish Devil", Retired gladiator||Human - Baklan
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-MathomasDalenhower_zpsea75e02f.jpg|Mathomas Dalenhower|Bodyguard|Son to Mirthen Dalenhower|Human - Davenian {1/4 Vykarilian}
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-LanistaMirthenDalenhower_zpse0c95c03.jpg|Mirthen Dalenhower|Lanista of Olivacus Academia|Father of Mathomas Dalenhower|Human - 1/2 Davenian & 1/2 Vykarilian
[/table]

Other Lanistae
{table=head]Picture|Name|Position|Relations|Race
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-LanistaCaldenausPladaccaSistamo_zps48559946.jpg|Ca ldenaus Pladacca Sistamo|Lanista of Sistamo's Slayers||Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-LanistaHalathburrvidOlnarBrudack_zpsbf49e2f5.jpg|H alath burr vid Olnar Brudack|Lanista of Giants of Jechot||Human - Jechotian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-LanistaMessadeaArliaGalco_zpscc18b99f.jpg|Messadea Arlia Galco|Lanista of Vipera Mortiferum|Friend of Aedea Porenia Faltis|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-LanistaNeriusPostumusLivilian_zps038f279a.jpg|Neri us Postumus Livilian|Lanista of Vetus Canis||Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-LanistaNeroQuinausCalpurnius_zps75230a83.jpg|Nero Quinaus Calpurnius|Lanista of Initium Novum||Human - Davenian
[/table]

Miscellaneous
{table=head]Picture|Name|Position|Relations|Race
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-AedeaPoreniaFaltis_zps7dd1692f.jpg|Aedea Porenia Faltis||Wife to Centurion Adontus Faltis, Friend of Messadea Arlia Galco|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-CarreraFillamenaGracilian_zps66bac68d.jpg|Carrera Fillamena Gracilian||Daughter of Armero Domidus Gracilian, Sister to Nesius Armero Gracilian|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/ArmedusKaeusface_zps7eb07270.jpg|Armedus Kaeus|Doctores of Ludus Palahenus|"The Lion of Davenshad", Retired gladiator|Human - Davenian|
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-CiceroLuciusTarvus_zpsd15d7e04.jpg|Cicero Lucius Tarvus|Proprietor of the Dragonium Colossos|Cousin to Caesar|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-ClementinaArraDitius_zps08d747a6.jpg|Clementina Arra Ditius|Social Butterfly|Daughter of Drumus Tibero Ditius {a wealthy merchant}|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-DecidusGowanMacMillan_zps7121f1fe.jpg|Decidus Gowan MacMillan||Son to Gowan MacMillan, Nephew to Malatra Thera Meritus & Valemus Quindus Meritus|Human - 1/2 Davenian & 1/2 Kamanish
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-FirraSarraeus_zpsb75a324e.jpg|Firra Sarraeus|Studying priesthood at Temple of Aldarr|Niece to Merrius 'Iron Back' Sarraeus|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-GiadaArianaSorano_zps889e23f6.jpg|Giada Ariana Sorano||Daughter to Gerrismo Sorano {merchant ship captain}|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-JunausMartusSaturno_zps28aa7fde.jpg|Junaus Martus Saturno||Son to Martus Bruis Saturno & Seodea Clementa Saturno|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-MalatraTheraMeritus_zps196ea69b.jpg|Malatra Thera Meritus|Proprietor of the Danacus Auditorium|Wife of Valemus Quindus Meritus, Sister to Registrar Gowan MacMillan, Aunt to Decidus Gowan MacMillan|Human - Kamanish|
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-MartusBruisSaturno_zpsdc6db45a.jpg|Martus Bruis Saturno|Proprietor of Saturno Vineyards|Father to Junaus Saturno, Husband to Seodea|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-MaxintoFalccoCalatotis_zpsfce8967e.jpg|Maxinto Falcco Calatotis|Proprietor of the Arena Calatotis|Brother to Senator Proxiro Falcco Calatotis, Uncle to Captain Cassimo Proxiro Calatotis|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-MerriusIronBackSarraeus_zpsc8ea85fd.jpg|Merrius "Iron Back" Sarraeus|Blacksmith, Ex-naval soldier|Uncle to Firra Sarraeus|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-NesiusArmeroGracilian_zpsc0dbdd5d.jpg|Nesius Armero Gracilian||Son to Armero Domidus Gracilian, Brother to Carrera Fillamena Gracilian|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-AuctioneerPharavedLeptis_zps05bae18f.jpg|Pharaved Leptis|Auctioneer||Human - 1/2 Davenian & 1/2 Baklan
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/ProxitusGausface_zpsb843bf5a.jpg|Proxitus Gaus|"The Troll Slayer", Retired gladiator||Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-SeodeaClementaSaturno_zps54de310c.jpg|Seodea Clementa Saturno|Wife to Martus Bruis Saturno|Mother to Junaus Martus Saturno| Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-SkewulfburrvidBeogarChanalk_zpse713b99d.jpg|Skewul f burr vid Beogar Chanalk|Bounty Hunter, Hunter/Woodsman, "Skewulf the Relentless"||Human - Jechotian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-TisoNomitus_zps19f17d5a.jpg|Tiso Nomitus|Shipwright & Owner of 'Tiso's Shipping'||Human - 1/2 Davenian & 1/2 Shachran
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Lordface_zpsf832b4b4.jpg|Tius Lucius Horalius|Owner/Bartender of the "Spear and the Rhino"||Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-TulinaOctania_zpsc9c74245.jpg|Tulina Octania|Bard/Cleric of Aphrodite (Fairly Famous)||Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-ValemusQuindusMeritus_zpse6aac988.jpg|Valemus Quindus Meritus|Adventurer|Husband to Malatra Thera Meritus, Brother-in-law to Registrar Gowan MacMillan, Uncle to Decidus Gowan MacMillan|Human - Davenian
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/ValentoPharajiface_zps02e5453d.jpg|Valento Pharaji|Doctores of Non Omnis Moriar, "The Scourge from the Burning Sands", Retired gladiator||Human - Baklan
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Face-VarusArgento_zps17f405d9.jpg|Varus Argento|Mercenary, Ex-naval soldier||Human - Davenian
[/table]

[pife]

Funds, Assets and Expenses Current funds: 146 as of 7/26


Expenses from 6/7 forward
New Detailed Expenses:
300 gold piece donation to the Church of Vegella
Potential Expenses:480 on 7/26 for the following (Bottle of Moondrop, spellbook and ink for Lepidus, carnal entertainment to include a dozen men/ladies of the night, with 2 approved for Livak, and accomodations for my rougher employees) Renting cart and mules, purchasing load of rotten fish, 50 gp to very attractive alibi, cost of room for alibi, cost of expenses for alibi
7/3 200 gp spent Temple-Crawling for Vipers Nest)
7/2 5 spent bribing beggars outside of Tiso's shipyard
7/2 250 INCOME from Temple of Nerull
7/2 60 dispensed to Livak, Lepidus and Digitus for market deception and present from me
6/27 25 spent on Herminia's necklace
6/17 21 gp spent by Herminia and Sabine on dresses/goodies
6/13 625 gp for Thaphos and the Tiernan
6/12 -10 gp, wine for my gladiators
6/12 1500 received from Adontus (Loan, payback terms "when I can", Adontus holds the "deeds" to Karsus, Monstrum, and Lepidus)
6/12 -500gp Another payment (my 3rd) to the moneylender (


Old Expenses
Reconciled all funds on 6/7. Will keep a detailed and dated record of all incoming/outgoing funds in better order from now on.. There were actually several things I missed, both positive and negative. For example, I found that I had forgotten to add an entire week's resources to my totals for the 5/21 "tax day", and I also had not paid my salaries for that week. I'd also missed 2gp for the firewood to cover the body, 5 gp to a beggar, the Vegella Party hookers and cook, 15 gold for the party invitations, 30 for Monstrum's whores, a few other things like that. With the +/-, I was off by 50 gp (to the bad). I have reduced my treasury to compensate. (Paid 1650 for three slaves on 5/13. Paid 5/12 70 gp bribe, Received 486 on 5/9 weekly roll, paid 392 for 5/9 weekly cost. Received 950 for games, Paid Rizban 500 gp for the fight with the dryad. Paid for Monstrums whores (30), 20 silver medallions (100), a cask of halfling wine for Adontus (75), a 20gp donation to the Church of Aldarr, Garkensmee's seed and wine (400), Paid 20 for beggar bribes. Paid for Thona, This is after all of my bribes, my weekly cost x2, my street party, the charm potions, the falcon, the wine for Martus, etc.


Weekly Costs: Updated 6/7
Myself- 25
Upper Slaves- Herminia, Crispus, Ferakin, Marcus, Aelius, Thona- 150
Guard Captain (Very good)- 10
12 Guards (Very good)- 48
Valento- Doctore- 50
Garkensmee- 30
Gladiators-Monstrum, Digitus Minimus, Celsus, Vitus, Karsus the Reaper, Lepidus, Suunus-, New Half Orc Fem Fighter 2, New Half Orc Barbarian 2- 90 total
Lower House Slaves- Sabina, Livia -20
Varus and Iron Back- 40/week

452/week at current count as of 6/7

Owe a total of 9.5k (assuming full duration of three months) to moneylender (2.5k paid back) (3 weeks have passed out of the 13 alotted)
300 still on retainer to "special" slaver





Servants and Agents

These sheets include:
Ferakhan-1/2 orc Druid 2- Animal Trainer
Aelius-Human Bard 1- My primary agent
Crispus-Human Cleric 2- Medicus- Worships Strona
Herminia- Human Expert 0-Bodyslave, vilica
Marcus-Human Bard 1- House Slave, secondary agent
Sabina-Female Human Rogue 0- House Slave
Thona, Half Frost Giant, Half Jecothian Level 0
Livia, Human Female Sorceress 1

Garkensmee
Guards
Dogs
Captain


NON-Gladiators
Gladiator SheetFerakhan


Name:FERAKHAN 375+250xp =1625/3000
Race: Half-Orc
Class:Druid
Level:2
Battles Survived 0 (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:M
Gender:Male
[b]Alignment:NE
---o---
STR:8
DEX:15
CON:12
INT:6
WIS:16
CHA:12
---o---
HP:14
AC:14
Initiative:+2
Speed30:
BAB+0 Spiked Gauntlets 1d4-1 Damage:
FORTITUDE:3
REFLEX:0
WILL:3
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Spiked Gauntlet|+0|1d4-1|20/x2|Range|Sm|Piercing|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|Leather|Light|+2|0|30
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Heal:2, Handle Animal:7, Knowl. Nature:1, Profession-Animal Trainer:5, Survival:5
Feats
Animal Affinity
Special Abilities
Wild Empathy (1d20+5)
Animal Companion- Nerxum- Dire Rat
---o---
Spells
CMW, mending, Flare, Create Water
Calm Animals, Charm Animal, Speak with Animal



Gladiator Sheet Aelius


Name:Aelius
Race:Human
Class:Bard
Level:1
Battles Survived:0 (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:

Experience 375+250=625/1000
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:Med
Gender:Male
Alignment:NG
---o---
STR:14
DEX:9
CON:11
INT:14
WIS:15
CHA:16
---o---
HP:6
AC:9[b]
Initiative:-1
Speed:30
BAB:0
[b]FORTITUDE:0[b]
[b]REFLEX:1
WILL:4
CMB:12
CMD:11
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Dagger|+2|1d4+2|19-20/x2|10|Small|Pierce/Slash|
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Appraise- 6
Bluff- 7
Diplomacy- 9
Disguise- 7
Gather Info- 10
Knowl-Local- 6
Knowl- Davenshad Bureaucracy- 6
Perform- Flute- 7
Sense Motive- 8

Feats
Negotiator
Skill Focus- Gather Information

Special Abilities
Bardic music
Bardic Knowledge (+3)
Countersong
Fascinate
Inspire Courage +1


---o---
Spells
0 Level Spells (can cast 1/day)
Daze
Detect Magic
Summon Instrument
Prestidigitation



Thonah
Gladiator Sheet


Name: Thonah
Race:1/2 Frost Giant, 1/2 Jecothian
Class:
Level:EL 3
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:7.8
Weight:218
Size:M
Gender:F/b]
[b]Alignment:TN
---o---
STR:21
DEX:7
CON:18
INT:12
WIS:15
CHA:18
---o---
HP:44
AC:12 (+4 Nat, -2 Dex)
Initiative:-2
Speed:30
BAB:+3
FORTITUDE:+8
REFLEX:-1
WILL:+3
CMB:+8
CMD:+16
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Craft: Weaponsmith- 7
Intimidate- 10
Spot- 8
Perform: Sing- 3
Craft- Carpentry- 7

Feats
Power Attack

Special Abilities
Rock Throwing
Cold Subtype
Low-Light Vision
---o---
Spells




Gladiator Sheet Herminia


Name:Herminia
Race:Human
Class:Expert
Level:1
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:5.7
Weight:141
Size:M
Gender:F/b]
Alignment:N
---o---
[b]STR:7
DEX:14
CON:7
INT:17
WIS:10
CHA:17
---o---
HP:4
AC:12
Initiative:+2
Speed:30
BAB:0
FORTITUDE:-2
REFLEX:+2
WILL:+2
CMB:-2
CMD:0
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Knife|-2|1d4-2|19-20/x2|10|S|P/S|
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills (skills have modifiers added)
Profession: Vilica- 4/4
Perform: Dance 4/6
Appraise:4/7
Diplomacy: 4/10
Gather Info: 4/9
Knowledge: History- 4/7
Listen: 4/4
Search: 4/9
Sense Motive: 4/7
Spot: 4/4

Feats
Skill Focus: Diplomacy
Investigator

Special Abilities

---o---
Spells




Gladiator Sheet Crispus


Name: Crispus
Race:Human
Class:Cleric of Strona
Level:2
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:6.0
Weight:190
Size:M
Gender:M/b]
[b]Alignment:LG
---o---
STR:11
DEX:11
CON:17
INT:14
WIS:17
CHA:15
---o---
HP:13
AC:10
Initiative:0
Speed:30
BAB:+1
FORTITUDE:+5
REFLEX:0
WILL:+5
CMB:+1
CMD:0
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Concentration: 4/7
Craft: Alchemy 3/5
Diplomacy: 3/5
Heal: 4/12
Knowledge: Arcana- 2/4
Knowledge: History- 2/4
Knowledge: Religion- 4/6
Spellcraft: 3/5
Survival (cc) 2/2

Feats
Skill Focus; Heal
Self Sufficient


Special Abilities
Turn/Rebuke Undead

---o---
Spells
Domain: Healing- Cast healing spells at +1 level Domain Spell: CLW
Domain: Magic- Use scrolls, wands and other devices as a wizard of half my levels. Domain Spell: Nystul's Magic Aura

0 Level (4)
Create Water
Mending
Light
Mending

1st Level (3+1)
Domain: Cure Light Wounds
Magic Weapon
Bless Water
Comprehend Languages




Marcus
Gladiator Sheet


Name:Marcus
Race:Human
Class:Bard
Level:1
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:M
Gender:M/b]
[b]Alignment: N
---o---
STR:14
DEX:12
CON:16
INT:12
WIS:13
CHA:17
---o---
HP:9
AC:14
Initiative:+1
Speed:30
BAB:
FORTITUDE:
REFLEX:
WILL:
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
|Dagger|+2|1d4+2|19-20/*2|10|S|
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
Studded Leather|Light|+3|-1||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Appraise: 1/2
Bluff: 4/9
Diplomacy:2/7
Disguise: 1/4
Gather Information: 4/7
Hide 1/2
Knowledge: Davenian History 3:4
Knowledge: Local 4/5
Perform: 4/7
Sense Motive: 2/5
Sleight of Hand: 2/3
Use Magic Device 2/5
Intimidate: (CC) 5

Feats
Negotiator
Persuasive

Special Abilities
Bardic Music
Bardic knowledge,
Countersong
Fascinate,
Inspire Courage +1
---o---
Spells
0 Level (4 Known, 2 to cast/day)




Sabine
Gladiator Sheet


Name:Sabine
Race:Human
Class:Rogue
Level:1
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:M
Gender:F/b]
[b]Alignment: CN
---o---
STR:13
DEX:16
CON:6
INT:16
WIS:9
CHA:13
---o---
HP:4
AC:13 (No Armor)
Initiative:+3
Speed:30
BAB:0
FORTITUDE:-2
REFLEX:+5
WILL:-1
CMB:+1
CMD:+4
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Appraise: 4/7
Balance: 2/5
Bluff: 3/4
Climb: 3/4
Diplomacy: 1/2
Disable Device: 1/4
Escape Artist: 1/4
Hide: 4/9
Jump: 1/2
Knowledge: Local 3/6
Listen: 1/0
Move Silently: 4/9
Open Lock: 3/6
Perform: Storytelling: 3/6
Profession: Stylist: 4/6
Search: 1/4
Sense Motive: 2/3
Spot: 3/2
Tumble: 1/4
Use Rope: 3/6

Feats
Skill Focus:Profession: Stylist
Stealthy

Special Abilities
Sneak Attack +1d6
Trapfinding
---o---
Spells



Livia
Gladiator Sheet


Name:Livia
Race:Human
Class:Sorceror
Level:1
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:M
Gender:F/b]
[b]Alignment:CN
---o---
STR:13
DEX:14
CON:16
INT:14
WIS:12
CHA:15
---o---
HP:7
AC:12 (No Armor)
Initiative:+2
Speed:30
BAB:0
FORTITUDE:+3
REFLEX:+2
WILL:+3
CMB:+1
CMD:+3
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Bluff: 2/4
Concentration: 4/7
Knowledge: Arcana 2/4
Profession: Bodyservant: 4/5
Spellcraft: 2/4
Handle Animal (CC) 2/6
Appraise: CC 5

Feats
Scribe Scroll
Animal Affinity
Special Abilities
Summon Familiar- Raven "Noc-Noc"

---o---
Spells
0- Level (4 known 5/day)
Detect Magic
Read Magic
Prestidigitation
Mending

1st Level (2 Known, 4/day)
Unseen Servant
Sleep




Gladiator Sheet


Name:
Race:
Class:
Level:
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:
Gender:/b]
[b]Alignment:
---o---
STR:
DEX:
CON:
INT:
WIS:
CHA:
---o---
HP:
AC:
Initiative:
Speed:
BAB:
FORTITUDE:
REFLEX:
WILL:
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats

Special Abilities

---o---
Spells









Master Gladiator List


Monstrum- Orc Barbarian 1/Fighter 1- Gladiator
Digitus Minimus- Human Sorceror 1- Gladiator
Celsus- Dwarf Fighter 0- Gladiator
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=goblin&start=123&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=789&tbm=isch&tbnid=8XL88tZyTmOUkM:&imgrefurl=http://www.joystiq.com/screenshots/puzzle-quest-2-xbla-gdc-2010/&docid=G1XpvoqLWbkg2M&imgurl=http://www.blogcdn.com/www.joystiq.com/media/2010/03/goblin-1268719541.jpg&w=1349&h=1815&ei=3RDUUdvLLcHm0QHvjYGIBA&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=1265&page=4&tbnh=136&tbnw=96&ndsp=44&ved=1t:429,r:45,s:100,i:139&tx=48&ty=55

Vitus- Hobgoblin 0- Gladiator
Karsus the Reaper- Gnoll 1st level Fighter- Gladiator
Suunus Gnome Fighter 1
Lepidus Gnome Barbarian/Wizard 1/1
Arcius 2 1/2 orc Barbarian
2 1/2 orc female Fighter
Livia 1 Human Sorceress
Thaphos
The Tiernan


Gladiator Character Sheets

Gladiator Sheet- Monstrum


[b]Name:MONSTRUM
Race:Orc
Class:Barbarian
Level:1
Battles Survived:1 (Since last level);0 (Total:1)
Reputation:1
---o---
Height:6.3'
Weight:280
Size:Medium
Gender:Male
Alignment:CE
---o---
STR:20
DEX:11
CON:11
INT:14
WIS:5
CHA:11
---o---
HP:16
AC:14
Initiative:0
Speed:40
BAB:+2
FORTITUDE:4
REFLEX:0
WILL:-2
CMB:6
CMD:6
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
MW Heavy Flail|+9|1d10+5|19-20/x2|o|L|Blunt|
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
Chain Shirt|Light|+4|-2|40|
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Rage 1/day- 4 rds
Climb:10, Intimidate:5 or 10, Jump:9, Survival:1, Ride:4, Handle Animal:4, Weapon Drill: 1 Rank
Feats
Weapon Focus: Heavy Flail
Expertise
Special Abilities

---o---
Spells




Gladiator SheetDigitus Minimus


Name:DIGITUS MINIMUS
Race:Human
Class:Sorceror
Level:1
Battles Survived:1 (Since last level) 0; (Total 1)
Reputation:1
---o---
Height:5.9"
Weight:145
Size:M
Gender:Male
Alignment:N
---o---
STR:12
DEX:11
CON:12
INT:16
WIS:11
CHA:17
---o---
HP:5
AC:10
Initiative:+4
Speed:30
BAB:0
FORTITUDE:+1
REFLEX:2
WILL:2
CMB:+1
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Staff|||||||
Dagger|+1|1d4+1|19-20/*2|Light|piercing||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Bluff+7, Concentration+5, Knowledge Arcana +5, Spellcraft+5, Weapon Drill: 4 ranks, Tumble: 2 (4spCC) Intimidate 4 (2spCC)
Feats
Improved Initiative
Point Blank Shot
Alertness (when familiar is within arms reach)

Special Abilities
Summon Familiar: Weasel
---o---
Spells
0 level- (5) Daze, Disrupt Undead, Ray of Frost, Arcane Mark,
1st level- (4) Cause Fear, Color Spray,






Gladiator SheetCelsus


Name:Celsus
Race:Dwarf
Class:Fighter
Level:0
Battles Survived:0 (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:4.1
Weight:162
Size:M
Gender:Male
Alignment:NG
---o---
STR:16
DEX:13
CON:17
INT:10
WIS:13
CHA:10
---o---
HP:13
AC:17
Initiative:+1
Speed:20
BAB:+4
FORTITUDE:+4
REFLEX:+1
WILL:+1
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Battleaxe|+3|1d8+3|x3|Med|Slash||
Throwing Axe +1|1d6+3|x3|Light|Slash|||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
Breastplate|Medium|+5|-4|20|
Large Wooden Shield|Shield|+2|-2||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Climb+5, Intimidate+2
Feats
Special Abilities

---o---
Spells




Gladiator SheetVitus


Name:Vitus
Race:Hobgoblin
Class:
Level:0
Battles Survived:0 (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:M
Gender:Male
Alignment:LE
---o---
STR:12
DEX:18
CON:19
INT:14
WIS:13
CHA:14
---o---
HP:12
AC:14
Initiative:+4
Speed:30
BAB:
FORTITUDE:+5
REFLEX:+4
WILL:+1
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Net|+4|Nil||Medium|Ranged|Ranged Touch- -2TH, -4Dex, can't run or charge|
|Trident|+1|1d8+1|x2|10|Medium|Piercing
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats
Exotic Weapon Proficiency- Net
Special Abilities

---o---
Spells



Gladiator SheetKarsus the Reaper


Name:Karsus the
Reaper
Race:Gnoll
Class:Fighter
Level:1
Battles Survived:1 (Since last level)0; (Total) 1
Reputation:2
---o---
Height:6.9'
Weight:246
Size:M
Gender:Male
Alignment:CE
---o---
STR:20
DEX:16
CON:17
INT:15
WIS:14
CHA:16
---o---
HP:27
AC:16
Initiative:+3
Speed:30
BAB:+2
FORTITUDE:+6
REFLEX:+3
WILL:+2
CMB:+7
CMD:+10
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Spear|+8|1d8+5|x3|0|20|Pierce |
Dagger|+7|1d4+5|19-20/*2|10|Light|Pierce or Slash|
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
Hide|Medium|+3|-3|20|
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Climb: 7, Intimidate +7, Weapon Drill: 4 Ranks Jump: +9, Swim +7
Feats
Weapon Focus- SpearSpecial Abilities
Combat Expertise
---o---
Spells



Gladiator SheetLepidus


Name:Lepidus
Race:Gnome
Class:Barbarian/Wizard
Level:1/1
Battles Survived:0 (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:Small
Gender:Male
Alignment:
---o---
STR:9
DEX:12
CON:19
INT:16
WIS:11
CHA:11
---o---
HP:24
AC:15
Initiative:+1
Speed:40
BAB:
FORTITUDE:+6
REFLEX:+1
WILL:+2
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Conduit Staff|||||||
Greatsword|-1|1d10-1|19-20/*2|0|Two Handed|
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
Chain Shirt|Light|+4|-2|30|
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats
Weapon Focus- Greatsword
Special Abilities
Rage 1/day Lasts 6 rounds
---o---
Spells
0 Level- Resistance, Acid Splash, Detect Poison, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Daze, Light, Ray of Frost, Ghost sound, Disrupt Undead, Mage Hand, mending, Message, Open/Close, Arcane Mark, Prestidigitation

1st Level- True Strike, Ray of Enfeeblement, Mage Armor, Expeditious Retreat, Magic Weapon, Shocking Grasp




Gladiator SheetSuunus


Name:Suunus
Race:Gnome
Class:Fighter
Level:1
Battles Survived:0 (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:Small
Gender:Male
Alignment:
---o---
STR:14
DEX:15
CON:17
INT:14
WIS:9
CHA:12
---o---
HP:13
AC:17
Initiative:+2
Speed:20
BAB:+1
FORTITUDE:+5
REFLEX:+2
WILL:-1
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Gnome Hooked Hammer|+4|1d6+2/1d4+2|x3/x4|0|Two Handed|Pierce or Blunt|Can use to Trip
Shortspear|+3|1d4+2|x2|20|One-Handed|Piercing|
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
Chain Shirt|Light|+4|-2||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats
Combat Expertise
Improved Disarm
Special Abilities
1/day Speak with Burrowing Animals
1/day Dancing Lights/Prestidigitation/Ghost Sound
+2 Listen/Alchemy
+1 AC, +1TH, +4 Hide
+2 vs Illusions
+1 TH vs kobolds and goblinoids
+4 Dodge Bonus to AC vs Giants
Low Light Vision
---o---
Spells


Mummia
Gladiator Sheet


Name:Mummia
Race:1/2 Orc
Class:Fighter
Level:2
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:5.8
Weight:170
Size:M
Gender:F/b]
[b]Alignment:CN
---o---
STR:18
DEX:15
CON:13
INT:12
WIS:14
CHA:12
---o---
HP:22
AC:18Scale Male and Tower Shield
Initiative:+2
Speed:30/20
BAB:+2
FORTITUDE:+4
REFLEX:+2
WILL:+2
CMB:+6
CMD:+8
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Flail|+7|1d8+4|x2|0|M|+2 Disarm and can Trip|
Spear|+6 (+4 thrown)|1d8+4|x3|20|m|P|
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
Scale|M|+4|-4|20|
Tower Shield|M|+2|-10||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Weapon Drill: 5/7
Intimidate: 5/6
Swim: 2/6
Climb: 3/7

Feats
Weapon Focus: Flail
Improved Unarmed Strike
Improved Grapple

Special Abilities
Darkvision 60'

---o---
Spells



Arcius
Gladiator Sheet


Name:Arcius
Race:1/2 orc
Class:Barbarian
Level: 2
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:5.4
Weight:204
Size:M
Gender:M/b]
[b]Alignment:CG
---o---
STR:19
DEX:8
CON:13
INT:6
WIS:12
CHA:14
---o---
HP:18
AC:12 (Studded Leather)
Initiative:-1
Speed:40
BAB:+2
FORTITUDE:+4
REFLEX:-1
WILL:+1
CMB:6
CMD:7
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Greataxe|+7|1d12+4|x3|0|M|S|
Throwing Axes (3)|+1|1d6+4|x3|10|S|S|
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
Studded Leather|Lt|+3|-1|40|
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Intimidate: 2/4
Jump: 2/6
Survival: 2/3
Climb: 4/8

Feats
Weapon Focus: Greataxe

Special Abilities
Fast Movement
Illiteracy
Rage 1/day
Uncanny Dodge
Darkvision 60
---o---
Spells





Gladiator Sheet


Name:
Race:
Class:
Level:
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:
Gender:/b]
[b]Alignment:
---o---
STR:
DEX:
CON:
INT:
WIS:
CHA:
---o---
HP:
AC:
Initiative:
Speed:
BAB:
FORTITUDE:
REFLEX:
WILL:
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats

Special Abilities

---o---
Spells




Gladiator Sheet


Name:
Race:
Class:
Level:
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:
Gender:/b]
[b]Alignment:
---o---
STR:
DEX:
CON:
INT:
WIS:
CHA:
---o---
HP:
AC:
Initiative:
Speed:
BAB:
FORTITUDE:
REFLEX:
WILL:
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats

Special Abilities

---o---
Spells




Gladiator Sheet


Name:
Race:
Class:
Level:
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:
Gender:/b]
[b]Alignment:
---o---
STR:
DEX:
CON:
INT:
WIS:
CHA:
---o---
HP:
AC:
Initiative:
Speed:
BAB:
FORTITUDE:
REFLEX:
WILL:
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats

Special Abilities

---o---
Spells




Gladiator Sheet


Name:
Race:
Class:
Level:
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:
Gender:/b]
[b]Alignment:
---o---
STR:
DEX:
CON:
INT:
WIS:
CHA:
---o---
HP:
AC:
Initiative:
Speed:
BAB:
FORTITUDE:
REFLEX:
WILL:
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats

Special Abilities

---o---
Spells




Gladiator Sheet


Name:
Race:
Class:
Level:
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:
Gender:/b]
[b]Alignment:
---o---
STR:
DEX:
CON:
INT:
WIS:
CHA:
---o---
HP:
AC:
Initiative:
Speed:
BAB:
FORTITUDE:
REFLEX:
WILL:
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats

Special Abilities

---o---
Spells

[Erasmas]

An excellent point on both... especially on keeping the roster up front and center!

[pife]

First priorities (already on the list in the first post)

Attempt to make contact with agents of the black market in town, while in disguise

Does my retainered slaver have any stock CURRENTLY?

Approach a reputable dwarven stonemason in town, and get an estimate for a double-blind (outer door-->inner door--> cell) cell large enough to hold a size Large monster, strong enough to hold a giant, with anchor points for manacles/restraints
Diplomacy roll to haggle price- [roll0]

Approach a reputable Blacksmith and get an estimate on MW Manacles, 5 pair, 1 Small, 2 Med, 2 Large
Diplomacy roll to haggle price- [roll1]

[Erasmas]

We will resolve the "other markets" stuff after we get the initial auction taken care of.
The slaver is currently out to sea and should be back in about four or five months (probably not before your first fight).
The dwarf wants 850 gp to build something to those specifications (and that is the negotiated price).
The blacksmith will do the work for 225 gp.

[pife]

[list] We will resolve the "other markets" stuff after we get the initial auction taken care of.
The slaver is currently out to sea and should be back in about four or five months (probably not before your first fight).
The dwarf wants 850 gp to build something to those specifications (and that is the negotiated price).
The blacksmith will do the work for 225 gp.


Excellent. I'm not going to use the stonemason or blacksmith until I get some cash flow going, but the prices are reasonable, and I'll be contacting them soon.

Would there be any benefit to finding/hiring a renowned retired gladiator to help train my gladiators? (either a tangible benefit in increasing their talent or an increase in prestige or reputation)?

Finally, are we simulating that the actual "in game" portion of the auction is being handled with sealed bids? The reason I ask, is that if, for example, the bids were actually being treated as sealed, I could attempt to bribe one of the administrators of the slave auction, and he could tell me if I have been outbid for any of my "preferred" selections (the ones over 250 gp), so that I can potentially increase my bid before the outcome of the auction..

(By the way, do you, as DM, enjoy the political and scheming aspects that I'm trying to engage, or am I taking it too far? I don't want to go beyond your "vision" of the game. Lol, if this is all part of your plan, that's great, but if you're rolling your eyes and thinking "damn, this a$$hole is annoying me", then I want to back it down a notch. )

[Erasmas]

I will have to get to some of the rest of your questions later, but I wanted to get to you about the auction before it ends. I need you to make your Favor roll (it can be influenced by money, etc.) to find out about the bids.

[pife]

Favor Roll (i don't think this gets modified by Cha or anything, right?)
[roll0]

Supplementing the favor roll with a 100 gp "sweetener".. (already reduced from my cash on sheet)

[Erasmas]

I also need a %-roll from you, please! (Just in case I don't get one from you before I am done for the night - [roll0])

The rest of your questions:

Fair enough (on the craftsmen).
Yes. There are three such men still alive in Davenshad who are not presently employed. It would have an effect on both your reputation (as well as that of your gladiators), as long as he is kept on staff. He would have to be given the title of "Doctores" and would be of the 'high level' of house member (and cost)... in addition to whatever price you arrange to pay him to agree to take the job - you basically would be asking him to re-enter servitude.
Yes, they are actually a sealed bid in-game as well. The rolls I am having you make are to see how much information you are able to get from the auctioneer.
Political scheming is something that I wish I was better at... but, quite simply, my mind just isn't wired that way. I love watching Game of Thrones and find all of it fascinating, but I have a hard time playing like that. Honestly, it is the biggest fear that I have with this game - that I'm going to drop the ball on that part of it. It has already jumped into the deep end of what I was expecting (and very quickly too), but I am doing my best to keep up. And no, I don't roll my eyes and call players names unless they are rude/condescending/cheating/power-gaming... so you're good!
Thank you for saying that I am doing a good job; it actually means quite a bit to me and gratitude isn't something that you get a lot of as a DM (especially here)!



And the result of your Gather Information from the IC thread:

You can tell that that one known as Aequilinus Marcius has seen combat before, and appears to be a worshiper of Thorne (God of War)... perhaps even a priest of his. There seems to be a mild apprehension that shows when the subject of gladiators' deaths is brought up.
Despite her dress, which was very flattering to her form and very feminine... the one known as Leana Priscilla Aresius had the stance and build of a soldier. She had definitely seen combat before as well, perhaps with the 14th Legion, as the tattoo would suggest. And you noticed that, while she played it off well, that there was a deep hatred brewing in her that was aimed at this Mirthen fellow.
The one known as Servius Opimius Pollio had a worldly air to him and looked as though he had traveled quite a bit... though it seemed it had been some time since. You also could tell that he was probably not being entirely forthright about his finances or his plan to procure such a meager sum of gladiators.

[pife]

I also need a %-roll from you, please! (Just in case I don't get one from you before I am done for the night - [roll0])

The rest of your questions:

Fair enough (on the craftsmen).
Yes. There are three such men still alive in Davenshad who are not presently employed. It would have an effect on both your reputation (as well as that of your gladiators), as long as he is kept on staff. He would have to be given the title of "Doctores" and would be of the 'high level' of house member (and cost)... in addition to whatever price you arrange to pay him to agree to take the job - you basically would be asking him to re-enter servitude.
Yes, they are actually a sealed bid in-game as well. The rolls I am having you make are to see how much information you are able to get from the auctioneer.
Political scheming is something that I wish I was better at... but, quite simply, my mind just isn't wired that way. I love watching Game of Thrones and find all of it fascinating, but I have a hard time playing like that. Honestly, it is the biggest fear that I have with this game - that I'm going to drop the ball on that part of it. It has already jumped into the deep end of what I was expecting (and very quickly too), but I am doing my best to keep up. And no, I don't roll my eyes and call players names unless they are rude/condescending/cheating/power-gaming... so you're good!
Thank you for saying that I am doing a good job; it actually means quite a bit to me and gratitude isn't something that you get a lot of as a DM (especially here)!



Percentage roll, as requested. [roll0]

I would like to find out what they would charge me (weekly). The stipulations being that they are to be firm, but fair. They must ALWAYS be completely honest with me, and will never be punished for the truth. They will NOT be slaves, and they can either stay at the ludus or they can stay in their current homes (I can have an "assistant doctores" that handles the night shift). I would like to approach each of them, and attempt to haggle a reasonable price.

Diplomacy rolls for negotiating a rate
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

And I love the political scheming thing. I'm actually keeping it fairly basic at the moment, lol.. Let me know if you want me to "unload" and bring out the multi-phase reverse psychology craziness, lol..

[Erasmas]

Make sure that you are ticking off all of this money that you're spending! That's 200 to the auctioneer that needs to disappear, please.
:smallbiggrin:

[pife]

100 already had, the other 100 is going now.

[Erasmas]

Gracias!

This part is pretty exciting. I am going to bed (almost 1 here)!

[pife]

Okay, I "might" survive the auction now, lol. Not including the 10gp bids for the "dregs", my current total of bids comes to about 4800, and surely I won't win all of them..

Umm.. Drop 22 and 29, to free up about another 450. I (the player, not Linus) am getting cold feet, lol.

[pife]

Cleaning up my books..

Okay, I got myself confused there for a while, so I'm going to post what I THINK my current bids are (not including my 10gp "steal" bids).



This is what I THINK my current bids are
1 700
6 51
7 25
11 25
12 25
13 200
15 75
16 101
24 1100
28 550
30 25
31 25
33 150
34 75
36 150
37 351
38 25
39 151
40 501

By my count, I have dropped the bids on (or am knowingly losing on)
2
4
5
17
20
22
23
25
26
27
29

10 gp "steal" bids
3
8
9
10
14
18
19
21
32
35

Please let me know if my corrected estimates are accurate by your records.

[Erasmas]

Those all look correct, with the exception of #38... which I have you down for 75 instead of 25.

[pife]

You're right, 75 is the correct bid.

[pife]

Oops, forgot you can't roll in a PM.

Diplomacy Check- [roll0]

[pife]

Stats for my personal slave- (this is the free one).

by the way, do you want to roll for their level, or shall I roll 1d3 (0, 1st, 2nd)?

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

Holy cow, lol. Terrible rolls.. Oh well..

And can I select to just make my personal slave human, Lawful Neutral alignment, or do they need to be rolled?

[Erasmas]

I am okay with you rerolling those one time.
I will say that choosing for them to be human and whatever alignment is fine.

As for level (1-3= 0 level; 4-5= 1st level; 6= 2nd level):
[roll0]

[pife]

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

Thanks for letting me reroll those.. Lol, I would have dealt with it, but yeah, those were awful..
And thanks for rolling the level for me!

[pife]

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]

Sorry, rolled 4d63, forgot the b..

[Erasmas]

Yeah... that was hilarious.
I am going to put up a run-down on how to handle the personal slave in the OOC.

[pife]

Sounds good..

Following up on a couple of things..


* Have I had any luck approaching/interviewing any of the three retired gladiators?

* Have I had the opportunity to locate and attend the "illicit" market?

* Will there be any problems with my NE Druid Animal trainer? I figure that, as best as he is capable, he will be training them to WIN, so he actually does want the animal to succeed.. Just don't want him to lose his class for this.

* Once I have statted out my slaves, especially the couple that are likely to be my "agents", can I start sending them out to do things/find things, etc?

* How do I go about acquiring my first critters and monsters? You mentioned that my retainered guy likely won't be back around till after the first fights, but are there other ways to get animals/beasties into the ring?

* Who do I need to talk to try to get my beasties added to the "agenda"? How do we want to set up cost/profit for the beasties?

[Erasmas]

Okay... firstly... please roll me a Gather Information check!


The retired gladiators are (in order of retirement): Armedus Kaeus, who was known as the Lion of Davenshad; Proxitus Gaus, who was known as the Troll Slayer; and Valento Pharaji, who was known as the Scourge from the Burning Sands. I have posted their pictures into the NPC spoiler. Each one of them quotes the price of 40 gp/week... Armedus comes down to 35 and will budge no further; you are able to talk Proxitus into 30; as well, you are able to talk Valento into 30 and he seems eager for the job and requests to stay at the ludus to keep an eye on the gladiators and insists on being present/giving approval when you select the his "assistant".
Actually, I'll need a second Gather Information check from you (for the illicit market).
On this we will bend the rules a bit... okay, a lot. He will be less of a "true" druid and more of a beast master. His relationship with the animals is less love and compassion and more obedience and fear. We will keep the abilities and everything the same (as it is too confusing otherwise), but will just change the flavor of how they work and how he gets them.
Yes... much of the information that you are gathering and whatnot is actually being carried out by whomever these individuals will be. We are just using your stats and rolls for the time being.
Yes, there is an "animal place" down near the docks where you can go to purchase beasties. You aren't the only one asking about it, so I will try and set up a strictly animal auction here in the next couple of days (hopefully).
There will be certain fights where beasts are allowed, and even some that will be restricted to beasts only. We will treat normal beasts as "low tier" slaves and exotic beasts as "high tier" (to account for specific diets, the extra time and research that the trainer needs, etc.). That will keep things simple.

[pife]

Gather Information: [roll0]
And I think you said you wanted a 2nd one.. [roll1]

By my count, I picked up 4 slaves (20, 22, 30 and 33) for a grand total of 750. (bringing my total treasury down to 1159gp). I will update the first spoiler on this page to keep my money current.

I would like to know "what I know" about Proxitus. I like his offer very much, and also like his enthusiasm. But i'm skeptical. Sense Motive please.. (and this also gives me another idea.. involving planting one of these retired gladiators in a rival ludus, to keep apprised of what's going on. I'll need to plan that out further though).. [roll2] Does he have an ulterior motive for wanting the position this badly, or is it genuine interest?

Considering making the offer to Proxitus, based on what I learn/know of him.

[Erasmas]

Your first Gather Information check revealed the following:
A source relayed to you that one of your rival lanista, Servius Opimius Pollio, was seen buying drinks and talking with Pharaved Leptis, the Auctioneer.

Your second Gather Information check revealed nothing about the illicit market.

Your calculations are correct about the amounts.

Valento was the one that made that offer. It seems to be genuine interest; one born out of wanting to do a thorough job and the fact that he misses the arena and the life he once had, despite the wealth, freedom, and safety that he now enjoys.

[pife]

By the way, I would very much like to inquire about guards. (talented ones, not just thugs off the street)..

I'd like to find a captain, of sorts. He/She would not be a slave, would be an advisor, is required to be talented, intelligent and loyal. (In game terms, I'm wanting to price a hireling (someday to be a henchman?) in the 4th level area. He/she would be in charge of any other guards and slaves, and for the time being, would speak with my authority. (but I expect a lot, competence at the very minimum, excellence if reasonable, lol).. Just wanting to see what kind of price range this kind of thing would go for. Not sure what rolls to make, if any, so just let me know.

I am currently realizing that I'm a lanista who owns 11 slaves, and I haven't got anyone who ISN'T a slave (unless/until I get guards and/or my new Doctores). It's time to start thinking about security, lol.

[pife]

Your first Gather Information check revealed the following:
A source relayed to you that one of your rival lanista, Servius Opimius Pollio, was seen buying drinks and talking with Pharaved Leptis, the Auctioneer.

Your second Gather Information check revealed nothing about the illicit market.

Your calculations are correct about the amounts.

Valento was the one that made that offer. It seems to be genuine interest; one born out of wanting to do a thorough job and the fact that he misses the arena and the life he once had, despite the wealth, freedom, and safety that he now enjoys.

Holy cow, that's a hard to find illicit market, lol.

I offer Valento You'll take 50 gold per week, but it's no less than you deserve, as you are going to help me build a house of Champions!! As long as you keep faith with me, you'll find me a generous employer. Tell me what you need, and I'll provide it for you. Be firm, but fair. I want the honest truth about each of my recruits, once you've had a chance to evaluate them. If you have advice, offer it, but be not offended if I choose not to take it. Your words will find my ear willing.


And is it alright if my personal slave is actually in training to be an Expert (vilica). <head of my slaves>?

Who is the official in charge of the prisons (military and civilian)? I think I might want to try to make "friends" with them, and I might get early shots at promising criminals before they hit the block.

How much would it cost for me to establish a simple restaurant? (My plans would include running it basically at cost, giving deep discounts to city employees, and hiring a cook who can make something exotic and popular. I won't care if it is making much money (considering I'm expecting to pay extra for a cook and giving those discounts), but I won't want it to be "losing" a lot either. (this might be a future venture, just trying to think of ways to generate income outside of matches).

[Erasmas]

Valento listens without so much as stirring, except for a rapid blinking of his eyes at the mention of 50 gold a week. "Honesty is the only language I speak; a man has nothing if he has no honor. And by hand or by hammer - I will forge you giants of battle."


Security- Indeed! I will look up prices for guards and a captain tomorrow and get that to you.
Personal Slave- Yes, you can certainly train them in NPC classes (from the DMG) if you would like!
Laviena Avelina Novellius (Warden of the civilian prison, female). Centurion Adontus Faltis (Warden of the military prison, male). I will get their pictures added to the NPC list tomorrow.
The biggest cost for the restaurant idea will be buying the additional real estate and "outfitting" it. From that point on, I would be perfectly fine with calling the expenses/discounts vs. profits a wash (for easy bookkeeping).


Also...
In the middle of the night, you are awoken by your house slave, telling you that there was a knock at the door. When he/she went to answer... there was no one there. But there was a scroll that had been tied to the knocking ring on the outside.

Unrolling the scroll, you read the following:


We have received word that you are looking to purchase wares of a more exotic taste. If you have enough capital to afford such desires and can keep delicate matters to yourself, then put 150 gold in a purple silk purse with your personal seal and drop it into the coffers at the Temple of Aphrodite.

If you intend on procuring the truly exquisite, do this and await further contact.

It would also be wise to burn this correspondence - immediately.

[pife]

EXCELLENT!

Okay, I'll get back to you on the restaurant.

What do I need to roll in order to attempt to discover the particular hobbies and vices of the two Wardens?

I would like to approach a money-lender. I would like to know what the vig is to borrow 2000 gp for about 3 months. I'm willing to use my property as collateral if I decide to take the deal. Linus realizes that he needs to capitalize early, and gain an advantage by being bold.

I will respond to the mysterious missive, and memorize the handwriting (I dabble in Forgery). It could come in handy someday. I put the money in a purple silk purse with my seal (purchasing a purse if I don't have one, I already have silk robes, silk toga's, silk trousers, etc, lol, I went crazy on the clothes).. and personally go to the Temple of Aphrodite and linger a bit, surveying my surroundings before leaving the purse with the other offerings.

I need to buy practice weapons and armor for my gladiators. I'll look that up and reduce my cash, and tell you exactly what I bought.

I need to finish naming and prepping my slaves.. Sorry, I'd normally already be done, but been busy lately.. I'll try to have them finished by tomorrow evening.

How much would it cost to throw a modestly fancy party for my fellow lanista and other dignitaries at my ludus?

[Erasmas]

Wardens - Roll me two separate Gather Information checks, denoting which roll is for which person. Their pictures are posted.
Loan - You can find a lender who will loan you that amount for a 20% interest/month rate. So... when you repay it, you will owe him 3200 gp. He is willing to allow the use of your ludus and your slaves as collateral.
The Letter - The handwriting, you realize shockingly, is that of your own hand. The coin purse will cost you 3 gold (silk, specific color, with your personal seal). You see nothing out of the ordinary when you visit the temple, either before or after your leave your tribute to the goddess of love... or whoever was working on her behalf.
Prep Work - Sounds good. I should have the animal information up soon too, I hope.
Party - If you kept the guest list small (say about a dozen people), then you could throw a very nice party for 300 gp.
Security- Just speaking wages-wise... you could find a normal run-of-the-mill guard captain for 5 gp/week, with a very good one for 7 gp/week. Decent guards will run you 2 gp/week, with very goo ones for 3 gp/week.

[pife]

HA! And you say you aren't good at this political stuff.. I beg to differ.. It seems that I (as a player) am going to have to step up my game, as I think I'm being outwitted at every turn so far..

The handwriting is mine? That's impressive, and Linus is EXCEPTIONALLY curious about that. (Still editing this response)..

[pife]

Gather information checks..

For both of these rolls, I would like to spread 50gp (each) around, trying to loosen the tongues I find. This is probably spent on buying drinks, entertainment, small outright bribes, etc. I will reduce my funds by 103 gp (these two bribes, and the 3gp for the purse).

For Adontus [roll0]
For Noviellus [roll1]

I take the loan, but make a stipulation that I do not want penalties for paying it early. 20% per month is acceptable.

Security: I want to hire a "very good" captain for 10 gold per week, and a dozen (12) "very good" guards at 4gp/wk. (I want to do what I can to prevent my employees from thinking that they need to "supplement" their income by selling information or breaking my rules).

Standing Bounty: If any of my servants/slaves/guards/agents come to me and let me know that they have been approached by outside (or inside, for that matter) people wanting to get information or wanting to "borrow" a key, or spiking the wine.. basically, if anyone tries to bribe my servants to do anything, they will (when they come to me with the knowledge) receive a bonus of not less than 10 gold pieces (potentially a lot depending on the situation). (however, they'd better not be trying to play both sides against the middle).

This "my handwriting" thing has Linus bugged. What do I know about other forgers in town, and, other than the letter I sent to the other three lanista and my registration form, who else has been able to get their hands on my handwriting? I was about to send out letters for the party I want to throw with an RSVP (so I could have the writing of the other lanistae and dignitaries) but it seems that someone has beaten me to that punch.. I need to get my information gathering infrastructure in place..

Is there a criminal "information broker" in Davenshad? The guy that, maybe it's not HIS people pulling jobs, but the guy that KNOWS what jobs are being pulled, and who is making inquiries..

[pife]

By the way, do the guards (and guard captain) I hire come equipped with basic weapons/armor for their hired position?

[Erasmas]

Outwitted - I don't know about that. But I am glad that you seem to be enjoying the stuff that I am coming up with so far. Hopefully it continues to entertain.
The Letter - Oh... this is just getting started. :smallbiggrin:
You know that Davenshad is a huge city, with more than one theives' guild and plenty of bureaucracy... so forgers are not going to be an uncommon thing. As for who could have gotten ahold of your handwriting, that's hard to say - any paperwork/requests you've had to fill out for your home/ludus, contracts and bills of sale for the slaves, the letters written, your citizenship papers, receipts and requests for weapons/clothing/furniture/wine/etc... you are a noble (albeit a lesser one, for now).
Wardens - Your payments (along with your skill at finding things out) net you the following information: Adontus prefers the company of young men, especially attractive foreign ones. Laviena appears to be difficult to find any dirt on and, point in fact, you don't discover any... aside from her being known as a hard-@$$.
Loan - Paying it early is no problem at all. If late, however... those term are no longer valid and the interest rate will likely get higher.
Security - Very good... add them to your "staff roster" please. They can bring their own equipment, so long as you are alright with them not being uniform; otherwise, you will need to pay for it.
Standing Bounty - Sounds like a plan.
Broker - It's possible - again, there are plenty of thieves' guilds in the city. There is definitely not anyone that operates as such out in the open. You can roll another Gather Information check, if you wish.

[pife]

Gather information check to attempt to discover someone knowledgeable of the criminal goings-on across town. (Is there a God of Thieves? Perhaps a church of commerce, thieves, etc would be a good place to start poking around.

[roll0]

I'm going to attempt to make appointments with both wardens (to feel them out). Each will be receiving a letter from me, requesting an opportunity to dine and discuss city matters. (I will have, among my possessions, a purse with 25gp in it, and two letters, for each meeting, if I get to have one). The first letter will be a letter from me to a Senator that has a known interest in the games. In it, there will be flowery and effusive language extolling the virtues of the Warden, and commenting that I believe political office should be considered for such a bright, rising star. In the second letter, I will have forged (will fill in name of official shortly, forgot name) a letter FROM Mirthen and to a minor Senator. This second letter will discuss the horrible conditions and lax discipline at each respective prison, along with suggestions as to which relative of Mirthen would be the most appropriate to take over as Warden. The letter also states that since Linus Lycinius Spurius has taken up such a spirited defense of the Warden in quiet corners over cups of wine, that ____ will have to operate in secret, and an 'accident' might need to befall the Warden.


Clarification on the content and purpose of the letters. Okay, for each "meeting" with the Wardens, assuming I get them, I will have a purse, and two letters. The first one is just fluffy praise coming from me, to be sent to ____ Senator who has a known interest in the Games. This one can/might be used to "convince" the Warden that cooperating with me will improve their career trajectory.

The second letter that I plan to have for each is the opposite. I will claim to have had an agent intercept this letter. From Mirthen, it complains to the same Senator as referenced in the first letter about how terrible the Warden is at their job and lightly suggests that Mirthen's relative would be better suited for the post, AND, since Linus (me) is such an adamant defender of the Warden, that the action taken to remove the Warden might need to be undertaken in secret. (This letter is to scare them into thinking they have enemies in high places, and that I am on their side).

Assuming I have time to "take 20" on the forged letters, I do so, leaving me with a 29. If taking 20 isn't reasonable, Letter about Adontus [roll1] Letter to Noviellus [roll2]

If you want to roleplay the meetings, I'm good with that, or, there are Diplomacy and Bluff checks (I fall to Bluffing if I can't close the deal with diplomacy. (My bluff will be to "prove" to them that they have many powerful enemies, and only the support of MY house will save them, and see their family name elevated).

Adontus [roll3] (Diplo) and [roll4] Bluff (I need to check my Bluff modifier, I can't access my character sheet from work, but I think it's +12.. Please allow me to modify my result when I can check the correct modifier)

Noviellus (I would also like to determine if harda$$ Noviella is a) good looking, b) single, and c) susceptible to a little bit of seduction, if things go well.. I"m guessing that would be a different Bluff check (I'm just rolling these things in CASE you need them, please disregard any of my rolls that you determine are not necessary or appropriate) Bluff to seduce- [roll5] Diplo to convince- [roll6] and Bluff to frighten [roll7]

[Erasmas]

Information - There is no God of Thieves, but many worship Destonia (Goddess of Fate), Vegella (Goddess of Chance & Luck), Boliff (God of Darkness), and Korun (God of Mischief & Tricks). But with your check, plus the fact that you have some knowledge of thievery and "rogue-iness" under your belt... you are able to find a man that admits to being associated with one of the guilds in town. He tells you that he isn't permitted to give out information himself, but that he could put you in touch with another within his guild that could. Of course, if order to do so... he is asking a 'finder's fee'.
Wardens - You receive notice in return that Adontus will gladly meet with you. However, Laviena has refused your invitation, stating that she has not the time nor the desire to have leisure conversations. For the letter from Mirthen - I need a Search check (to which you may add 1/2 of the ranks that you have spent in Gather Information (rounded down)) to see if you are able to locate anything with enough of his handwriting to be able to make a forgery. You cannot take 20 on this particular skill, since extra time spent does not guarantee success. And yes, we certainly can RP the meeting!
The Letter - Several days go by without any further contact by the mysterious scroll-writer. Finally, once again in the middle of the night, your servant awakens you and says that there was a knock once more. This time, however, it was a parcel. Opening the parcel, you find several things inside:


A set of heavy black silk robes, trimmed with golden accents, and with a large hood.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/IllicitMarket-Robes_zps6d26807a.jpg

A porcelain mask painted white and black, with a silk ribbon for securing it in place.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/IllicitMarket-Mask_zps57fcd04b.jpg

A pair of long black silk gloves, also with gold accents.
A marble chit, carved with the relief of a nude woman on one side and a relief of the mask you received on the other.
A single receipt for a first class seat for the performance of "The Heroes of Yore", a play that was being put up at the Sunlight Theatre in four days' time. This receipt was for the opening night's performance.
Another scroll, which reads... once more in your hand:


Come to the show, bring everything except for this correspondence - you know what to do with it.

After the show is over, find somewhere unseen and change into the attire provided. Wait until the patrons are gone and the doors are shut... and then meet on the stage, in front of the curtain.

Talk to no one.

There, you will be given further instructions.

[pife]

Okay, I'm intrigued as heck.

Will need to make the rolls when I get home this evening.. (darn firewall).. Well, I know that half of my Gather Info should be 4.. I just can't remember what my search modifier is. So, I'll just add that part in later.. [roll0] (+ my search mod). (Ack, hope it's REALLY good, lol)

I'm assuming that any guards I had posted that evening didn't see the "mailman"? (I'll be getting you a rough schedule of how many guards I plan to have on any given shift, but mostly, I plan to let my guard captain handle many of the mundane functions)..

I'm assuming that 20gp is typically an adequate "low-level" bribe for something like this. (If Linus knows that this is exceptionally high or low for information of this sort, let me know. Linus would know better than I do). But, assuming I'm in the right ballpark, I pay him.

I plan to attend the mysterious play, as required.

[Erasmas]

The Letter - Good! :smallbiggrin:
And no... I had figured that your guards were not posted outside of the villa, please let me know if I'm wrong. And by the time any of them unlocked/opened the door... the "mailman" was gone.
Wardens - No worries (I can't access Mythweavers here at work either... unless I use my phone). I will await your rolls on this. And the Senator that you are looking for the name to is Gaus Bartonus (his picture is now in the NPC section).
Information - 20 gp would be a tad on the high side, but it would certainly get his attention. He introduces you to a man named Tius Lucius Horalius... he owns a bar frequented by the senators' attendees.

[pife]

The Letter - Good! :smallbiggrin:
And no... I had figured that your guards were not posted outside of the villa, please let me know if I'm wrong. And by the time any of them unlocked/opened the door... the "mailman" was gone.

No problem. I hadn't specified, and once I upgrade my doors and locks, my "night shift" guards will just be patrolling, so there wouldn't have been anyone at the door in the middle of the night anyway.

Wardens - No worries (I can't access Mythweavers here at work either... unless I use my phone). I will await your rolls on this. And the Senator that you are looking for the name to is Gaus Bartonus (his picture is now in the NPC section).


Excellent. My parents are coming to visit this weekend, so it might be later (about 9 CST before I can get to it, but it will be earlier if I can)


Information - 20 gp would be a tad on the high side, but it would certainly get his attention. He introduces you to a man named Tius Lucius Horalius... he owns a bar frequented by the senators' attendees.


Good to know (about the amount of the standard bribe. I really want good information on this, so I'll let the 20 stand (and will reduce it from my treasury).



So, I'm guessing that I'm definitely not the only one being sneaky and underhanded, lol. Good, that makes it more interesting.. The question is.. Am I competing against the other lanistae, or is it YOU, lol???:smallconfused: No, really, great job with this. The robes and theater, nice touch.. (as long as it's not a sting operation that's gonna get me thrown in jail, lol)..

And the fact that it's my handwriting.. That's just evil man.. You have no idea how bad I want to figure out who that is.

Would a 20gp bribe get the auctioneer's assistant to tell me what the current high bids are, lol? I'd love to have that gnoll (and a couple of the others), but I'm worried what a serious bid might cost me..

By the way, what am I currently "worth"? I went to the moneylender and he was fine with 2k.. I'm just wondering.. Am I worth 5K? 25K? 105K.. If I'm operating on a different scale than everyone else (they borrow 40k, for example), then I'm gonna get creamed, lol..

[Erasmas]

Thank you for the kind compliments. I appreciate them a lot and it lets me know that I'm doing something right.
The auctioneer's assistant does not know where the bids stand, and you know that it would take more than 20 gp to loosen the auctioneer's tongue.
With all of the property you currently own (and in its present state)... you are worth probably around 4,500-5,000 gold.

[pife]

Okay, I would like to make sure that Valento is starting to work with the gladiators. I don't know when the first matches will be, but I think I need to start getting my guys ready. I need to look up practice gear prices, but I'll set aside 1000 gold for equipment purchases, and that should at least get their training gear.

Also, is it okay if I try to turn one of the gladiators into a retiarius? (net and trident fighter)? He probably won't live long enough to get all the feats he'll need to make that work well, but I'm curious to try..

How much of a role is crowd support going to be? I think that I would like to arrange a "spectacle" in the market square in the coming weeks. I would like for it to display my house and my gladiators, and introduce Valento as my Doctore. "Step right up, stand in the shadow of Monstrum, the black hearted orcish bonecrusher".. for example. (I want Valento to have named a house champion by then, and he and i will rank the gladiators). I want there to be music and dancing, exotic foods, sparring, and gallons and gallons of wine. I would then like there to be an invitation only soiree at my ludus. You mentioned a nice party for about a dozen would run me about 300.. How about 500 for a street festival plus the invite-only party? i would attempt to get the permission of.. Umm, I think the Roman equivalent would be Aedile, or maybe quaestor, but not sure who it is here in Davenshad. If all this is acceptable, I will also work to get you a list of people I intend to invite.

[pife]

And now I've heard the announcement about the games... I would like to send a letter to the proud father, announcing my heartfelt congratulations on his sons upcoming name-day. I put myself at his disposal, if there may be any way that I can be of assistance. I and my "Beastiae Bellecorum" (Beasts of War) stand ready to honor his son, and his noble family.

Diplomacy roll to convince him to contact my ludus for gladiators- [roll0]

[roll1] This is the roll you requested earlier for a Search check, to find anything on Mirthen's handwriting.

I would like to make another Search check, to search the items I found (robes, mask, chit, receipt, etc) for any sign, any clue as to who made them, who delivered them, etc.. [roll2]

[pife]

Gladiator Sheet


Name:FERAKIN
Race: Half-Orc
Class:Druid
Level:2
Battles Survived0b] (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:M
Gender:Male
Alignment:NE
---o---
STR:8
DEX:15
CON:12
INT:6
WIS:16
CHA:12
---o---
HP:14
AC:14
Initiative:+2
Speed30:
BAB+0 Spiked Gauntlets 1d4-1 Damage:
FORTITUDE:3
REFLEX:0
WILL:3
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
[b]Attacks
{table=head]Spiked Gauntlet|+0|1d4-1|20/x2|Range|Sm|Piercing|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|Leather|Light|+2|0|30
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Heal:2, Handle Animal:7, Knowl. Nature:1, Profession-Animal Trainer:5, Survival:5
Feats
Animal Affinity
Special Abilities
Wild Empathy (1d20+5)
Animal Companion- Nerxum- Dire Rat
---o---
Spells
CMW, mending, Flare, Create Water
Calm Animals, Charm Animal, Speak with Animal







Gladiator Sheet


Name:MONSTRUM
Race:Orc
Class:Barbarian
Level:1
Battles Survived:0 (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:Medium
Gender:Male
Alignment:CE
---o---
STR:20
DEX:11
CON:11
INT:14
WIS:5
CHA:11
---o---
HP:12
AC:14
Initiative:0
Speed:40
BAB:+1
FORTITUDE:2
REFLEX:0
WILL:-2
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
MW Heavy Flail|+7|1d10+5|19-20/x2|o|L|Blunt|
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
Chain Shirt|Light|+4|-2|40|
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Rage 1/day- 4 rds
Climb:9, Intimidate:4 or 9, Jump:9, Survival:1, Ride:4, Handle Animal:4
Feats
Expertise
Special Abilities

---o---
Spells









Gladiator Sheet


Name:DIGITUS MINIMUS
Race:Human
Class:Sorceror
Level:0
Battles Survived:0 (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:M
Gender:Male
Alignment:N
---o---
STR:12
DEX:11
CON:12
INT:16
WIS:11
CHA:17
---o---
HP:5
AC:10
Initiative:+4
Speed:30
BAB:0
FORTITUDE:+1
REFLEX:0
WILL:2
CMB:+1
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Staff|||||||
Dagger|+1|1d4+1|19-20/*2|Light|piercing||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Bluff+7, Concentration+5, Knowledge Arcana +5, Spellcraft+5
Feats
Improved Initiative
Special Abilities

---o---
Spells
0 level- Daze, Disrupt Undead, Ray of Frost, Arcane Mark
1st level- Cause Fear, Color Spray










Gladiator Sheet


Name:Aelius
Race:Human
Class:Bard
Level:1
Battles Survived:0 (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:Med
Gender:Male
Alignment:NG
---o---
STR:14
DEX:9
CON:11
INT:14
WIS:15
CHA:16
---o---
HP:6
AC:9[b]
[b]Initiative:-1
Speed:30
BAB:0
FORTITUDE:0[b]
[b]REFLEX:1
WILL:4
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Dagger|+2|1d4+2|19-20/x2|10|Small|Pierce/Slash|
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats

Special Abilities

---o---
Spells






Gladiator Sheet


Name:Celsus
Race:Dwarf
Class:Fighter
Level:0
Battles Survived:0 (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:4.1
Weight:162
Size:M
Gender:Male
Alignment:NG
---o---
STR:16
DEX:13
CON:17
INT:10
WIS:13
CHA:10
---o---
HP:13
AC:17
Initiative:+1
Speed:20
BAB:+4
FORTITUDE:+4
REFLEX:+1
WILL:+1
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Battleaxe|+3|1d8+3|x3|Med|Slash||
Throwing Axe +1|1d6+3|x3|Light|Slash|||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
Breastplate|Medium|+5|-4|20|
Large Wooden Shield|Shield|+2|-2||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
Climb+5, Intimidate+2
Feats
Special Abilities

---o---
Spells






Gladiator Sheet


Name:Longinus
Race:Goblin
Class:Cleric
Level:0
Battles Survived:0 (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:
Gender:Male
Alignment:NE
---o---
STR:14
DEX:16
CON:10
INT:14
WIS:17
CHA:9
---o---
HP:8
AC:
Initiative:
Speed:
BAB:
FORTITUDE:
REFLEX:
WILL:
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats

Special Abilities

---o---
Spells







Gladiator Sheet


Name:Vitus
Race:Hobgoblin
Class:
Level:0
Battles Survived:0 (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:M
Gender:Male
Alignment:LE
---o---
STR:12
DEX:18
CON:19
INT:14
WIS:13
CHA:14
---o---
HP:12
AC:14
Initiative:+4
Speed:30
BAB:
FORTITUDE:+5
REFLEX:+4
WILL:+1
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Net|+4|Nil||Medium|Ranged|Ranged Touch- -2TH, -4Dex, can't run or charge|
|Trident|+1|1d8+1|x2|10|Medium|Piercing
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats
Exotic Weapon Proficiency- Net
Special Abilities

---o---
Spells







Gladiator Sheet


Name:Karsus the
Reaper
Race:Gnoll
Class:
Level:0
Battles Survived:0 (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:6.9'
Weight:246
Size:M
Gender:Male
Alignment:CE
---o---
STR:20
DEX:16
CON:17
INT:15
WIS:14
CHA:16
---o---
HP:17
AC:
Initiative:+3
Speed:30
BAB:
FORTITUDE:+4
REFLEX:+3
WILL:+2
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Scythe|+5|2d4+5|x4|0|Two Handed|Pierce or Slash|Can use to Trip
Dagger|+5|1d4+5|19-20/*2|10|Light|Pierce or Slash|
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
Hide|Medium|+3|-3|20|
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats

Special Abilities

---o---
Spells







Gladiator Sheet


Name:Lepidus
Race:Gnome
Class:Barbarian/Wizard
Level:1/1
Battles Survived:0 (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:Small
Gender:Male
Alignment:
---o---
STR:9
DEX:12
CON:19
INT:16
WIS:11
CHA:11
---o---
HP:24
AC:15
Initiative:+1
Speed:40
BAB:
FORTITUDE:+6
REFLEX:+1
WILL:+2
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Conduit Staff|||||||
Greatsword|-1|1d10-1|19-20/*2|0|Two Handed|
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
Chain Shirt|Light|+4|-2|30|
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats
Weapon Focus- Greatsword
Special Abilities
Rage 1/day Lasts 6 rounds
---o---
Spells
0 Level- Resistance, Acid Splash, Detect Poison, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Daze, Light, Ray of Frost, Ghost sound, Disrupt Undead, Mage Hand, mending, Message, Open/Close, Arcane Mark, Prestidigitation

1st Level- True Strike, Ray of Enfeeblement, Mage Armor, Expeditious Retreat, Magic Weapon, Shocking Grasp








Gladiator Sheet


Name:Suunus
Race:Gnome
Class:Fighter
Level:1
Battles Survived:0 (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:Small
Gender:Male
Alignment:
---o---
STR:14
DEX:15
CON:17
INT:14
WIS:9
CHA:12
---o---
HP:13
AC:17
Initiative:+2
Speed:20
BAB:
FORTITUDE:+5
REFLEX:+2
WILL:-1
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Halberd|+5|1d8+2|x3|0|Two Handed|Pierce or Slash|Can use to Trip
Shortspear|+3|1d4+2|x2|20|One-Handed|Piercing|
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats
Weapon Focus- Halberd
Improved Disarm
Special Abilities

---o---
Spells







Gladiator Sheet


Name:
Race:
Class:
Level:
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation:
---o---
Height:
Weight:
Size:
Gender:
Alignment:
---o---
STR:
DEX:
CON:
INT:
WIS:
CHA:
---o---
HP:
AC:
Initiative:
Speed:
BAB:
FORTITUDE:
REFLEX:
WILL:
CMB:
CMD:
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills

Feats

Special Abilities

---o---
Spells

[Erasmas]

Training - I will assume that Valento has begun training. Since there is only a few weeks until the match, the advantage that the gladiators might receive from him over the others is going to be nominal - for now, there will be no adjustments to game mechanics (unless the do something to earn themselves some Reputation and/or survive the battle).
Retiarius - Of course! His class will remain the same (whatever basic class he already has/whichever one you have him take levels in), but those styles would certainly be available. It might take a few feats to negate a lot of the penalties (Two Weapon Fighting, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (net))...
Crowd - It will factor into the matches as bonuses (or penalties) for to hits, saves, and skills. Something like what you are talking about doing would probably up your Reputation, but not directly effect your crowd favor permanently. 500 gold would cover what you are talking about plus the private party, yes. And if you are going to arrange anything like that in the public square... there is definitely an official that you'll have to get permission from. I don't have a title, but there would be one.
Martus - He replies with an outpouring of thanks and assures you that he will mention your name to the arena manager (which he may have, since you were indeed invited). So kind were your words, that the man has requested to bring his son to your ludus to get a closer look at your gladiators!
Wardens - You do indeed gather enough samples of Mirthen's handwriting to make an attempt at forging the letter that you had mentioned before.
The Letter - However, your digging does not turn up any further information on any of the parcel's contents or their potential makers.

[pife]

I am still working on them, but I have most of my slaves (and all of my gladiators) on sheets in my original post. I might need a little more input concerning the Hobgoblin, Goblin and Gnoll, as far as how to set them up as 0 level (does the gnoll get the feat, for example)?

As far as I know, current plans include-

Attending the "theater"
Having wine with Adontus
Prepare for my meeting with the noble and his son
Attending the Beast Market
Throwing a gala for a number of nobles (with street spectacle/festival driving up interest in my gladiators)

By the way, for House Slaves.. How do they achieve XP? For example, my vilica is a 0 Level Expert. How do I get her xp?

[Erasmas]

Gladiators - All of the monstrous humanoids were considered for their level adjustment to equal the random level that I rolled. So, using the adjustments listed in the Savage Species... they should be as written. All of the special abilities and qualities listed in their individual entries in the MM also apply. They will have to wait until they level to begin taking class levels or apply for any additional feats, etc. Check some of the coding on Ferakin's sheet (his 'Battles Survived', his weapon table, and his armor table... in particular). Let me know if you need help with the coding issues. Make sure to include the CMB and CMD scores for all for them as well - CMB is BAB+STR+Size and CMD is 10+BAB+STR+DEX+Size. It looks like a lot of the coding on the weapon/armor tables needs some adjusting - it's mostly a matter of things ending up in the wrong column, it looks like. And make sure for Lepidus to include the Spell Failure percentage for his armor (as it is bound to come into play).
Current plans -
+ The "theater": See below.
+ Adontus: We can handle this after the theatre.
+ Meeting with the noble and his son: Will handle this third.
+ Beast Market: Will handle this after the initial battle.
+ Gala: See IC thread.
Your house slaves will gain XP when you do (your lanista). They will gain 50% of the total that you receive (so when you get 1000 XP, they get 500). You still retain your full amount, the XP they receive is separate.


You take the things sent to you to the opening performance of "The Heroes of Yore". The building it is held in, the Sunlight Theatre, was an open-aired amphitheater... much the same as all that you had seen before it. There were many wealthy patrons in the raked seating that was above stage level, where you were taken to sit when you presented your voucher. The rabble of commoners seated at stage level were rowdy and uncouth... as to be expected. The play itself was done well enough and you found yourself enjoying it quite a bit, almost to the point of forgetting your true intentions in attending this evening... almost. When the show finished, you managed to find yourself into a dark recess that was tucked out of the way amid the distraction of departing patrons. You quickly don the robes, the gloves, and the mask; checking to make sure that you had the marble chit somewhere that you could access it.

When you were finished, you waited until you heard the last of the murmuring crowd exit the theatre. When you heard the latches of the wooden doors thrown into their closed positions, you slunk out of your shadow and peeked down at the stage. You saw several other robed and masked figured making their way through the benches towards the stage.

[pife]

While attempting to adjust my mannerisms Disguise roll to change my speech patterns, walking gait, etc- [roll0]

I will confidently stride toward the gathering at the stage

[pife]

Let me know if I did this correctly. If I understand the Resource Access roll, it should be..

1 Charisma check (1d20+4) per day

Multiplied by my noble class levels = 3

Multiplied by 2 = gold pieces total

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]

Wow, terrible rolls.. If I understand correctly, since the total is 63, I would use 63 x 3 (class levels) x 2, for a total of 408 gp. Did I do that correctly?

[Erasmas]

Yes, you did that correctly (although you put 63 as your total, it should have been 68... but you got the correct overall total). You can also add in your Reputation bonus to each of those rolls, before you mulitply... so an additional 7 should bring the total to an even 75, x3 equals 225 - which brings the total to 450 gp for the week (minus expenses).


You make your way downstairs and then towards the stage, where you gather with the other individuals. Some of them seem to know what to expect, while others look about... indicating that they too are new to this. They are all dressed identically to you and it is impossible to tell any detail about their identities - which you assume to be the entire point.

[pife]

I will be attempting to memorize their mannerisms. A **** of the head, a pattern of blinking, hand gestures, their stride, etc. Basically, anything I can do to try to figure out who is in here with me.. I may not figure anything out today, but it's possible that I will see something in the coming days/weeks that will trigger a memory..

[Erasmas]

You see one of them that stay near the back of the group, sticking mainly to the edge of the stage at the top of the stairs you all used to get up here. This individual seems to be doing the same thing you are... studying its counterparts.


Alright... make me a few rolls, please -
A Wisdom check
A Gather Information check
A Spot check
A Sense Motive check



After several long moments, the curtain opens and a single individual stand in the middle of the stage. It is most certainly a woman, as you can see through portions of her gown, and she is done up in the visage of Vegella... the Goddess of Luck and Chance. She takes a flourishing bow in front of you all and speaks in a most heavenly voice.

"Welcome, most esteemed guests. I think you all know why you are here, and I would not wish to keep you from your purpose. So, without further ado... please follow me."

The shapely woman then turns and retreats towards the back of the stage, parting a second curtain and allowing you each to pass through, where you see a door down a short flight of stairs.

[pife]

Rolls as requested:


Wisdom [roll0]

Gather Info [roll1]

Spot [roll2]

Sense Motive [roll3]

DANG!! Is Linus drunk today, or what, lol? Highest roll on 4d20 is a 6? OUCH..

[Erasmas]

The mask, the hood, and the excitement certainly seem to be clouding your perceptions quite a bit.

[pife]

Are you implying that the mask and the hood are having an actual unnatural effect (magical/alchemical/etc), or they are just affecting my perceptions because I have things over my eyes/ears?

[Erasmas]

I doubt that your character would know the difference. But no, I was simply referring to a possible reason as to why your rolls were all low.

I tend to not look at rolls as strictly success vs. failure, as that is way too black and white for the way reality works. Instead... the result of a roll simply gives me the varying degree of an outcome and I simply try to interpret it based more on the environment and the circumstances and how much those things play a factor in that particular moment in time.

[pife]

ahh, gotcha. I just wasn't sure if you were saying that my mind was clouded by some mysterious force.

Nope, Linus just drank a whole can of retard this morning, that's all it is, lol.

[Erasmas]

So, I take it that you follow the group down the stairs and through the door, correct?

Oh, and also (before we get much further)... there will be a lot of pictures with this, several of which are a little risque. I tried to make sure that there is no actual nudity... but I wanted to make sure that sure things didn't offend you before I start tossing them up.

[pife]

Trust me, you can't offend me.

And yes, I absolutely do follow down the stairs

[pife]

http://search?um=1&hl=en&rlz=1R2ADFA_enUS462&biw=1920&bih=916&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=massive+orc&btnG=#um=1&hl=en&rlz=1R2ADFA_enUS462&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=massive+orc+gladiator&oq=massive+orc+gladiator&gs_l=img.3...20333.22021.0.22189.10.10.0.0.0.0.150 .898.3j6.9.0...0.0...1c.1.7.img.CMFZX0jU6gw&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.44158598,d.b2I&fp=9d8d3a8f1732fea1&biw=1920&bih=916&imgrc=yRvD8Jm1VLzG4M%3A%3B5FAPSvq4qdq5eM%3Bhttp%25 3A%252F%252Fdaotyr.files.wordpress.com%252F2011%25 2F02%252Frisar-the-half-orc-from-mortal-online.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcommunity.wizards. com%252Fgo%252Fthread%252Fview%252F75882%252F28282 547%252FPronelord%252C_wheee%3B840%3B672

[Erasmas]

Well... that's good to know.
:smallwink:

BTW, that picture didn't work for some reason.
Also... you should RP the market party that you are throwing in the IC thread - your Reputation just may depend on it.
:smallwink:


You follow the group of others down the stairs, your robes all swaying in near unison. The woman dressed as Vegella descends past you all and continues to guide you through corridors lined with costumes and props... some of which you saw used in the show this very evening. Oil lamps hanging in the corners light your way as you move deeper into the bowels of the theatre. You actually find yourself somewhat turned around, unsure of what direction you would go back in to leave.

Finally, you arrive at a door where the scantily-clad goddess knocks softly. After a brief pause, the door opens to reveal three men also dressed in guise - one as Korun, the god of mischief and tricks; another as Inon, the god of art and music; and the third as Azekard, the god of laughter and happiness. They usher you inside of the space, a stone room roughly thirty foot squared with no other entrance or exit than the one through which you had just entered. Once inside, the door is closed and the four dressed as deities each retrieve one of the oil lamps that illuminate the room and move into separate corners. They raise the lamps to just under their chins, causing the featureless masks they wear to dance with shadow and firelight... and then they blow out the light, plunging you all into darkness.

[pife]

I'm going to assume that this is for dramatic effect, but I will still put my hands over my purse and any other valuables I may be carrying, just in case. I will also be listening very hard, attempting to determine if I can hear anyone moving around, or doors opening, levers grinding, etc..

I'm relying on my other senses now.. Trying to see if there are any bizarre smells, temperatures, breezes, sounds, etc.

Okay, not sure what was wrong with the picture, but I will attempt to fix that this evening, as well as provide a number of other pictures (for Linus, major slaves, gladiators, etc)

[Erasmas]

Okay... I mainly just need the ones for those that you are going to fight in the first battles (I will be using them as tokens for the Battle Map).

Don't forget to role play your big party in the IC thread!


Your patience pays off, as you hear a slight grinding sound of stone on stone and the room becomes bathed in a bluish light... the source of which seems to have been a secret door which is now open. Without a word, the goddess motions with a curling finger for you all to follow her once more. She walks through the now-open portal and the three males file in behind the last of your robed cult-like group.

As you cross the threshold into the space beyond, you notice that you cease being able to hear your footfalls or the swishing of your robes... or anything, for that matter. The silence, along with the blue-fire torches that line the large room that you were now in, heightened the level of mystery and elegance of this place. There was a man dressed in the visage of Aldarr, the god of knowledge. He sat in the center of the room on a small dais with a large metal chest and a red velvet sack sitting on the table. The woman disguised as Vegella takes you all towards this table and indicates for you to show your marble chit to the man.

[pife]

at least a portion of the street party has been handled now in IC, more to come if my actions draw any responses

Neither hurrying nor hanging back, Linus shows his marble chit to "Aldarr", still looking for any word/tone/inflection/look/birthmark/etc that I can store for later to determine who these people are.

[Erasmas]

You try your hardest to study these people, storing away any little bit of information that you think could be useful in future dealings. You see one of the individuals dressed like yourself, closely inspecting one of the blue-flame torches.

Handing your chit to the seated man, the same as the rest of your group, you watch as he silently places all of them into the velvet bag. You wait in wonder of what is to come next. Suddenly, he stands and makes a flourish with his hands which cause fifteen niches appear in the walls around the room. Each niche is dominated by a solitary nude figure, clearly on display. They are each exquisitely beautiful and are standing perfectly still, as if under some form of stasis magic. Many of the other robed figures, seemingly awaiting this very outcome, move towards different figures and begin examining them - inspecting closely, but never putting their hands upon the individuals.


A
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/ElementalistAir-Gypsy_zps12d84cc8face_zpsa2a1e176.jpg - A human with some form of outsider ancestry (air genasi, perhaps?)
B
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Druid3_zps972a10deface_zpsb6424e83.jpg - A male elf... who you must admit is quite striking.
C
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Devil-Tiefling1_zpsaf04b75fface_zps2080f8e8.jpg - A fiend-touched human.
D
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Celestial13_zpsccf0f46bface_zpsadab8dab.jpg - A truly unique creature that you have never seen before... with four arms!
E
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/commission__slaves_by_lelia-d5idodm_zps6fa11504face_zps45f67c82.jpg - a fey-touched male halfling.
F
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Celestial12BecomingMortal_zpsf5722483face_zps88779 9cf.jpg - a woman with feathered wings!
G
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Bathing_zps1a564557face_zps784e3aaa.jpg - a fey-touched elven woman.
H
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/860x1200_14182_Daem14D0n_Hunter_2d_fantasy_charact er_girl_woman_portait_hunter_picture_image_digital _art_zps63118a30face_zpsc61d4872.jpg - a dark woman covered in strange runic tattoos.
I
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/ladydemon_zpse69938a3face_zps45aae2f9.jpg - a female demon of some kind!
J
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Fey-Nymph5_zps568e57f9face_zps89693b01.jpg - a gorgeous woman with traces of fey and celestial ancestry.
K
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Fey-touched_zps0dc5aea8face_zps84d29e04.jpg - some mixture of elf and sprite, a most mischievous-looking fey.
L
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Slave2face_zpsc889ce70.jpg - a young Davenian man, with an impossibly large... endowment.
M
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Fey-Brownie7_zpsdd1b34fdface_zps1c3fe903.jpg - A brownie.
N
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Slave14face_zpsf0abfe3c.jpg - A woman who seems partially incorporeal, with a scar in the shape of an 'x' above her left breast.
O
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Slave13face_zps9725f677.jpg - Possibly the tallest woman you had ever seen, lithe and with a slightly blue color to her very pale skin.

[pife]

Okay.. We WANTS them, lol.. (at least a few of them)

Sooooo... Here's me asking you what Linus would know about getting his hands on more money in the short term?

Another money-lender?
The same money lender? (basically taking a 2nd mortgage out on the one I ---already have?
Taking on investors for the ludus?
Having Ferakin train guard animals for nobility?
Starting a legal business? (the restaurant I mentioned, or a brothel or something)
Starting an IL-legal business-
Forged letters of credit (or deeds that moneylenders could take as collateral)

Basically, Linus needs more start-up capital. I feel like once the matches really get going, then the cash will start to flow better. How can I lay my hands on from 1-5k gp?

[pife]

Yeah, there are at least seven (7) that I'm at least somewhat interested in. (heck, interested in all of them, but 7 with serious interest)..

Just so I know what I'm dealing with, what kind of "starting" prices will these guys be going for?

Does it appear that these are merely eye-candy, or do I get the sensation that they are purely for physical entertainment, or could/should some of these be considered for the arena?

I realize that Linus is just getting started in all of this, and it's been very cloaked in mystery, but I'm trying to figure it all out..

[pife]

And if you're inclined to share more details, I am particularly interested in
D
E
H
I
J
N
O

Let me know if our "hosts" are inclined to answer questions.

[pife]

Spot- [roll0]

Gather Info- [roll1]

And sorry about using "Celt", I keep forgetting this isn't "Rome", lol.

[Erasmas]

Good to know that your interest has been piqued.
Money- Linus would know that he is getting into the deep end and had better know how to tread water. Because if he doesn't win at the games (either by blood or by gambling)... that he can be in big trouble.
+Another money-lender- He knows that most of the money-lenders talk to one another (or at least have spies) and are less likely to loan money to someone that already owes, or will hike the interest up.
+Same money lender- This may be the better bet... though the interest rate will go up and if it isn't paid in full, Linus could lose everything.
+Investors- Right now, it's possibly but difficult - as your ludus is worth little more than the ground it stands on. You haven't been in any matches as of yet... much less won any.
+Ferakin training animals- Most nobles probably wouldn't allow him in their houses/stables (he's a half-orc), and he is very low level.
+Legal business- Like we discussed, the restaurant could work. Many lanistae sell intercourse with their slaves (particularly their better-known gladiators).
+Illegal business- This is also a possibility... though you have to watch out running foul of the law in such a big way in this city. The Justicars are a very nasty lot.
Starting prices- Linus would know, looking around, that he is probably in way over his head... though he is unsure as to how much exactly. But wares such as these are of a kind which he has never laid eyes upon before.
It's hard to tell what the intended purposes are for slaves such as these (aside from physical pleasure for some). Without the ability to make any sound, he gets the feeling that asking questions will be impossible.
More details-
+D: You are unsure of what to make of him, honestly. He has a strange-shaped head, four arms, looks of markings all over his body, no hair anywhere.
+E: He has hair the color of autumn leaves and bronze-tinged skin, with small nubs of antlers that barely even show under his bundle of hair. He is quite hairy below his waistline - not anywhere near that of a satyr, but in a similar style.
+H: Definitely foreign (looks to be Qwinian (Native American-esque humans)), and the tattoos are very odd... you cannot place them from anything you have come into contact with before.
+I: White hair, glowing yellow eyes, long horns, a barbed tail, legs that bend backwards like a horse, hoofed feet, and a body that looked like it was carved out of blood-red marble.
+J: This woman looked to be utterly flawless - like she was created in the heavens and sent down to bless the mortals that lived beneath her.
+N: Indeed... the woman is somewhat transparent; you can see the details of the wall behind her!
+O: Standing at probably around nearly eight feet tall, she appears to have Jechotian blood for certain (Nordic humans)... but there seemed to be something else as well, frost giant perhaps?
Spot- You see nothing of note.
Gather Info- You learned of something interesting (to be disclosed soon).
No worries on using real world terminology... you didn't know. And besides, most of them do exist in my world, they just have differences to them.

[Erasmas]

You discover that the Primus for the upcoming fight is going to pit all of the paired gladiators from the various schools against some kind of enormous beast!

[pife]

Okay, here we go, lol.

Is the green-skinned lovely that Rizban brought to my party the Dryad?

Money- I will approach the same money lender I borrowed from before. I tell him that I need an additional 5k gp, for the same 3 month period. Total investment= 7k. At 20% monthly, the total payback would be 11,200 if it runs the full term. I am open to using Bluff/Diplomacy to make the deal happen, and potentially willing to go even further if necessary..

Actually was also interested in C (I said D & E, but meant C & D).

Is N missing her heart? (is that exactly where the scar is)?
Does O look proportionally strong? (Does she look like good Gladiator material)?

In general, how obedient can I assume my slaves are? For instance, I wasn't positive, so when I showed my gladiators, I did it in twos, and left them chained. Should I have been able to tell them to behave and expect them to, or will that type of obedience come later? Do I assume that I can make virtually any request of them and expect to have it fulfilled, or are they too "new" to be "broken" like that? (Not wanting them to do anything crazy, just wanted to know if I would have been safe to let Monstrum off his chain when my spectacle was going on.

Speaking of which.. Drawing from the Starz show Spartacus, some gladiators were proud to be gladiators (Oenemaus, Crixus, Gannicus). Is this the common theme here, or do I have a stable full of bitter, angry, looking for any way out that they can find Spartacus-clones?

What do the other potential buyers seem to be doing specifically? Are they just going from one to the next, are they taking notes, are they doing anything other than looking?

Linus is getting the sensation that Servius is not going to be a friend. Between him out-bribing the Auctioneer, beating me with the Dryad, and turning down my otters tongue and wine.. Linus is wondering if it's Servius that's standing in the other black robe down here in the mystery auction. I specifically look to connect traits and mannerisms of SERVIUS to the black robed "Dark Auction" guest. Style of walking, crinkling of the eyes, tilt of the head, etc. (Same as before, but specifically trying to identify if it's Servius).

[pife]

You discover that the Primus for the upcoming fight is going to pit all of the paired gladiators from the various schools against some kind of enormous beast!

I want to devote considerable resources to secretly discovering exactly "what" they will be fighting. Bribes, spying, finding documents that detail the delivery of aforementioned beasty, etc. I'll try to get more specific later.

[Erasmas]

Green-skin - Hard to tell... she is covered all except for her eyes. It is possible that she is half-orc, but judging by how thin she is, that's unlikely.
Money- He opens with telling you that he will loan you the additional sum, but that the interest rate on the 5,000 will be 30%. If you wish to persuade him (or whatever else), then please go ahead and make the appropriate rolls.
Illicit Slaves (scratching E) -
+C: She looks to be human (maybe half-elf), with flesh-colored horns and tail. Her eyes are solid red and she radiates warmth, almost as if burning of fever.
+N: Again, not possible to tell, though the scar is fairly close to the heart, yes.
+O: She does look very strong. It is possible that she could be trained, though it would be a shame to mar such a beauty.
Obedience - Your slaves are obedient, but some only through fear... since they know that the law dictates against them spilling your blood, lest they all be put to death. At this point, many of your gladiators especially the monstrous ones, are unbroken. You would definitely not feel safe letting Monstrum go unchained at this point, no. None of them are proud to be gladiators as of yet (as none of them have even fought in the arena). Some will most likely come to cherish it... others will not. That's what gives us the potential for drama. :smallwink:
Illicit Market - The other buyers seem to be simply inspecting them and then making their way back to Aldarr. He hands them a piece of parchment and quill, they write something down and slip it into the metal chest.
Linus knows little of Servitus (it is Servitus, not Servius... I made the same mistake), but the other buyer at the auction isn't exhibiting any defining characteristics (almost as if trying purposefully not to), but is definitely looking interested... especially in A, F, G, H, J, K, and O. After several minutes, he has moved to the table and written down his bids.
Enormous Beast - Let me know what specific avenues you will be attempting to find this knowledge out, and then we'll sort out the rolls.

[pife]

Alrighty then! (I work Mon-Thurs, so I'm off for the next three days.. Really looking forward to it, and hoping to really dig into this game this weekend, so be prepared for an onslaught of requests)..

Okay, since he only wants the 5k at 30%, that would make TOTAL payoff 12,700 in three months. However, I would like to discover if the moneylender is a "bettin' man".. (does he gamble, specifically on gladiatorial matches)?

I will also attempt to convince him that since I will likely be a regular customer, and will be very grateful to those who show me preferential treatment will enjoy significant benefits, as I return favors.. Trying to lower the total payoff (from a current "worst" cost of 12,700). Diplomacy roll- [roll0]

Oooh, bodyguards!! (thinking about some of the "special" slaves at this latest auction.. (and I'm still waiting to finalize my finances, which I assume my meeting with the moneylender occurred BEFORE the illicit auction, before I make any bids)..

The Beast- Any major beast would have to be brought into the city. This will require paperwork, unless it was smuggled, but since this is a lawful event, I'm sure it will have documentation. So, the Docks, the Tax-Assayer and whatever office handles the taxation of caravans coming in overland would be the three places I would attempt to get info from first, as to what it is (or what it eats, or what it lives in, or how difficult to subdue it is, etc).. So.. I need an informant.. An upper clerk in the government tax offices. I want Aelius and Marcus to FIND me one or more of these clerks (but not approach them), and then I will personally find an opportunity to "bump" into them, and buy them drinks.

Also, the individuals who clean/repair the arena will probably know something also. (about the beasty that will be fought).

Alchemist- Okay, I want something that I can put in someone's drink, that makes them more pliable and amenable to my suggestions. Kind of like, "Charm Person" in a vial. (not drugs, though I have interesting thoughts along those lines also, but rather a magical effect). So, effectively what I would want is a concentrated Charm Person potion that I could put in someone's drink/food and they are more inclined to take what I say favorably. A. Does it exist? B. If it doesn't, can it? C. How much? D. Who? By the way, I also want to inquire about a concentrated "ex-lax" effect that could be poured into a drink that... upsets the tummy, and FAST..

Obedience- Obviously there's no "certainty" here, but... Am I/should I be reasonably assured that, for example, my house slaves Sabine and Herminia, assuming they're treated well, aren't going to cut my throat one night?

[Erasmas]

Money- I come up with the same total, yes. No... he does not gamble, he claims to "only make money in ways that are certain to pay off" with very heavy-handed innuendo. He seems reluctant to bend on the matter, citing that many ludi simply fold under and never amount to anything. However, you manage to talk the price with him down to an even 12,000 gp. As you already owe the man 2,400 and are about to owe him a lot more... you decide it wise to not push the issue further.
Bodyguards - You could have arranged the moneylender meeting before the illicit auction, yes.
The Beast- Alright, roll me three separate Gather Information checks - one for yourself, one for Aelius, and one for Marcus.
Alchemist-
+ Charm: a vial that contains 5 such doses, will cost 100 gp and will otherwise work as a charm person spell at a DC=14.
+ Laxative: a vial would contain one dose, and will cost 8 gp.
Obedience- Again, you would not be worried, no. That is not to say that it cannot happen... but for them to do so would be incredibly stupid/reckless/dangerous (at least in your eyes).
Street Party- Your Reputation increases by 1 point! Likewise, the Crowd Favor for Karsus, Monstrum, and Digitus for this next fight (only) will start 1 point higher.
I still need pictures (if you are going to have them) for your gladiators! Also... having one for Linus is next to imperative - I can locate one if you would rather.
Bonus XP- You get 250 XP as a bonus for doing so much RP and "lanista business" behind the scenes. This does mean that your house slaves also receive an extra 125 XP as well.

[pife]

AWESOME! (about the xp, Rep, Crowd Favor, etc)

12,000.. Boo, but I'll take it, lol.

Charm- Holy hell, that's awesome! I'm definitely going to buy several (and be on the speeddial of the alchemist that makes them.. I'll let you know officially "how many" and how much I spend.

Pictures- You're absolutely right. I'm sorry, I've been so busy the last week. Terrible excuse, but it's the only one I have. At work right now, but I should have a couple of hours this evening that I can hunt some down.

Again, thanks so much for your patience. I'm normally very solid on how often I post, it's just been insane at work and at home.

More to come soon..

[Erasmas]

Money- Yeah, the guys that are in that line of work aren't exactly known for having big hearts. It's a good thing that you rolled pretty well.
Charm- It takes him some time to produce such a thing; about a week to make just one. At the moment, however, he has three in stock.
Pictures- No worries! And you don't need to apologize to me, brother... it honestly isn't a huge deal. I'm just trying to get everything together for the fights and whatever you decide on needs to be included.

[pife]

Appraise check (for exotic auction)- [roll0]

Gather Info checks

Mine- [roll1]

Aelius- [roll2]

Marcus [roll3]

[Erasmas]

Your guess is that 1,000 would probably be a little low (for even the more 'mundane' ones).

You discovered nothing about the beast, and Marcus was following a potential lead on some information... but it hit a dead end. However - Aelius returns to your villa late that evening with news. He had just come from the bed of a woman that cleans the stalls at the Arena Calatotis, who just so happens to make some money on the side selling such favors. As cunning as he is, he managed to extract the information that you have been seeking from her lips.

The beast that will be featured in the Primus will be an enormous scorpion.

[pife]

Okay.. How closely are the gladiators watched prior to their matches? The reason I ask.. I might be tempted to procure some antitoxin for my gladiators, but I can't recall how long it lasts.

I don't think it's magical, so it shouldn't show up for any magical testing, if I'm not mistaken.. Perhaps something in the wineskin that I traditionally send my gladiators right before a fight. (not enough to get them trashed, more of a big winecup)..

Linus' Resource Access Rolls


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]


135 total, x3 for level, x2 = 810 by my count.. I will do my weekly costs, and also purchase all 3 vials (15 doses) of the Charm "potion".

[Erasmas]

I don't recall how antitoxin works, but I will look it up. But you are fairly certain that you could easily sneak it to them before the match.

You may also roll one additional week's worth of Resource Access rolls (two weeks has passed).

[pife]

Is the "Charm" roofie keyed specifically to me, or does it act on the first person that the drinker sees, or some other method? (By the way, I'll be buying all three, and telling him to prepare several more, and that I will be back for them in the next few weeks.

Not to get too graphic, but.. how fast does the laxative work.. Are we talking minutes or hours?

[Erasmas]

It will be tied to the first person that the drinker sees after finishing the entire dosage (if mixed with a drink, that means the entire glass).

Let's say right at an hour.

[pife]

Second week of Resource Access Rolls


[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]

and I believe that's another 750


And, by the way, once I learn of the Primus opponent, I take Valento (and ONLY Valento) aside, and, when I'm convinced that I can't be overheard, I quietly tell him what we'll be facing. I want him to work with the two gladiators scheduled for that match, and quickly develop training methods (and potentially teamwork) for fighting such a creature, but without telling the gladiators what they'll be facing. I just want them to think that Valento has a very bizarre style..

[pife]

I have selected pictures for Linus, my house slaves, and Karsus, Monstrum, Digitus, and a few others. I wasn't able to get them loaded last night, but I'll get that done this evening when I get home from work.

Also had a few paths that we had started to go down, but never finished.. I'll come up with a list and we can see if you want to explore any of those options.

[Erasmas]

Very well... we will translate that into a +1 to AC versus the creature.

Yeah, I don't recall, so a list would be the best way to resolve those.

[pife]

Alrighty then.. Here are a few things that had kinda slipped off of the radar.. Let me know what your thoughts are..

Visit from Martus and his son to the ludus- (I had sent him a letter of congratulations for his son, offering my services).

Meeting with Warden Adontus

Forging Mirthen's letter (for Adontus meeting.. The letter purports to be from Mirthen to a local senator, berating Adontus' incompetence, and making a push to have him ousted. The letter also states to the senator that Linus Lycinius Spurius has been a vocal supporter of Adontus)

Do I still have the robes and mask from the exotic auction?

I had located a "contact" for the assassins guild in Davenshad. (or was it the criminal know-it-all contact? I can't remember, will have to read back..

Cells- I still plan to have excellent cells built at my ludus, but that plan is still on hold.

Restaurant- I would like to begin scouring the area for renowned chefs, and exotic meats/vegetables.

A Brothel- Okay, so what do I need to consider before opening a brothel? I'm trying to determine if it could be cost effective to do so.. I'm thinking that it would likely be a more upscale affair than the sawdust-on-the-floor disease ridden places that are on every streetcorner.. Mine would appeal to a slightly more exotic taste. (Instead of being for lower-middle classes, mine would be for middle and upper classes).. Sooo, pursuant to this line of thought.. Do you want me to put together a "proposal", or would you like to hammer out some ground-rules and parameters? (I would be intending to use this business for three things.. 1. To make money. 2. As a reward/perk for anyone I want to impress. 3. As a place to gather intelligence/information and perhaps conclude business deals.

[pife]

Very well... we will translate that into a +1 to AC versus the creature.



That's extremely generous of you. (I wasn't actually going for any in-game mechanical advantage, but I actually really appreciate you doing that for me)..

And I'll assume that it only counts toward THAT fight, even if they fight another giant scorpion next week...

[Erasmas]

Martus & Son- Yes, they visited and it was pleasant (mostly). It cost you 50 go in wine and food (assuming that you had aimed to impress). They seemed only mildly to act as though they were visiting "below their station" and were very interested in watching your gladiators train.
Warden Adontus- This will have to wait until after the fight, probably... as it will require a fair bit of RP.
Forging- Yes, this is already done/rolled for (I believe). If not, roll another Forgery check. But it will be ready in plenty of time for your meeting.
Exotic Auction- Yes, you are allowed to keep the robes and the mask. I am working on the outcome of the bidding presently.
Contact- He was Tius Lucius Horalius. He is the Owner/Bartender of the "Spear and the Rhino" tavern... where many of the Senators' attendants frequent. He is an information broker, if the person asking has a still tongue and a hand heavy with gold... you are told.
Cells- Fair enough.
Restaurant- We can take care of this once the battle gets up and going.
Brothel- You would have to acquire additional real estate, if you want to keep it separate from the ludus. You would know that, while prostitution is perfectly legal, it would sully your hands in certain eyes if you were to 'lower yourself' to run such a business... being a lanista is seen as a more respectable way to make a living.
You are welcome! I like rewarding people who approach and think things through as "real world" as possible. But yes, it is only for that particular fight.

[pife]

Since we didn't get to roleplay the meeting between myself and Martus, could I perhaps have corresponded with him by letter (as we already did), and allow me to have purchased a coming-of-age gift for the young man? (Currently thinking either a horse, a slave, or one of my gladiators . (He wouldn't technically "own" the gladiator per se, but.. lol, we can hammer that out if you think that's a good way to go.. *** apparently I was drafting my message to you while you were drafting yorus to me. Since you ruled that Martus and son did visit (and yes, I wanted to impress), just let me know if you think that a gift is appropriate

Basically, I will take what I know (or can learn) about both father, son and family, and try to come up with a thoughtful and impressive gift, as in "I learned that you are interested in falconry.. A friend of mine recently passed away, and here is his favorite bird, with champion lines.. I know nothing of the sport, but.. would you be willing to care for him"?

(By the way, new idea brewing for Ferakhan to train birds.. all kinds from sparrows and chickens to hawks and rocs... The idea is still bubbling, don't have a lot of details, but... it could be interesting... You've seen all of the movies where people train monkeys to be sneak-thieves? How about a raven that flies in windows and finds me pieces of paper or trinkets? With a druid to explain (to the best of the birds ability) what I'm looking for.. that could get interesting.. Keys to manacles, jewelery, gems, papers, stamps/seals.. And even more interesting is if I could get the bird to PLANT objects.. Ohhhhkay.. I'm getting a lot of ideas on the bird thing.. What are your initial thoughts?

[Erasmas]

Junaus' Gift- I think, given that you were wanting to start Ferakhan into training birds, that a falcon would be a cool idea. Sure... what the hell... the boy has a more-than-passing fancy in falconry. However... as you do not have a friend that passed away and left you such a bird - you will have to purchase one. You can find one for 90 gp.
I think the bird thing is very neat and possible... so long as all of the rules are followed as far as teaching them tricks, etc.

[pife]

Excellent..

I'll get Ferakhan working on that, and will have purchased the falcon in advance. (Total of 140 coming off of treasury for the wine and the falcon)..

[Erasmas]

Okay... I finally got everything I needed wrapped up with the illicit auction.

You won O (the letter, not the number).
:smallwink:

[pife]

Excellent. she was the one I was most interested in, but shucks, was hoping I was in the running for a couple others, lol. I'll reduce my treasury shortly. Now what on earth is she, lol?

[Erasmas]

Okay... so sorry it has taken so long to get this to you!

She is half Jechotian (Nordic humans) and half Frost Giant. I used the template presented here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129958), on our very own boards!
:smallbiggrin:

Slave O


Name:
Race: Half-Giant [Cold] (1/2 Jechotian & 1/2 Frost Giant)
Class: Giant
Level: 3
Battles Survived: (Since last level); (Total)
Reputation: 0
---o---
Height: 7'8"
Weight: 218
Size: M
Gender: F
Alignment: TN
---o---
STR: 21
DEX: 7
CON: 18
INT: 12
WIS: 15
CHA: 18
---o---
HP: 44
AC: 12 (-2 DEX, +4 Natural Armor)
Initiative: -2
Speed: 30 ft
BAB: +3
FORTITUDE: +8
REFLEX: -1
WILL: +3
CMB: +8
CMD: 16
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
|||||||
|||||||
[/table]
---o---
Armor
{table=head]Name|Type|Bonus|Penalty|Speed|Special Properties
|||||
|||||
[/table]
---o---
Skills
You may assign these, class skills are the ones listed for a Frost Giant in MM. She has a number of points to spend equal to (4+INT)x4 at first level, and then (4+INT) for second and third (her racial levels).

Feats
- You may choose this

Special Abilities
Rock Throwing
Cold Subtype
Low-light

---o---
Spells
N/A

[pife]

Hot damn! Welcome back Erasmas!

Well, guess I'm not gonna make her a dancer, lol. (I thought you said she was graceful, haha.... or maybe that was another one of the slaves. ** oh, just checked, you said "lithe", which implies thin, but also could include graceful. Heck, I'm good with it.) By the way, did you stop using the personality traits? I'm trying to figure out what I want to do with her, and I don't want to assume I can decide what kind of personality she has).

Just to verify, she's still medium? And I guess I'm still not completely understanding the CMB/CMD thing. I get the CMB, but why does she have a 16 CMD? (not that I'm complaining). Is it her size? Natural AC?

Lol, I'm like Pavlov's dog over here, now that you're back, I'm salivating and have more questions than I can shake a stick at. Sorry about that..

Again, glad you're back!!

By the way, I'd been planning to put together a game similar to this one since the first season of Spartacus.. (you can see how far that's gone, lol) Never actually put it together, obviously, but had been tossing around ideas, and I think you've inspired me.. You running it has given me both good and bad thoughts.. I think I'm seeing that it will be muuuuuuch more work than I had originally intended, especially with the outstanding RP opportunities and little extras that you're putting into it... My question is.. Would it bother you in any way if, in the next few weeks or months, I also ran a game similar to this one? Obviously, I wouldn't be using Davenshad, but I wanted to ask to make sure that it wouldn't bother you in any way that I ran a similar game in style and genre..

[Erasmas]

I did stop using the personality traits, as no one really said much about them (I figured they weren't important). But I can certainly roll some up for you, if you'd like!
Yes, she is still medium (I believe the "official" roll-over starts at 9 foot). CMB is equal to BAB+STR, while CMD is equal to 10+BAB+STR+DEX... so she suffers from her DEX penalty.
No, it wouldn't bother me in the least if you ran a similar game! I only ask that I am allowed the opportunity to put my name in the hat as a possible player. :smallwink:

[pife]

CMB-CMD- And.. I apologize for having to ask.. But what are they used for exactly?

And absolutely, I'd love having you aboard if/when I try to launch it.. I'm trying to develop a few twists to the concept, and working on a setting. Plus I want to have the majority of the NPC's (the auctioneers, officials, major contacts, etc) figured out (with pictures if I can figure that out, lol)..

As far as the personality traits, I'd hate to just "assume" that my Nordic-giant-goddess was a sweet and gentle soul, and then you have her carve my liver out while I sleep.. Plus, her demeanor will go a long way to determining what I do with her.. If I have to keep her chained down so that she doesn't kill people, I guess I shouldn't give her the run of the house, you know? So, let me know if you'd prefer to "give" her a basic personality (that I can then run with), or if you'd rather that I do so.

[Erasmas]

CMB-CMD- Any time that you would make a bull rush, trip, sunder, disarm, etc. (basically anything but a charge).
Excellent about your game; I'm excited to see what you are going to do with it!
We'll roll some random stuff then!
(Amount of traits): [roll0]
Trait1 - [roll1] = Fiddles and fidgets nervously
Trait2 (if needed) - [roll2]
Trait3 (if needed) - [roll3]
Trait4 (if needed) - [roll4]

[pife]

Haha, so we have ourselves a stunning, but nervous and clumsy half giantess? Very interesting. What to do with her... Hmm, her nervousness would lessen the effect if she was my bodyguard.. Too hot and valuable to make a gladiator (though I thinks she would do well, lol).. Too clumsy to be a dancer. Making her just another house slave seems like a waste.. I already have a vilica running the house..

With a 7 Dex, does that mean that she's awkward around "normal" sized folks? Would she constantly be dropping/spilling things? Is she like "Agador Spartacus" from the movie Birdcage that can't walk in shoes?

By the way, I see that she's level equivalent 3. So, to gain a character class, does she need 500 xp, at which point she becomes 1st level, or would she need xp equivalent to make her 4th level to take a character class?

I'd like to ask her birth name and use that rather than name her myself. (I can come up with it if you'd prefer not to, just saying that with her, I'll let her keep her real name).

And for now, she will be my bodyslave, going virtually everywhere with me. (darn that fidgeting, lol... Gonna be hard for her to be intimidating or alluring if she's twitchy, lol).. My vilica will often have to be attending the needs of the villa, and can't always be with me, but this one can. (For eye candy if nothing else..)

I would like to hire the most talented seamstresses in the city to create for her a magnificent wardrobe. All outfits (some tasteful and appropriate for any occasion, some risque and jaw-dropping) will be cut to best advantage, whether demure or slutty.

Ah. For the record, my slave Sabine will be learning to apply makeup and weave hairstyles. I will start putting points into Profession: Makeup Artist (or whatever they might have been called back then.. stylist, lol?). One of her functions will be to ensure that everyone looks their best.

Was she just "in" the ludus one morning? How was she delivered? And.. off the record and out of character.. How high did some of those slaves go for in the special auction? I know that Linus has NO idea, but this would just be for my curiosity if you feel like sharing.

Do I get the sensation that I will be invited if there's another "special" auction, or will I have to "find" it again?

My retainered slaver.. So, if the regular auction can bring me people like Monstrum and Karsus, and the beast auction can bring trolls and ogres, and the "special" auction can bring the amazing wares that it does.. What on earth is he possibly going to have in stock? (Just looking for the idea, rather than specifics necessarily).

I'm ready to RP the meeting with the Warden (Adontus) when you are.

What types of birds are available (and appropriate) for Ferakhan to train? I imagine that some would be available at different markets. But I might also have Ferakhan (with a strong entourage of guards) go out into the wilderness and scout out his own talent, as it were.. He should be able to approach just about any animal with his spells/abilities, I would think.

How difficult and expensive would it be to find a bird that has been "Awakened" (via the druid spell)? Given the proper circumstances, I think I would want to hire it, lol. (all the worms you can eat, silk for your nest, and shiny things galore, lol)..

Haha, am I going in enough directions here?

How long does Crowd Favor last? (For instance, Karsus currently has a +2. 1 from the insta-kill and the other from the street festival..) By the way, I really enjoy how you're handling these events. And I can tell that you actually put some thought into it, and I appreciate that!

Okay, that's enough to bury you for a while, lol.

[Erasmas]

Not necessarily all that noticeable, the fidget could be minimal enough her stature would overcome any question you have about her being intimidating.
No, but she probably is mildly unaware of her bigger size within tight surroundings. I was thinking almost like a big dog that thinks he is a lap dog and/or hits things with its tail. Probably things like nearly knocking her head on low-hanging lamps and that sort of thing.
She is effectively level 3 currently, so she will have to gain enough XP to reach level 4.
Names are definitely my thing, so I don't mind! She informs you that her name is Thonah dottir vid Arsilak Bjostrom ('dottir vid' means 'daughter of'; Arsilak is her father).
I'll tell you what... I am going to post the clothing chart and allow you to shop. I think it'll be much faster that way.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Clothing_zpsd60014be.jpg

Oh, yes... also... let me know which gladiators you are wanting pictures for! Give me a brief description so that I can narrow down how many I need to post for you to select from. Also for Linus himself, if you'd like.
Yeah, use Profession: Beautician and we'll call it all-encompassing.
Late at night, there was another knock at the door and there was a very ornate (and large) coffin on the doorstep. Dragging it inside and opening it, she was laid within, still in stasis, and dressed in a fine silk dress of your ludus' colors. After several hours, the stasis wore off and she came to. She was not surprised to find herself in your house when she did so either.
Think 5 digits for many of the "more desirable" slaves. :smallwink:
Hard to tell, the "business" end of things were kept very brief. You get the feeling that the next time will probably be easier.
Most of the things that will be available in the places that you mentioned are to be found here on the continent (even if the far corners of it). The illicit auction and your slaver will definitely bring in truly exotic wares from far away lands.
Basically, any bird out of the book that falls within his allowed max HD (as if they were going to be an animal companion) will be fine. Owl, Hawk, Raven, Eagle, etc. The rarer birds (such as Peacocks and Parrots) will take a bit more searching in the markets.
For the Awakened bird, roll me two percentile rolls. The first will be the odds of finding one in the city (giving you a 30% chance), the second will be what species, if needed.
Crowd Favor lasts until something either changes it or long enough passes for things to start to get "boring" And thank you very much for the compliment, I'm glad that you're enjoying it so far! I have put in a lot of work, but it's a labor of love for me.

[pife]

No, but she probably is mildly unaware of her bigger size within tight surroundings. I was thinking almost like a big dog that thinks he is a lap dog and/or hits things with its tail. Probably things like nearly knocking her head on low-hanging lamps and that sort of thing. I like this.
Names are definitely my thing, so I don't mind! She informs you that her name is Thonah dottir vid Arsilak Bjostrom ('dottir vid' means 'daughter of'; Arsilak is her father). I shall call her "Thonah".
I'll tell you what... I am going to post the clothing chart and allow you to shop. I think it'll be much faster that way. No problem, I'll take a look at this when I get home.. Do I need to do this for all of my slaves that I want in something other than "basic linen uniform" (or loincloth, for most of the gladiators).
Oh, yes... also... let me know which gladiators you are wanting pictures for! Give me a brief description so that I can narrow down how many I need to post for you to select from. Also for Linus himself, if you'd like. Yeah, I'm totally ashamed of myself for this one.. I would definitely like pictures of
Karsus- Massive gnoll. Wears dark robes with hood up, and carries a scythe.
Monstrum- Massive orc. Wears the equivalent of a breastplate. Only request is noticeably muscular
Ferakhan- A somewhat scrawny orc. Druid-y attire
Will edit some of the others in shortly. need to check height/weight/weapons, etc..
Late at night, there was another knock at the door and there was a very ornate (and large) coffin on the doorstep. Dragging it inside and opening it, she was laid within, still in stasis, and dressed in a fine silk dress of your ludus' colors. After several hours, the stasis wore off and she came to. She was not surprised to find herself in your house when she did so either. Okay.. A) how much can I sell the coffin for? B) She was NOT surprised? I would like to talk to her, find out what she knows about what just happened. Was she "trained" somewhere, or just knocked on the head at home one day and woke up here? What can she tell me about her captors? Is she gentle or aggressive by nature?
Think 5 digits for many of the "more desirable" slaves. :smallwink: Holy crap, did any of the other PC's spend that much on any of them? Did they all get sold?
Basically, any bird out of the book that falls within his allowed max HD (as if they were going to be an animal companion) will be fine. Owl, Hawk, Raven, Eagle, etc. The rarer birds (such as Peacocks and Parrots) will take a bit more searching in the markets. I'll take a look later this evening. It definitely has to be able to fly well, and strong enough to carry at least a pound or so.. I'll let you know what I'm looking for later.
For the Awakened bird, roll me two percentile rolls. The first will be the odds of finding one in the city (giving you a 30% chance), the second will be what species, if needed.


[roll0] Oh, what are the odds? (And don't say 30%, lol) **Edit** Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!! NO WAY!! Oh, it's ON now, lol.. Is it a slave, or a "free" critter? Oh, this could get extremely interesting..
[roll1] A hummingbird, what the? (Just kidding)

[Erasmas]

Shopping for your other gladiators... yes. Otherwise, they are in a loincloth type garment or very simple gauzy dresses/tunics (like the slaves in Spartacus). Anything beyond that, you will need to purchase.
No reason to be ashamed. I am posting an assortment below. Tell me which ones that you would like for who (or if none of them will work) and I will make their 'tokens'! Also, I could not find a hooded gnoll anywhere.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/MartialArtist_zpsd2e2808e.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Ranger16_zps6db73ac7.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Ranger_zps72e2fcef.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Barbarian4_zps24a6a0fa.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Barbarian_zps364f0ac6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Fighter_zps38eeda78.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Striped_Gnoll_zps5b83b7be.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/yark_zps148b73fc.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/-27646-photo-crop-p04987b3e8bd24c3a9d5c80b8c04b2a82-world-of-warcraft-cataclysm_zps1ff7db88.jpg

Searching around, you can find someone to purchase it from you for 350 gp (though they are leery as to how you came by it).
She was trained somewhere, though she knows little about where it was within the city or about those that trained her ("they wore masks of the gods"). She is generally gentle, but admits to bursts of anger when provoked (she would make a good barbarian, if she were to take class levels... wink, wink).
The other information about the illicit auction is going to stay a secret, as it should be. Mostly, because it's more fun that way.
Okay... you are barely able to find one! I will get you more information a little later (hopefully tonight).



You are invited to lunch with the Warden and he greets you with embrace and peck upon each cheek, as was customary.

"Linus, welcome! I feel as if we were old friends already."

As food and wine were brought in by a very young and pretty-looking boy that could be no more than sixteen, Adontus gingerly touches his back as he pours. After smiling and watching him depart, the man then turns to you.

"Now... how may I serve you?"

[pife]

I like the 4th one for Monstrum.. (mohawk and spiky hammer)..

I actually like the 3rd one the best for Karsus, but.. is that a gnoll or an orc, technically?

And will have to get into the conversation with Adontus when I get home, I just got hit with some last minute work..

And darn you (but totally reasonable) about the auction info..

Oh, and is there any obvious reason to keep, or, more specifically, any reason NOT to sell the coffin?

[Erasmas]

Monstrum - You got it!
Karsus - I think it's supposed to be an orc, but it can be whatever you want it to be. Also... did you see the one that Rizban posted? I think that might be a solid contender for what you're looking for.
No reason that I can think of to keep the coffin; nor any reason not to sell it. It's just... creepy. I mean, how would you feel if someone solicited a coffin to you that wasn't associated with a funeral home?

[pife]

Yeah, I like that pic a lot, though i wish I could find something with just a snout sticking out of a hood with a scythe.. No luck yet though..

Very sorry I've been a slacker since yesterday afternoon.. I have to run to lunch with my wife, but I'm very interested in the talk with Adontus.. And I still need to deduct my half-giant from my coin, but I can't find the post that showed my bid, do you recall what it was?? 1800?

[Erasmas]

Alright... I will switch Karsus out here between rounds!

No big deal about the timing on the posts (as long as you guys are posting up once/day... I'm pretty happy)!

And I believe it's "I have get to run to lunch with my wife". :smallwink:

Finally, yes... I believe that she did go for 1800 gp.

[pife]

Haha, good call.. I get to go to lunch with her..

[Erasmas]

The awakened bird you managed to find will agree to come to work for you under two conditions - he wants to know what he will be doing, and he will fall under the "upper house member" category (as far as payment).

And without further, ado...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Garkensmee_zps0144c4e8.jpg

Name: Garkensmee
Race: Horned Lark {Bird, Awakened}
Class: Bird
Level: 1
XP: 0
Reputation: 1
---o---
Height: 7"
Weight: 1.5 oz
Size: Diminutive
Gender: M
Alignment: NG
---o---
STR: 1 (-5)
DEX: 15 (+2)
CON: 10 (+0)
INT: 17 (+3)
WIS: 14 (+2)
CHA: 9 (-1)
---o---
HP: 6
AC: 16 (+2 DEX, +4 size)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 5 ft., fly 40 ft. (good)
BAB: +0
FORTITUDE: +2
REFLEX: +4
WILL: +2
CMB: -9
CMD: 3
---o---
Attacks
{table=head]Name|To Hit|Dmg|Crit|Range|Size|Type|Special Properties
Peck|+5|1d2-5|20(x2)|--|F|P|n/a
[/table]
---o---
Skills
{table=head]Skill|Base|Ability|Ranks|Misc||Total
Listen|Wis|2|0|4||+6
Spot|Wis|2|0|4||+6
[/table]

Feats
Weapon Finesse (peck)

Special Abilities
n/a

---o---
Languages
Auran
Davenian
Sylvan
Elven

[pife]

Garkensmee it is then.. Awesome, lol. I think I'll need to have someone cast either enlarge person or bulls strength on him if I need him to be able to lift anything.

Okay, he's neutral-good.. Hmm.. Well, hopefully he still has a bird's sensibilities at least to some degree.. (as in, what i find must be mine, if it's available, I take it, that kind of thing, lol)..

Well, basically, good Garkensmee, I am a businessman. Sometimes, the only thing that separates good businessmen and bad business men, and even sometimes dead businessmen, is information. My competitors, and other officials in the area, are constantly plotting and scheming against each other, as you may already know. What I can hear, and what I can find out about will determine whether or not my business, and my family name, succeed or fail.

And, from time to time, someone else has something.. shiny, if you will.. Something that I want or need very badly. To put this in terms that might make the most sense to you.. My nest needs to grow, and I need to ensure that I am sneakier and more vigilant than others who might want to raid or knock down my nest. Sometimes, to grow your flock, you must find the best nesting materials, or know where the predators are and what they're doing.

To be honest, I don't know what I can offer you, other than money, but please let me know if there is anything I can do, or procure for you. Your wages will be 30 gold pieces a week, but I am also willing to make purchases or arrangements for you in addition to that.

Diplomacy Roll
[roll0]

[pife]

You are invited to lunch with the Warden and he greets you with embrace and peck upon each cheek, as was customary.

"Linus, welcome! I feel as if we were old friends already."

As food and wine were brought in by a very young and pretty-looking boy that could be no more than sixteen, Adontus gingerly touches his back as he pours. After smiling and watching him depart, the man then turns to you.

"Now... how may I serve you?"

Linus accepts Adontus' generosity graciously, with a smile. Linus doesn't let his personal distaste for Adontus' proclivities show on his face.

So kind of you to invite me. Your generosity overwhelms me. But, to business. It is not so much what you can do for me, but what we can do for each other.. You see, there are forces at work in our fair city that threaten to undermine that which is good. You, I'm afraid, have not remained out of the spotlight.

Your position is a desirable one, and.. I'm sorry to say that there are people who would seek to take it from you for their own gain. I gained notice of it, perhaps soon enough to intervene on your behalf.

Throughout the course of the conversation, I am trying to do several things (some of which are represented by the roll's below, if needed). I want to put him at his ease, making him extremely comfortable, and hopefully likely to confide. I want to convince him that a) there are powerful men trying to take his position from him, and b) that it is best to keep the fact that he knows a secret, and c) to work with me to ensure his continued upward mobility.

I have not yet shown him either the forged letter or my letter. What I will be looking for in return from him.. a) information of any sort that he gets his hands on (soldiers hear things, and talk, so do prisoners). b) cheap able bodied gladiator stock in the form of military prisoners. c) his support if I ever have need of a few dozen guards or a show of force (not necessarily in uniform, just a "brute squad", if you will.).

What I will be offering.. To work on his behalf to get him accolades and promotions. To discover any information that is politically important to him. To defend him from his "enemies", mostly with political effort (my letter, and my speaking on his behalf, for example). If he ever needs someone to... "disappear", they could become tongueless and tattooed slaves or gladiators in my ludus with hideous facial deformities, or some such thing. I could also use my.. ahem.. contacts.. to locate him exotic.. companions..

Bluff (someone is out to get you) [roll0]
Diplomacy (be my friend and work with me) [roll1]
Gather Information (what do you know that can help me) [roll2]
Perform:Entertain (I'm the most interesting person you know) [roll3]
Sense Motive (do you like what I'm saying, and are you telling the truth) [roll4]

[Erasmas]

Okay, I finally am managing to get around to this bit of stuff! Sorry it took so long.

And yeah, having him be a bird of prey and/or big enough to carry anything of real size or weight was (admittedly) a smaller percentage. Maybe he can talk with others that can do those sorts of things... a foreman, of sorts.

The alignment thing, we shall have to see how that plays out!


When you indicated that you would like to talk business, Garkensmee flutters to a nearby fountain and lights upon the extended marble hand of Ro - a fearsome barbarian that helped save Davenshad against the terrible attack of a dracolich. You follow and sit along the edge of the fountain as children chase one another nearby. From his perch, he listens to your proposal, turning his head this way and that as you spoke. When you were done,

"So you want a spy, is it? And a thief?"

He ruffles his feathers momentarily and shimmies over to the puddle that gathered in the hero's palm before cascading down into the fountain basin. Garkensmee began bathing and preening himself in the clear water.

He continues, "Spying I can do. Getting in and out of places unnoticed is simple enough for me; most don't suspect a bird to be any more than a bird. However, I won't steal nothing for you. That runs a much higher risk of me getting caught, see... and just like you humans, us birds don't much like the thought of a cage."

He hops out and shakes himself off, sending miniscule droplets of water flying everywhere. The bird then hops with a small amount of help from his wings onto Ro's axe. "As for coin, keep it; it doesn't do me any good. But I want seed, and a variety of it at that... rare is good. And insects daily... though none that are too big. And on occasion, I'll want a bit of elven moondrop - relax, a little bit goes a long way with me. And uh..." he hops along the edge of the axe to get as close as he can manage. After looking both ways, he leans towards you, "I also want a mate, from time to time. Eventually... I'd like one who's like me."

1
"I have no doubt that I have garnered the ill attentions of more than a few here in our fair city; I am the warden of a prison, after all. Wives, sons and daughters, brothers... lovers... all despise me for keeping their "whatever" locked away from them. But it is my duty, good Linus; and being hated by some is simply a portion of the assignment."

He replies as if this is not news to his ears; he has certainly heard this bit before. However, when you start in on the conspiracy to take the position from him, he starts to take more notice.

[pife]

When you indicated that you would like to talk business, Garkensmee flutters to a nearby fountain and lights upon the extended marble hand of Ro - a fearsome barbarian that helped save Davenshad against the terrible attack of a dracolich. You follow and sit along the edge of the fountain as children chase one another nearby. From his perch, he listens to your proposal, turning his head this way and that as you spoke. When you were done,

"So you want a spy, is it? And a thief?"

He ruffles his feathers momentarily and shimmies over to the puddle that gathered in the hero's palm before cascading down into the fountain basin. Garkensmee began bathing and preening himself in the clear water.

He continues, "Spying I can do. Getting in and out of places unnoticed is simple enough for me; most don't suspect a bird to be any more than a bird. However, I won't steal nothing for you. That runs a much higher risk of me getting caught, see... and just like you humans, us birds don't much like the thought of a cage."

He hops out and shakes himself off, sending miniscule droplets of water flying everywhere. The bird then hops with a small amount of help from his wings onto Ro's axe. "As for coin, keep it; it doesn't do me any good. But I want seed, and a variety of it at that... rare is good. And insects daily... though none that are too big. And on occasion, I'll want a bit of elven moondrop - relax, a little bit goes a long way with me. And uh..." he hops along the edge of the axe to get as close as he can manage. After looking both ways, he leans towards you, "I also want a mate, from time to time. Eventually... I'd like one who's like me."


Done then! Rare and exotic seed, romantic companionship, and elven moondrop, for what you can overhear. Tell my man Ferakhan anything you need, and he will procure it for you. He is the only one of my slaves who is to know that you work for me. In fact, I would like regular reports on what my servants are doing and saying. Perhaps you'll hear about a problem I don't know about yet, or perhaps you'll find someone that intends to do my house harm. This is my first request, and it is ongoing. As regularly as reasonable, please keep an eye on my villa and ludus. I will let it be known that I am exceptionally fond of birds, and would not see one harmed on my property. That should keep any accidents from happening, and I have no cats, though you will have to keep an eye on the dogs, I have several.

After meeting with Garkensmee, I have a private meeting with Ferakhan. I give him enough coin (300 gp) to locate and purchase rare seed, purchase another falcon to begin training, as well as an owl, along with whatever logistics they may require. I also have him purchase 3 female Horned Larks, the finest he can find.

I tell Ferakhan that the birds are to be treated with reverence and respect. Train them using the most effective methods, but there will be absolutely no cruelty with these birds (or the dogs, beyond what it takes to keep them aggressive). I remind Ferakhan that Garkensmee outranks him, and good reports from Garkensmee on his.. accomodations and treatment will go far toward future rewards. I also inform him that he is never to reveal the fact that Garkensmee is anything other than a bird that he is trying to train, no different than the others. (no cage for him).

I send Aelius to the market with coin. After calculating how much moondrop that Garkensmee could possible consume, I would like to buy a reasonable supply. I send him with 100 gold, but expect change (I would hope). I also give him 20 more gold, this to be used in "befriending" beggars. Their ears are all we're buying. He is to remind them that honesty is rewarded, and untruths can be.. dangerous.

[pife]

1
"I have no doubt that I have garnered the ill attentions of more than a few here in our fair city; I am the warden of a prison, after all. Wives, sons and daughters, brothers... lovers... all despise me for keeping their "whatever" locked away from them. But it is my duty, good Linus; and being hated by some is simply a portion of the assignment."

He replies as if this is not news to his ears; he has certainly heard this bit before. However, when you start in on the conspiracy to take the position from him, he starts to take more notice.

Yes, my friend, all you say is true. But is it not prudent to acquire and cultivate allies with mutual goals? While you are burdened with huge responsibilities, I am left with little to do save watch my gladiators train. It seems natural that we could work to assist each other in attaining their goals, as long as it doesn't harm the Republic..

Here, take a look at this.. I hand him the forged letter, and drink my wine and observe my surroundings (including his expressions) while he reads. When he stops, I have had the opportunity to lay hands to this letter. Apologies, I must ask for it back, as It needs to be replaced where it was found so as not to arouse suspicion. But as you can see, life is likely to get decidedly unpleasant for you soon. I can help.

[Erasmas]

Done then! Rare and exotic seed, romantic companionship, and elven moondrop, for what you can overhear. Tell my man Ferakhan anything you need, and he will procure it for you. He is the only one of my slaves who is to know that you work for me. In fact, I would like regular reports on what my servants are doing and saying. Perhaps you'll hear about a problem I don't know about yet, or perhaps you'll find someone that intends to do my house harm. This is my first request, and it is ongoing. As regularly as reasonable, please keep an eye on my villa and ludus. I will let it be known that I am exceptionally fond of birds, and would not see one harmed on my property. That should keep any accidents from happening, and I have no cats, though you will have to keep an eye on the dogs, I have several.

After meeting with Garkensmee, I have a private meeting with Ferakhan. I give him enough coin (300 gp) to locate and purchase rare seed, purchase another falcon to begin training, as well as an owl, along with whatever logistics they may require. I also have him purchase 3 female Horned Larks, the finest he can find.

I tell Ferakhan that the birds are to be treated with reverence and respect. Train them using the most effective methods, but there will be absolutely no cruelty with these birds (or the dogs, beyond what it takes to keep them aggressive). I remind Ferakhan that Garkensmee outranks him, and good reports from Garkensmee on his.. accomodations and treatment will go far toward future rewards. I also inform him that he is never to reveal the fact that Garkensmee is anything other than a bird that he is trying to train, no different than the others. (no cage for him).

I send Aelius to the market with coin. After calculating how much moondrop that Garkensmee could possible consume, I would like to buy a reasonable supply. I send him with 100 gold, but expect change (I would hope). I also give him 20 more gold, this to be used in "befriending" beggars. Their ears are all we're buying. He is to remind them that honesty is rewarded, and untruths can be.. dangerous.

Garkensmee hops off of the statue and lands upon your shoulder.

"Very well then. We are in agreement and have an accord. Lead the way to your nest."

Once you reach the villa, the bird flies off and finds himself a corner up near the rafters, near an open window in whatever room you indicate as where he is to locate himself. After a moment, he calls down to you.

"It will take a day or two to build my nest, which I will start on presently. And then I shall get to work."


The 300 gp will be enough to procure the other five birds (falcon, owl, and 3 horned larks) and the rare seed.

Moondrop is exceedingly rare outside of elven circles and is very expensive... it costs 220 gp per bottle. But the 20 gold is applied to possibly gaining favor amongst the beggars.

[pife]

JUPITER'S C***!! 220 gold for a bottle?!?! Are they mad?

Calming himself, Linus sends Aelius back out with sufficient coin to buy a bottle of moondrop. He thinks to himself.. "too bad I haven't a ladyfriend, or I might entice her with a drink of this "liquid gold".. But he does intend to try a glass, and save the rest for Garkensmee (and hope to goodness he's not a lush)..

[Erasmas]

Yes, my friend, all you say is true. But is it not prudent to acquire and cultivate allies with mutual goals? While you are burdened with huge responsibilities, I am left with little to do save watch my gladiators train. It seems natural that we could work to assist each other in attaining their goals, as long as it doesn't harm the Republic..

Here, take a look at this.. I hand him the forged letter, and drink my wine and observe my surroundings (including his expressions) while he reads. When he stops, I have had the opportunity to lay hands to this letter. Apologies, I must ask for it back, as It needs to be replaced where it was found so as not to arouse suspicion. But as you can see, life is likely to get decidedly unpleasant for you soon. I can help.

Adontus chuckles a bit at the mention of 'acquiring allies', a knowing smile playing across his face. He seems to know what game you are playing at... that is until you hand him the letter. He watches you as he takes it and unfolds it, before lowering his eyes to the writing it contains. You watch as the smile drains from his face, and can see his blood rising in counterpoint. The warden stands as he reads and begins pacing the room, nervously biting the fingernail of his right index finger.

"I don't understand... I have had no direct dealings with Mirthen Dalenhower. He has no knowledge of my capacity in this post! 'Undisciplined'?! 'Reckless'?!?! I cannot believe that I have slighted the man so; to enrage him enough to invent lie to dishonor me?! As if the Legion would even entertain having a Vykarilian c.cke@ter hold this station! Of all the gall such a man could muster to write such lies about me - Adontus Faltus!"

He sweeps his hand across the corner of his desk, smashing a clay drinking glass against the far wall with a guttural yell. The warden moves to the window and rests his freehand against the frame, looking out as he calms himself. Looking over his shoulder, he speaks in a much lower tone.

"Forgive me, Linus. I let my temper get the better of me. I thank you for being my defender in this; the guardian of my good name. But I cannot let you have this letter back - its lies must never reach the hands of Senator Bartonus."

[Erasmas]

Yes, it is incredibly pricey (out of the Arms & Equipment Guide). And in Rostfin, it is even rarer than the book makes it out to be (though the price stays the same... as to further attempt to 'justify' the cost).

While I can appreciate the sentiment of the statement... there is no "Jupiter".
:smallwink:

[pife]

... there is no "Jupiter".
:smallwink:


There is no spoon!

[pife]

Forgive me, Linus. I let my temper get the better of me. I thank you for being my defender in this; the guardian of my good name. But I cannot let you have this letter back - its lies must never reach the hands of Senator Bartonus."

I see that you recognize the gravity of the situation. I concur, let us burn this letter here and now, so that the lies within never reach unfriendly eye. I have set assets in place to ensure that any future correspondence can perhaps be intercepted.

Also, I took the liberty of drafting this letter. I hand him MY letter, extolling his virtues and patriotism. I require only your leave to send it, my friend. Separate, we stand flawed, unsupported. Together, we can endure the buffeting winds of chance, fate, and.. Linus' mouth curls distastefully, bold faced lies, such as those on that paper you hold.

[Erasmas]

Adontus nods solemnly, before holding the letter's corner to the flame of the lamp on his desk. Black smoke immediately begins pluming from the paper, which he sets into a brass bowl and allows to burn as he watches it as he scowls.

He then takes the second letter that you offer him, curiosity now threatening to replace the other thoughts visible upon his face. He reads and a small twinge of a smile turns at his mouth.

"Perhaps you are right, my good friend. Maybe cultivating such an alliance would be beneficial to me... as I am sure you hope it will be to you. For now, it appears that it is I who am in your debt. So please, let me know what I can do to repay such a kindness."

[pife]

"Perhaps you are right, my good friend. Maybe cultivating such an alliance would be beneficial to me... as I am sure you hope it will be to you. For now, it appears that it is I who am in your debt. So please, let me know what I can do to repay such a kindness."

It is my greatest aspiration and pleasure to serve the Republic, good Adontus. I saw a wrong being done that I could rectify, and it is satisfying to know that I have made progress toward doing so. And truly, the kindness is your own, unfailingly fulfilling your thankless task, holding some of the cruelest and most vile of Davenshad's citizens and foes within the walls of your prison. I ask for nothing save your friendship. Loyal men of the Republic should always stick together, as there are often ways for friends to aid one another.

By the way. I have some special overseas contacts. I know that you like certain types of servants... And I might be able to procure you some rather exotic selections. If you're interested, that is.


For the record, I am going to be forging another letter in the near future. For it, I need Adontus' handwriting. The letter will be FROM Adontus, TO me. It will reference a third letter (from me) in which I castigate him for threatening and besmirching the honor of good Mirthen, obviously responding to a fourth letter (from him). In this same letter, I will further claim that his (Adontus') alliance with Servitus doesn't frighten me at all, and I would rather see my ludus consumed in flames than suffer a charlatan and a pedantic reprobate like Adontus bring woe to the Republic.

I can give you more details on the contents if necessary. I plan to enjoy my "friendship" with Adontus to the fullest, but if it ever goes sour, I plan to hold the last nail to his casket in my hands.

[Erasmas]

"You are a man of aspirations and incentives, and I doubt this act being conducted on the part of merely playing the good samaritan. But I am humbled by your actions and have much gratitude for them. Know that whatever "aid" you have need of, be it within my power to deliver upon it... I shall endeavor to do so with utmost haste."

He re-seats himself and exhales, trouble still weighing upon him somewhere in the back of his mind.

"As to you secondary offer... where my interest is piqued, so to may be my coin... when time comes."


Okay, for that... I will need a Gather Information check for whomever is searching out enough samples of Adontus' handwriting in order for forge said letter. Unless you plan to attempt to steal something from his office (in which case you will need a Sleight of Hand check).

I will then need a Forgery check (assuming that the other roll succeeds).

[pife]

Garkensmee
Can he read common?

Of course, I agree amiably. When the time comes. And know that if you ever have need of a friend, you will seek me out. I can be rather resourceful, when need arises, which it often does in these perilous times. With that, if the audience is at an end, I collect all my things, and depart graciously, granting him the courtesy as though we were good friends.

I will hold off on capturing his writing for now.. Linus doesn't feel confident enough in his fingers, they have been too long out of practice. There will be opportunities in the future.

I would like to ask Thonah the role she would most like to play in my house. I do not tease her with promises of freedom, but comfort and generous privileges are available to those who serve diligently. At this time, I am not certain whether she is best served as some sort of servant, a personal guard, a gladiator, an agent? So I ask her directly, in what position would she find the most satisfaction?

I note the type of wine that was in the Warden's office, and then procure a cask of the next better type, to be delivered to him on the next festival day by two highly trained male pleasure-slaves of his preferred type. (Let me know what that will cost, please, or what I'll have to do to procure it. )

I offer Junaus Ferakhan's continued service in training his falcon. (with luck, Ferakhan will be able to keep from doing anything stupid to harm the connection (I will have him firmly spoken to, with rewards offered (women, drink, coin) for help in achieving desired results. I would also like Crispus to work with Ferakhan on his Common. I tell Crispus I want him conversational in 60 days. (with similar offers of reward for success, as well as more academic reward if such is his preference).

Aelius and Marcus are granted 10 gp each as a bonus for good service, and an evening "off" for each of them (but not the same evening). They are to have access to coin, but a strict accounting is required. I place Herminia in charge of my coin. Aelius and Marcus are to ply their skills on the streets, catching news and rumor of interest, administering to their beggar agents,

They are also to begin two rumors, and then see which gains more interest. That House Spurius was going to open a subsidized restaurant, where the agents of the city ate for free, and the citizens at a reduced rate (and that there will be non-lethal gladiator exhibitions nightly. Or that House Spurius was going to open a high-end bordello, with delights promised for every adult's perferences. They are to avoid being noted as the source .

Crispus and Ferakhan will be set to healing Karsus and Monstrum as soon as they arrive, and those two gladiators (along with Digitus) are to be granted additional leisure time, and a boon, if they wish it. Oh, and cheap wine for the whole ludus for one night's celebration. Any punishments that Valento had ordered are to be suspended indefinitely (unless Valento strongly believes it must stand)

[pife]

In Davenshad business circles, are there any likely entrepeneurs who need some small amount of investment for a potentially significant return?

How much (this is just pie in the sky thinking) would it cost for me to purchase and outfit a trading vessel, crew and captain?

I would like to begin seeking additional venues for my gladiators. Parties, funeral ceremonies, festivals, I plan to be in the magistrates ears (politely, diplomatically, politically) seeking my advancement (and theirs).

Am I acquainted with any of the social elite in the city?

Are there any social "in" crowd folks that I do not know that have a great interest in the games? I'd like to find out from the cities bookies which nobles are in the greatest debt to them

For any of these things, tell me what rolls you might need, or if you would like to RP any of them..

I would like to take Herminia to a fine meal outside the villa. She will not be treated as a slave in either dress or comportment, and in fact, Sabine will assume her vilica duties for the evening, and I will have Marcus available as in a domestic capacity. I shower her with simple gifts and kindnesses, and inquire how the house is running, and if there are any actions I can take to procure greater satisfaction from her, or if there are any issues within the villa/ludus that I need to be aware of.

BTW, I'm starting to reorganize my Servants sheets, and hopefully my records of purchases/funds is adequate.

Linus is a pretty charming sonovagun.. Has he noticed any attractive young ladies of noble or successful merchant stock, sans husband, but bearing a heavy purse? I would like to make myself available for "romance", as it were, or at least the locating of a lady with a significant dowry..

I need to check the list of gods, but the god most similar to a god of luck, fortune and business (I will check as soon as I send this) .. I want to perform a ceremony at my home to appease him/her.. Nothing extravagant.

[Erasmas]

No... Garkensmee cannot read at all (at least as of yet).

The meeting with Adontus concludes with nothing more of note. You part, it would seem, on good terms.
Very well.
She informs you that she does not find comfort in luxury and would like to do something in the capacity of a guard, if she must remain in captivity.
Make a Spot check, for me, please.
Make a Diplomacy check for Ferakhan's interactions with Junaus. Crispus will do what he can, but with Ferakhan's limited intelligence, 60 days will be pushing it. Effectively, you will have to wait until Ferakhan levels and can spend a skill point or two in Speak Language (1 rank=speaking broken; 2 ranks=fluent; 4 ranks=read/write it).
Aelius and Marcus are both very gracious for the time off and the coin. Marcus returns with news that he overheard someone mentioning your name in connection with Captain Tololano (the Gerden 'slaver' you hired). He learned nothing more from the exchange, however.
They inform you that the rumors have been started. Which has gained more interest has yet to be seen.
Your two injured gladiators are healed up and take some rest. Digitus would like time in the Library of Knowledge (the largest library in the world, located here in Davenshad). Karsus requests elf meat as his boon. Monstrum wants three human or half-orc women "with strong backs" and a cask of grog for an evening. Valento believes that Digitus should be punished for his cowardice in the arena, but will not press the issue if he is told to abandon it.
Do you mean, other than you and your fellow lanistae? :smalltongue:
No, you do not find any investment opportunities that seem legitimate.
The crew alone would run you about 50 gp/week in wages. The rest would be building/purchasing a ship and financing the things necessary for the voyage(s) that you wish for them to undertake.
As of yet, you are hard-pressed to find anyone that is interested in paying for you gladiators in most other venues, as the only ones that have made any name for themselves so far are monsters - most do not want to see them any closer than from the seats of the arena. But, in due time, this is definitely possible.
Saturno would certainly qualify as the "lower end" of the social elite. A winemaker is never short on friends.
Once again, Senator Gaus Bartonus has quite the obsession with the games and is pretty well on the inside... being a Senator and all. There is also a woman named Clementina Arra Ditius, the daughter of a very wealthy merchant family, who has no true inclination towards the games themselves, but who has a rather strong affinity for gladiators... if you catch my meaning. She has been added to the list of NPCs.
Will do.
Herminia seems a little overwhelmed by the gifts and the special treatment, but it is obvious that she enjoys it tremendously. She seems rather... eager... to perform her duties for you later on that evening. In addition, you find her smiling and making eyes at you whenever she can in the following days. You definitely get the feeling that, although her sentiments are likely genuine, that she aims to try and improve her station in life as well. As for the status of the villa and ludus, she informs you that most of the slaves are a little uncomfortable being in such close confines with Monstrum and Karsus, but as of now... it is merely just complaints.
Looks good. The moneylender takes the 2,000 from you and reminds you (in no small intimidating way) that you still owe him quite a bit more.
The merchant daughter that I mentioned above, would fit this bill (her husband having died away at campaign)... but she is very high above your station currently. There are several other possible avenues (we'll say that you whittled them down to three "prime candidates") and we can pursue that in character.
Vegella is the Goddess of Luck and Chance. You could have a priestess come and perform a ceremony for 2 gold, in addition to however much you would want to spend on guests/food/drink/sacrificies/etc.

[pife]

I swear Erasmas, every time you respond to my mishmash of ideas, it just inspires another huge email full of ideas, lol. (And I'll try to organize them better in the future. I noticed that the two posts I sent were a mess, thanks for translating them, lol.

Question... You mentioned that my slaves are uncomfortable with Karsus and Monstrum (and probably Longinus (hobgoblin).. and the goblin, lol. .. And Ferakhan. Holy hell, I DO have a ludus full of monsters, lol! But is it ANY of my monstrous gladiators, or is it just those two?

Does Thonah catch any negative vibrations for being.. huge? How do the other slaves, and separately, how does the general public react to her?

Actions/Responses

1. Does Garkensmee WANT to learn to read? (I can have Crispus teach both Ferakhan and Garkensmee (in secret, as I don't want too many to know about Garkensmee), so that Garkensmee can explain the difficult concepts when Ferakhan has trouble, lol). But if Garkensmee does not wish to learn, I wont' make him, and the lessons will go on for Ferakhan (and any of my other non-Common speaking slaves).

2. Thonah's role- First, I would like to approach some of the cities "almost" best tailors/seamstresses. (Not the top end "tailors to the stars" type, but the next step down. I offer 100 gold pieces to them in exchange for several outfits for Thonah that will make her look elegant and mysterious. I let it be known that I, as well as the word on the street will be singing their praises if they do a good job, and that I will, if suitably impressed, be returning to outfit all of my house slaves in their wares, as well as showing up any other lanista's slaves who will be less well dressed. (I'm trying to get them to do a better job than 100gp should warrant, though that's a huge sum for slave clothing. I'm trying to get them to see that the advertisement value alone will be worth their while, and I want Thonah to stand out, in a good way_.

Further, I offer Thonah a position as my personal bodyguard/handmaiden if she believes she could perform that duty with pride. Otherwise I will have to find a position for her that will help.... defray.. the large sum I parted with to gain her.

3. Spot check (I'm assuming for the wine)..[roll0]

4. Ferakhan's Diplomacy check (Let it be known that I spoke firmly to Ferakhan beforehand, so he knows what's at stake for screwing this up). [roll1]

5. What is known (or can be discovered about my Gerdian Slaver Captain Tololane? I'm trying to determine what form of rumors could have possibly started, as I haven't actually done any business with him yet. I would like Marcus/Aelius to find out what there is to know about him, good (and perhaps especially, bad). (Giving you two Gather Info checks, just in case.). Marcus [roll2] Aelius [roll3]

6. Boons- Can books be checked out of the Library? I hesitate to send a gladiator into a library, no matter how literary he seems.. However, I will look into having books brought to him (willing to pay a small cost in bribes/fees if necessary, but not much..). I inform Monstrum that the women will have to be both ALIVE and fundamentally UNHARMED at the conclusion of his little happy-time. I will procure him ladies-of-the-night if I must, unless. (ahem..) Any of my female slaves (which is basically just Sabine, because not gonna happen with Herminia or Thonah) are welcome to.. indulge him.. I (the player) don't know how to attempt to lure sick and twisted upper class ladies who would love to "roleplay" being the "slave", but if such a channel exists, I.. err.. allow it, lol. But, failing that, husky hookers of the human or half-orc variety it is). Karsus.. For Karsus, I want to send an agent to the local "morgue".. I need a fresh (same day) elf corpse.. (Wait, are there any laws I need to concern myself with)? I figure some poor elf without family has to be set to receive a paupers burial.. I'll merely donate some coin to take the body off their hand (and ensure them it will be cremated... sort of).

Oh, by the way, Valento/Digitus... I agree with Valento that Digitus' first outing wasn't spectacular. But, it being is first outing into the arena, I will grant him leniency. Plus, doesn't it take some big cajones to stand in front of a 10' tall scorpion and TRY to get it's attention?. But, that being said, I will talk to Digitus sternly about upholding the decorum of the sands, and upholding the honor of house Spurius.

How much total for the wine and meat and hookers?

7. Do any of the major lanistae in town have financial backers? (Reference Spartacus, where Tullius had invested in Vettius' ludus, which caused all manner of misery for Batiatus, lol). How likely is it that I could entice investors? (I have big plans for growth, and would be offering a strong return-on-investment).

8. I give up on the ship and crew for now. I'll need a LOT more money before I take that step.

9. Saturno.. I'll come back to this. I need to start making a name for myself.

10. Senator Gaius Bartonis and Clementilla Ditius- Will come back to these as well, need to do more thinking.

11. Herminia- (just as a reference point). I am extremely solicitous of her opinion, and usually listen to her suggestions. She is not yet in a position to refer to me by my first name (reference Spartacus again, where Crassus' mistress called him Marcus). I am going to spend the next few weeks trying to "hone" her skills as vilica. Translation: I want to encourage her loyalty and effort. I would like to use Bluff to imply (but never promise) that it might go to the next level (whatever that is to her), were I but more convinced of her loyalty and desire to please.
[roll4] .

Speaking of which.. As far as I can tell, is Herminia's ultimate goal freedom, a husband, position/power, or something else entirely?

12. I graciously remind the moneylender that not only did I make my first payment within days of procuring the loan, I have now made two payments within a matter of days, and didn't have to be tracked down or "reminded".

As an alternative, I would like to suggest to him that he grant me a revolving credit account. Basically, I make a fixed payment of 3k per month, and he extends me a credit line of 15,000 gp. (Even if I carry a balance of zero, he still receives a retainer of 500 gp). One missed payment triggers a "penalty" equal to 1 months fees (a fine of 3k that he gets paid in addition to the actual arrears). A second missed payment absolves him from his part, and my assets get liquidated (in the order I designate) until he is paid off. (Willing to use Diplomacy, Bluff, Favor, Reputation, heck, even charm potions, lol. anything I can think of, other than Intimidate.. Let me know if/what to roll)

13. Clementilla and the merchants daughters.. Yes please. Linus needs sons, eye candy, money, and a trusted friend to grow old with, (not necessarily in that order), and a wife can (potentially) fill all four needs. I would definitely like to RP these encounters. I would like to preliminarily discover the following (what I can) about each, (and if necessary, I'll pay to find out).

(in no particular order)
Attractiveness-
Age-
Reputation- Mostly theirs, not their family's.. Known to be sweet? Sickly? A leather-lunged battle-ax?
Family (famous name? important title? Lots of money?)
Intellect- How bright are they?
Trouble- (this one is abstract, but if one of them is known to be a hellion that bumps uglies with gladiators, that would fall into this category, lol)

14. Vegella- Just a small get-together for the ceremony. Personal friends (if I have any, lol), a few middle influence administrators (any anyone who might be insulted if they were NOT invited. Would this be an appropriate spot to make a favor roll to try to get people to show up and be seen at my event?). I will have more details on the event itself, but I'll be willing to pay.


Holy cow, when is my dry run with the dice going to end, lol? Yikes. (Umm, the Ferakhan/Junaus mess.. I hope to god he just farted during a meal or something, lol. He's a slave that barely speaks common, lol. How much damage could he have done?

[Erasmas]

Well, they wouldn't be very good 'hooks' otherwise, would they? But I'm glad that they inspire. They weren't a mess, each was a separate paragraph... I just put them into a list because my brain organizes better that way.

Yes... I forgot that you had other monsters as well! It is merely the presence of all of them, not just Karsus and Monstrum. The half-orcs aren't "as bad", since they have traces of human to them.

No one treats her badly, especially because of her beauty. However, you can tell that several of the house slaves (and most people in public) are intimidated by her size and "odd" coloration, yes.

Yeah, the die roller on this forum can be a bit... brutal at times.


He is interested, so he will attend the lessons.
Well... "slave clothing" and "elegant" do not really go together, and 100 gp for several elegant outfits would probably be a stretch. I had posted the clothing chart before, but here it is again. You make a list of the items you want to procure and accompany it with a Diplomacy roll to attempt the discounted price.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Clothing_zpsd60014be.jpg

She agrees to the position as your personal bodyguard and swears to protect you at all costs... so long as she is treated well and respectfully. You can tell that she has no small amount of pride.
You were no able to discern the exact make of wine that he was drinking, but you could saw the word "Halfling" branded onto the barrel and from the taste of it... it was certainly halfling-made.
Ferakhan reports that the boy is enjoying his gift, but that the half-orc's heritage definitely seemed to make the boy (and his family) a little uneasy. He was not left alone with the Junaus; three armed men were within five steps of them the entire time he was there.
Marcus returns with a bloodied nose, for "asking the wrong questions of the wrong people, in the wrong places". He apparently made a man feel as though he Marcus had accused him of piracy. Aelius discovers someone that saw the Captain talking with a local lanista a while back, but did not know who the other man was (you assume that it could be you).
Boons- (Digitus) Books, tomes, and scrolls are not allowed to be removed from the library (which is also a temple of Aldarr).
(Monstrum) You definitely do not know of any upper-class "role players" that would want to play that game with an orc. And even with Monstrum's assurances that they will remain unharmed... you have a difficult time finding even just three whores that fit the bill. The three of them agree to it for a total cost of 9 sp. The grog costs 30 gp (mostly just because of how hard it was to find/import).
(Karsus) You get the distinct feeling that eating an elf is most certainly against the law. However, if you want to go forward with it, that's fine with me. I will need a Diplomacy roll for whomever you send, however. As well as a percentile roll, please!
With you saying that you will speak with him, Valento does not press the issue further and seems satisfied.
Yes, some of the major ludi have backers. However, you are so early on in the game that you are unable to find any that are willing to 'bank' on you just yet.
Understandable.
Also understandable.
Fair enough.
She continues to learn and perform well... in all avenues that she is permitted, and is ever careful not to overstep her bounds. She certainly seems eager to prove herself to you. It seems as though she might consider marriage (and becoming 'Domina' of the house) freedom enough.
He grumbles about still being owed a large sum of money, but you can tell that he is satiated... for now. He seems unwilling to even entertain the idea of a line of credit (at least while you still are indebted to him).
Clementina Arra Ditius
Attractiveness- CHA 16
Age- 32
Reputation- Social butterfly, No rush for a 'replacement' husband (her words)
Family- Daughter of Drumus Tibero Ditius {a wealthy merchant}
Intellect- Unknown
Trouble- Likes sleeping with gladiators, gossip hound, way outside of current social/financial status

Firra Sarraeus
Attractiveness- CHA 16
Age- 17
Reputation- Unknown
Family- Daughter of Letius Sarraeus {deceased legionnaire}, niece of Merrius "Iron Back" Sarraeus {middle-class blacksmith}
Intellect- Decent, she is studying the priesthood at the temple of Aldarr (The Library)
Trouble- Unknown

Giada Ariana Sorano
Attractiveness- CHA 18
Age- 24
Reputation- Female Casanova {love 'em and leave 'em}
Family- Daughter of Gerrismo Sorano {a merchant ship captain}
Intellect- Razor sharp, has acquired a fair amount of wealth bequeathed to her by former lovers
Trouble- Sleeps around

Carrera Fillamena Gracilian
Attractiveness- CHA 13
Age- 28
Reputation- Bookish
Family- Daughter of Armero Domidus Gracilian {a fairly well-off olive farmer}
Intellect- Very smart
Trouble- Father is desperate to marry her off, afraid that her 'plainness' will prevent him from ever doing so

Yes, make a Favor roll (aided by your Reputation bonus).

[pife]

Alrighty..

Actions and responses

Garkensmee will be attending lessons with Crispin

I can get specific on Thonah's attire, but I was just wanting her to have a wardrobe of "nice" non-slavy clothing that attracts the eye.

I remind Monstrum that for every drop of blood of those whores he spills, a cup of his will follow. (But I say it nicely, lol). Although.. I DO entice him with an offer.. If he wins five matches in a row, I'll buy him his OWN half-orc slave. (If he wants three, he'll have to win 15 in a row). Also, his whores are to be fed, thanked, and paid TEN gold EACH, personally by my hand. Further, I will have Herminia tell them to return in three days time. As they have done an unpleasant service for House Spurius, they are to be rewarded. In those three days, I will engage a silversmith. I want thin silver chains mounted with a silver coin stamped with the seal of House Spurius (changed my mind, I don't want to get a reputation for having my house symbol on the neck of every whore in Davenshad.. Instead, it will be a lioness' head on the face, and the womans name engraved on the back. (By the way, I'm thinking in the range of 5 gp, 10 at most with the engraving.. This isn't a lot of silver, and it's more symbolic than valuable. If a silversmith will do it for 5gp each (and make them look nice), I will purchase 20 of them. Diplomacy roll to haggle? [roll0]. The girls are to be informed that, should they have need of aid, they are welcome to petition House Spurius, and have their needs considered.

Pursuant to the above.. First, if any of them are either highly intelligent or highly attractive (say in the range of 14+ for either), I will inquire as to their current situation, and their satisfaction with it. Second, I want Marcus and Aelius to visit the pawnbrokers in town.. The brokers will be shown these medallions, and told that if they receive one, they will receive a reward for contacting me and returning the medallion, as well as reporting who sold it to them. (If the woman herself pawns it, not much I can do, but at least I know she's motivated by money, not loyalty). If pimps/cutpurses are taking them to sell... Let me know. The pimps are not going to like the results. Basically, I'm actively working to generate support and interest in House Spurius from the ground up. (plus starting a grass-roots campaign touting my generosity and kindness, which will hopefully play well in the future). I should have hookers lined up to the street, lol.. (which will help immensely when I look to open my brothel.. Oh look!! Happy and satisfied employees!)

How much does a cask (the size of a keg, not the size of a barrell) of popular halfling wine go for? (cringe)..

Ferakhan is doing well, and I tell him so. (No rewards just yet, just the praise of his master for now).

I arrange for Digitus to be taken to the library, and hopefully there are private reading rooms.. (three guards to accompany, but in civilian clothing, as is Digitus, and yes, he was allowed to bathe first, lol, and is not chained)

Karsus.. Oh boy, here we go.. Okay, I personally go, in disguise [roll1] (I can't recall my modifier, but will check and edit in the new total, but I don't think it's less than 4), to the gravediggers guild (or whatever secular body performs paupers burials). With bluff, I plan to "hint" at what I'm looking for, while not saying it straight out (a fresh elf corpse).. With Diplomacy, I want to talk them into "forgetting" where they put the corpse.. If these are laborer types, my bribe at this point will be 5gold. If they are administrative types, my bribe will be 10 gold. If they can't think of a good way to do it, would it be possible to fake a funeral procession (for a nonexistent "elven" slave) from the Hang on.. Where do the slave markets/prisons/infirmaries dispose of destitute bodies? This could be easier than it looks, lol.

Linus does get visibly cranky when the moneylender won't consider a credit line, as he thought he was making a strong offer. (But composes himself quickly, not trying to make a scene). (Note to self: will not be recommending this guy to anyone else, lol).

By the way, exactly how "desperate" is good Master Gracilian (might have spelled that wrong) to have his daughter married? And, in Davenshad, is being a lanista a lower class or a middle class vocation? (in Rome, they were not well thought of, considered an infames, on a social footing with butchers and pimps , though I don't know why butchers were poorly thought of either, lol).

Ack, work just popped up, spoiling my fun.. I have more to ask, including working out the details for my Vegellus-cleansing party and other such things.. I'll have to send them later.

[Erasmas]

Sounds good.
Understandable, but I think this way you will get exactly what you are looking for.
Monstrum agrees. The girls are thrilled at both the payment and the trinkets. And yes, you were able to purchase 20 of them at 5 gold apiece with haggling (for a total of 100 gp).
No, none of the ones that you were able to convince to lay with Monstrum are particularly intelligent of attractive. They are, what you might describe, as near the "bottom of the barrel". Your men carry out their task at the pawnbrokers'.
75 gold for a cask.
Ferakhan thanks you for the praise.
Digitus likewise thanks you. The trip goes smoothly, though you are asked for a donation to the temple for its usage.
They use mass graves, carried out by gravediggers. LOL
Fair enough.
Hard to say exactly, but it is no small rumor that he is "shopping her around". Most lanistae in Davenshad are viewed as lower middle class, though there are some that have grown to great esteem (Mirthen Dalenhower, for example).
No worries; we'll get to that stuff later then!

[pife]

Sounds good.
Understandable, but I think this way you will get exactly what you are looking for.
Monstrum agrees. The girls are thrilled at both the payment and the trinkets. And yes, you were able to purchase 20 of them at 5 gold apiece with haggling (for a total of 100 gp).
No, none of the ones that you were able to convince to lay with Monstrum are particularly intelligent of attractive. They are, what you might describe, as near the "bottom of the barrel". Your men carry out their task at the pawnbrokers'.
75 gold for a cask.
Ferakhan thanks you for the praise.
Digitus likewise thanks you. The trip goes smoothly, though you are asked for a donation to the temple for its usage.
They use mass graves, carried out by gravediggers. LOL
Fair enough.
Hard to say exactly, but it is no small rumor that he is "shopping her around". Most lanistae in Davenshad are viewed as lower middle class, though there are some that have grown to great esteem (Mirthen Dalenhower, for example).
No worries; we'll get to that stuff later then!



Is it sad that when I check GiantITP and I have a message in Non-Omnis-Moriar, it makes my day? Like, HOT DAMN, FUN TIME!.. Yeah, I'm weird..

I will reduce my treasury by 225 gp (100 (chains), 30 (Monstrums "ladies"), 75 (cask), 20 (Church of Aldarr donation). How much would the two pleasure slaves run me to "deliver" it to Adontus? (lol, is it time to roll for money again yet, lol)?

I would like to have Aelius discover when/where the burials take place, and then he is to watch from hiding. Are there any "officials" there? If it is just laborers, he is to follow one after they are done, buy him some drinks, and "share" stories with the laborer, eventually working the conversation to "finding" a body that the laborers have "forgotten" to bury, perhaps because they were so excited to find a pouch with 20 gold in it. (If it is not just laborers, he is to report back to me and we'll rethink). If necessary, this can be either a bluff or diplomacy roll to talk to the laborer (I'll use the lower modifier, which is Bluff, but if it's diplomacy, please add 2 to the total). [roll0]


***DAMN THIS DICE ROLLER*** I swear, it might just be easier to go kill an elf myself!! (hope the bribe Aelius hints at helps.. and the wine..)..
More to come, have to run to a meeting. BTW, this character, in this campaign, is far and away the most fun I've had on GiantITP.. Well done!

[Erasmas]

No, I don't think that that's sad at all.

Good deal on the accounting, thank you. And yeah, I am about to have it roll into the next week.

Aelius' bribe of 20 gold (plus 1 more for the drinks) coupled with his Diplomacy roll gets one of the laborers to agree to 'misplacing' an elf corpse (it was only the gravediggers themselves). He leaves it behind the southern wall of the cemetery and warns him to collect it promptly, as come morning it will be discovered and removed.

And thank you very much for that (once again), Pife. It means a lot to me that you are getting so much enjoyment out of a game that I was able to put together! I'm having a lot of fun running it; and thank you for giving it so much time and thought as a player.

[pife]

Excellent! (it had just better be fresh, lol)..

I'd like to make a Favor roll, to see if any of my acquaintances can loan me a wagon or cart. (If this fails, I'll just hire a cart for a few hours). Aelius and a couple of my guards are to go purchase a load of firewood, go pick up the body, hide it under the firewood (tenderizing? Hickory flavor?) and bring it back to the ludus without attracting attention.

[roll0]

Karsus is on his own for preparing it, but I do want to arrange a place for him to prepare (he'll have access to a fire and other necessary implements, he's not using MY kitchen, or my servants) and enjoy his boon. (though it turns Linus' stomach to even think about). I do not want this to become public knowledge, and I definitely don't want anyone to have to watch/smell/hear him preparing/eating it.

Also, I would like to be regularly (several times a week) inviting Valento to dine with me, so that I can hear of his progress and any troubles he might be having. Just being accommodating, don't have an agenda for this.

I ask if any of my slaves/guards/other employees if they know anything about construction/masonry. I would like to build a small wing onto my ludus, but would prefer to do it cheaply. (I need a place to segregate my humanoid/monstrous gladiators from the others, though they will still practice together) Alternately, I could possibly try another Favor roll to see if anyone has a mason/architect/engineer in their employ. I did speak to a dwarven stonemason earlier about building an addition, but was hoping to do it cheaper. If I can't find anyone else, I'll look into getting him. (Just seeing if there's a frugal way to expand at this point, will get back to you on any exact details of what/how big). (if needed [roll1]

On the training of my birds.. I'll doublecheck the rules for animal handling, and will designate what Ferakhan is trying to teach them. When enough time has passed (I'll use the tax days as my reference points), I'll post Ferakhan's rolls, and we'll see how quickly I can get some trained birds. (Any way I can train them NOT to eat Garkensmee?)

By the way, you're in for a wall of text later today when I get home from work. I'm going back through all three threads, finding out what we have started but not finished, and throwing it all at ya, lol. (especially the four "love interests", a couple of IC discussions I've been meaning to have, and a little bit more attempted sneakery. I'd do it now, but I'm chasing my tail at work.

[Erasmas]

Aelius was assured that it was, and when you finally see it... you recognize it as Byrwen from the games (he still has a slight bit of arrow shaft protruding from his right eye).
You are able to find someone that is willing to allow you the use of their cart. It costs 2 gp to fill it with enough firewood to cover a medium-sized body. However many men you take to do this (it will take at least 2), they need to make Hide checks, to which they may add a +6 for it being night and taking the precaution of the firewood.
Karsus rigs a spit and good-sized fire in the corner of the training grounds and, after butchering his "gift", takes to cooking and eating it. Now, you simply have to get rid of the remains (the guts and the bones).
Fair enough. As of now, he has nothing to report.
None of your slaves or guards seem to know any more than you about such things. You cannot use Favor again this week. The dwarven stonemason is still in town, but you find out that you is planning on departing for his homelands just before the onset of summer and will not return until winter arrives. There are certainly other masons around, however.
Sounds good.
That also sounds good. Hopefully you can get caught up at work and it won't be as crazy!

[pife]

Alrighty, here we go <cracks knuckles>..

You may be frightened to know that I have identified 36 separate "issues" that Linus is considering, but luckily for you, I'm not ready to act on all of them yet, especially not until I can solve my cash flow problem.

I've separated them into 5 categories.. I'll keep the spoilers for each separate as best as possible.


Business
Construction
Domestic
Social
Espionage


Incoming wall of text;

Social



Vegella Blessing/Party

Okay, I had mentioned that I wanted to have a ceremony blessing Vegellus, and decided to turn it into a smallish party (no street party for this one).

I need to look into hiring;

Cooks-
Musicians-
Dancers
A decent Bard (popular in middle/upper classes)
Players (a small troupe of actors)
Hookers/Entertainers (all have to be clean and good looking, minimum 14 Cha)

By the way, the cooks, musicians, actors and dancers.. I would like to find young but talented, possibly edgy relative newcomers. (this should make them cheaper and more appreciative). By the way, if I can find one talented but inexpensive troupe that can dance/play and act, I will use them for all three "performances".

The bard will be informed that if he is reasonable with his prices, as well as appropriately successful at entertaining the crowd this evening, he will be regularly invited to perform for greater sums.

The "carnal" entertainment are to act more as escorts/guests than hookers. I'm thinking 4-5 of them to mingle. (By the way, I want 2 males and the rest female). I want to make a deal with them. First, I will pay them a small retainer, just to show up. They will be paid extra for bedding or otherwise providing my guests with that "extra" level of service. They need to be dressed appropriately (obviously, this party is not for royalty, but something sexy but subdued). This is not a House of Batiatus carnal circus, that's not it's intent, though I do want eye candy roaming around, and any guests who wish it.. As well as their payment, each will also receive one of my silver medallions and informed that if they ever have need of aid, all they need do is present that medallion at my door, and their needs will be addressed.

(Not sure how many diplomacy rolls I might need to negotiate their appearance and price, so here are several based on what I think might be appropriate. By the way, I think Reputation might factor into some of this, but I'm not sure, so I haven't added that +2 modifier if it does count)

Party Planner rolls

Troupe of Entertainers [roll0]
[roll1]
Cooks [roll2] (btw, I need a permanent cook.. If I can hook one into hiring on permanently, let me know)
Escorts [roll3]
[roll4]
[roll5]
[roll6]
[roll7]
[roll8]
[roll9]

Bard [roll10]
[roll11]



Guest List

Adontus- Warden of Military Prison
Valento- My Doctores (but here as a guest, except as noted below)
Martus Saturno
His son Junaus
His wife Seodea
Arlorn Venstacia (the elven "should-be" captain of the guard)
Armedus Kaeus and/or Proxitus Gaus (the other retired-freed gladiators, but only if they are not employed by another ludus)
Gowan McMillan (Registrar of Property)
Leana
Servitus
Suda
The High Priest/Priestess of Vegella in Davenshad
Marso Isalus
The local magistrate (I don't have a name, or at least didn't find one)
Clementina Arra Ditius
Glada Sorrano

Any invited guest can bring guests of their own, but will be encouraged to keep this number small, so as to keep the affair intimate.

Each invitee will receive a beautifully ornate invitation, along with a silk ribbon of one of six colors (crimson, gold, purple, green, black, and white. The reason for this will become apparent later). The ribbon is to be tied to the arm of the guest.


The plan is this.. At my ludus, (which I would like to have decorated in a manner pleasing to Vegellus, holy incenses and oils, etc), there will be a dinner party and ceremony, blessing House Spurius, and thanking some of those who have made my life more lucky and advantageous. I plan for it to be fairly low key, but I want the players doing something funny, the dancers something high-energy and exciting, the escorts to be demure and mysterious, and the food to be slightly exotic and tasty. Only a couple of "agenda items here.

First, I would like to feel out Clementina and Glada. I have thoughts toward using them for my ends. If I can harness them somehow, and aim them like a missile where they would do the most good (or damage), it could be advantageous (or at least amusing). I would like to be a good and charming host to both of these ladies, and pay attention to what they are getting up to. In general, I want to try to charm them myself, (whether as a witty friend to socialize with, or as a potential future lover/husband), but without making promises or engaging in any hanky-panky.

Garkensmee is to pose as a trained songbird (alighting on my shoulder, singing pretty for the guests looking absolutely gorgeous), but he is there to listen when I'm not around. (Does he want some bling)?

If either of the retired gladiators attend, it means that they are not employed by another lanista at this time. I want to feel them out, whether to hire them, use them as advisors, or, potentially even subvert them and get them inserted into another ludus, acting as my eyes and ears. This will require careful and cautious actions, and I'm willing to take my time.

Thonah and Herminia are to be on full display in their finest. (Thonah came to me in a fine dress in my house colors (black and gold on blue skin? Can't picture it, lol). Sabine is to "Take 20" in preparing them for the evening.

Gowan McMillan- I would like to engage him and ask about properties (and investors in those properties). I see opportunity for a restaurant, a high end brothel, and a casino, possibly separate, possibly housed together. I would like to know if a) he can help me locate an inexpensive but inspired location, b) feel him out to see if he's shifty in any way (in a good way, for me), or c) knows any real-estate investors who might be willing to support a good business plan. Not sure what rolls if any would be necessary here, just let me know.

Arlorn is to be feted as a local hero, given much courtesy and respect. All I want from him is for him to come away from this meeting thinking "Wow, that Linus is really an outstanding fellow! I think he and I could become fast friends".

Adontus is just here as a friend and ally. No special agenda, just showing him a good time. (did I mention that 2 of my escorts should be male, rather young, and quite exotic looking?)

The big entertainment

Three pairs of my gladiators will fight. Two pairs will fight with wooden weapons, as an exhibition. The third pair, chosen by popular vote by the guests, will fight to the death. Each gladiator will wear a ribbon of a different color. Any guest who wears the color of the winner of the death-match will receive a glass of moonwine (take THAT, Garkensmee, lol. but I will make sure to keep several "bird-sized" portions separate), the bard will be commissioned to write a sonnet about their magnificence/beauty/wit/whatever is appropriate, and a boon from me. (So, the winners receive three gifts, courtesy of the whims of Vegella).

Celsus to face Longinus, Suunus to face Lepidus, and Karsus to face Vitus.

Digitus will be present as eye-candy (he's purty), and will occasionally use prestidigitation to amuse and impress. (Though he is to have a guard near him at all times, and is to remain standing against the wall unless engaged by a guest).

And that's my plan for the party. (yep, that's #1 of 36 or 37 ideas, though admittedly, that was one of the ones with the most moving parts.

Please let me know how much this would cost, what rolls I could make to make it cheaper, any other "obvious" guests who should be invited, and/or any suggestions from any of Linus' friends/slaves.




Private Exhibition-

It would be perfect if Senator Gaus Bartonus (or his son?) were having a birthday really soon. If not Bartonus, then possibly Saturno. If neither of these families are celebrating anything in the very near future, that's fine too.

Whether for a celebration/festival, or, just to enjoy a private exhibition due to his known love for the games, I would like to invite Senator Bartonus to a private exhibition of my gladiators. I would like to stage a couple of matches for the Senator at either his or my home. The allure would be "up close and personal", no arena here, and as "Editor", Senator Bartonus holds the power of life and death over my gladiators (though I really prefer life).

The story is.. I am trying to rank my ludus' gladiators. Karsus, Monstrum, Lepidus and Suunus all have equal victories in practice, and I wish to name a champion, with the blessing and aid of the good senator.

There's a little bit of a lead-in to this. I wish to begin attending the Spear and the Rhino tavern, where I have heard that the Senators attendants carouse after hours. Between Garkensmee, Marcus, Aelius and myself (there at different times, different days, etc), we should be able to find either some interesting information, an attendant that is willing to talk, or some other inroad to setting this up. I'm looking for some way to reasonably "cross paths" with the Senator.


Adontus

I had purchased some halfling wine for him. My original intent was to have it delivered by two young male slaves for his enjoyment, but. If he's going to be attending my party, I would like the two male escorts to draw him away once the party gets going, and present him with it in a more intimate setting, so to speak.

I keep my ears open for anything interesting that might be going on in his demesne.

Who, specifically, has the authority to grant Adontus an accolade/award/promotion? I would like to arrange some kind of "elevation" for him somehow, something that he will be able to discover I had a hand in, but something that just appears that I'm looking out for my comrade.


Courting the Vipers

I would like to find out, as best I can, the pattern of each of these four ladies. I am going to contrive a way to meet them "unexpectedly", and see if I can plant some seeds.

Specifically,


Clementina- No chance in hell that I want her as a wife, but if she's susceptible, I wouldn't be averse to either making her fall in love with me (unrequited, of course), or find a way to use her little golddigger ways to further my ends.
Firra- I should be able to arrange a chance encounter with this one at the Temple of Aldarr. I want to find a way to begin a conversation with her, that I might better get to know her. She's smart and pretty, but I don't know enough about her. What social class does she belong to, what would a typical dowry be for a woman of her stature, and where do her interests lie?
Glada- Another one that I wouldn't share a bed with to save my life. (okay, maybe to save my life). This one, I either just want to befriend, or find a way to use her as a honeypot of some kind. (Plus, having a ship captain father might be useful at some point). In fact, I would like to look into procuring some business with her father, and hope that it leads to a meeting with the daughter. I need to know what business(es) he is into, so I can determine my best approach
Carrera- Believe it or not, this is the one I'm most tempted by. Remember the old song.. "If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife, so from my personal point of view, get an ugly girl to marry you", lol. Okay, so she's not ugly, even fairly attractive. But I like the fact that she's very smart, a little older.. I want to throw myself into seducing this one (charming her, not bedding her). What social class does she belong to and what are her interests?


So, with Clementina and Glada, I'm trying to find a way to befriend or utilize them. With Firra and Carrera, I'm actually considering more. Willing to rp any/all of these, just need to dig up more information and come up with smooth ways to get into their lives.








Espionage

I have 13 "plots" cooking here, but lucky for you, I'm only ready to look into about 9 of em, lol. Please note that some of these plots overlap (and have been mentioned) with others.

Master List of Plots


Leana vs Mirthen- She hates him, and I used him to focus Adontus. How can I use that?
Retired Gladiators- Armedus kaeus and Proxitus Gaus- Trying to determine if there is any way to use these worthies in my plans.
Informants in enemy ludi-
The Senators Handlers- Meet and obtain an "angle" by which I can approach or be useful to the Senator
Garkensmee- Lots of little things going on here
Beggar Nation- The streets have ears
Acquiring poison- Just in case
Adontus' Most Wanted- I'm going to research anyone that Adontus would receive accolades for capturing. Then I'm going to move heaven and earth to find that person(s) for him, and give him the credit
Aelius' Stable Girl- Aelius has a lover that is a stablegirl at the Arena Calatotis- He is to pursue this
Fake Mugging- yeah, this one is scary, lol. At some point, some VIP and/or his wife is going to be accosted in public, and who will be there to save them but Linus Lycinius Spurius.


Active Plots-

Retired Gladiators

Are both of these gentlemen currently employed by another ludus? If they are not, I want to interview them again. is there anything/anyone that infuriates them, some means by which I can motivate them into doing something that will aid me? Are they susceptible to bribes? You know, even if they ARE currently working for another ludus, this could work, if they have the proper motivation. Whether they can be talked into just being eyes and ears, or even.. dare I say.. sabotaging matches to benefit me (and the betting public).


Informants in the Ludi
Similar to what I'm wanting to do with the retired gladiators, I want Garkensmee listening at windows at other ludi, and bringing me any information about disgruntled or otherwise malleable employees/slaves. Whether it's a guard who would take a bribe to sneak someone in/out, a cook or slave that would put a laxative in the dessert (especially at an important event dinner), a gladiator that would make an attempt to kill a promising gladiator in their sleep.

I also want Marcus and Aelius hanging out in taverns, and discover where the agents of the different ludi spend their time. (This is a long range goal, and this is just something they are to be doing among their other tasks, it is not their primary task). I want to cultivate eyes and ears inside the ludi , perhaps even be able to place/steal an object, something along those lines.

Senators Handlers
This one was mentioned briefly earlier, in the section for the private exhibition. I know that some of the Senators agents/handlers frequent the Spear and the Rhino. I want to cultivate an arrangement with Tius the proprietor, and I want to have Marcus and Aelius making friends with them (gambling, drinking, carousing, etc). At some point, someone will say something that I can use for my benefit.

Marcus and Aelius
These two are busier than one legged men in a buttkicking contest. Let me know if a) they seem happy (using my own eyes/ears, Garkensmee, Herminia, and their general attitude), b) do they seem content, and c) are they overworked (do I need another agent?). So far, these two are my right and left hands, and I want to do what I need to do to ensure their loyalty.

Garkensmee
He's busy too. Learning to read, and all of the windows he's supposed to be listening at (including mine). He has a role to play at the party, and at several of the other plots where I need to know who is saying what. He has his seed, his moonwine, his mates, all that jazz. (By the way, could prestidigitation change his color enough to make him look like a different kind of bird? (basically just changing color, because who keeps track of a birds face/build?)

Beggars

I've been fairly diligent in having Marcus and Aelius making nice with the beggars. Now I want the beggars to serve my ends. I need the whispers from the street. Viable (and provable) intelligence will be rewarded (with coin, food, and a medallion). I'm also hoping that they will start to actively look for rumors/information to give to me, as I am trying to build a reputation for generosity.


Poison

I need to find an apothecary. (the guy who makes the charm potions will work if he can do this too). I'm wanting to price two different kinds of poison. First, I want one of those "two drops to help you sleep, five drops to make someone comatose, 10 drops if you want them dead in their sleep" type poisons. The second is a fast acting and potent contact poison. I doubt I have the money for this right now, but i'm wanting to find out how much it would cost. For the "sleepy" poison, I should be able to approach them openly (I can't sleep). For the other, I want to revisit the contact I made that knows how to contact the assassins guild. Surely, if anyone knows how to procure illicit poison, it's these guys.


Adontus' Most Wanted

This might be my favorite idea for some reason.. Okay, Adontus is the warden of the military prison. i want to find out who some of Davenshad's most wanted military criminals are. And then I want to find them and get Adontus some praise.

Another interesting idea would be staging a breakout at the civilian prison (you won't even have a cup of wine with me Laviena)?, and then having Adontus' troops locate the miscreant. Or, a noted deserter or traitor from the Legions? An important spy? And finally, another option would be to set up one of Adontus' guards, making him look like he's either smuggling something in/out, or is going to help a major prisoner escape. If I can set that up, then inform Adontus, he would be able to "sniff out the weasel".

So, I'm needing to know if there are any

Important prisoners currently in the military prison
A guard that has a connection I can take advantage of, family/friends of the wrong person, etc, a poor work record, etc
Notorious criminals that either haven't been caught, or have been caught and subsequently escaped



Aelius' Stable Girl
Aelius (or was it Marcus) had bedded a stablegirl that works that the Arena Calatotis. I want him to pursue this relationship (bed her again, dude). She can be a valuable asset and informant. She might be able to sneak people/objects in/out, she might have friends that we can utilize, and she has ears.

Fake Mugging

Linus to the rescue! For this one (which I'm just considering at the moment), I will arrange (through a third party) a mugging or other assault on the person of either one of my allies or their family. I will arrange it so that I can "coincidentally" be able to "appear" and save the day, thus ensuring that this ally will become eternally grateful for the aid I've rendered.

Possible recipients of this lovely gift

Martus Saturno and family
Senator Bartonus (yes, this would mean I have the largest "stones" in the world
Clementina Ditius
Glada Sorrano
Registrar Marso
Cicero Tarvus
Maxinto Calatotis
Gowan McMillan
Pharaved Leptis


The first thing I need to do is identify the "bad-guys". If Aelius/Marcus think that they could coerce some beggars to attack, then be driven away by non-lethal means, that might be the way to go. Otherwise, I will need to have a third party (not Marcus/Aelius) procure me a couple of shoulderthumpers (they can't be the third party's people either, because they're going to end up dead), so that nobody can trace it back to me.

Let me know what I need to do to EXTREMELY CAUTIOUSLY find someone to do this for me.








That'll do for tonight, lol. Tune in next time on Non-Omnis Moriar, for the thrilling conclusion.

Still to come, Business plans, construction inquiries, and several interesting (to me) Domestic issues. Hope to have all that posted tomorrow (Sunday).

[pife]

Okay, reduced my treasury by 1650 for the three slaves in the auction.. (I really didn't think I'd end up with #25, but hey!!). I now have 490 gp in reserve, haha.. (My weekly cost is up to 422, so I'd better figure out some cash flow QUICK).

[pife]

Emergency Money Making Schemes:

Fighting in the Pits- First, how would we run this? All administrative, or would we actually RP the fights? What are the typical "purses" at these pit fights? How BIG a hit to my reputation would I take, and could this be mitigated by either disguises or using a surrogate? How frequently do these fights take place?

Fighting outside of Davenshad- I would assume that there are other decent sized communities surrounding Davenshad. What is the possibility that Linus could attempt to arrange matches for some of his gladiators in those venues?

Fight Club- And what about underground gambling and/or fights? I might be interested to locate a ruin/dilapidated building either in town or on the outskirts, repurpose it to run a black market casino/arena. As this would be illicit, I would have to be extremely careful with it, or run the risk of being caught, but wanted to see what you thought the odds of something like that working out would be.

Wanda Trossler's School of Beauty- (and if you pick up that obscure movie quote, kudos to you). Sooo, what about an institution that is basically like finishing school for slaves? They get trained based on the position they are likely to have (laborer, handmaid, cook, pleasure slave, bodyguard, tutor, etc).. Two different ways to consider this. First, the "school" purchases slaves and trains them. Slaves would be chosen for their appearance and talents, and trained heavily (the big lesson is "never piss off your master").. After "graduation", they could then be sold at a higher premium than they would receive "off the block". The other way would be for those who have purchased slaves to "enroll" them in the school for a fee. The whole idea is to have people coming to "my" school to select their already-trained slaves, guaranteed to please, or to bring me their untrained slaves for "obedience training". This one is more long-term, and would require more thought and capital, but just wanted to ask if you thought there could be a market for this).

Receiving good/services on credit.. Not going to a moneylender (been there, doing that, getting raped out of the t-shirt, lol).. I'm talking about going to large, well-off merchants/suppliers, and talking them into (c'mon Bluff and Diplomacy!) offering me the goods/services in advance with a generous payment plan.

Ranking my gladiators- This doesn't exactly have to do with money.. I'm wanting to have a "true" ranking of all of my gladiators. This will likely mean having to run them through a process of brackets. Is this something that you would like to have a hand in, or would you prefer that I just run the combats, and report the results.
But.. Pursuant to this, if gambling is popular enough in Davenshad, it might be possible to engage the bookies in town for my "event". I could rent an arena, (or a field for that matter) and make a big deal out of it for the public, letting them come for free (not sure if they pay now, or if the city funds it) to watch my gladiators in action, getting ranked.

Bounties or standing rewards- Here in Davenshad, are there any bounties that I'm aware of (2 silver per rat pelt, or 5 gp per orc head)? Or standing rewards? "Lost: little brown mutt, Reward". "Wanted Dead or Alive, Reward".

I'm really hoping I don't have to sink down to "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" levels and try to bilk rich women out of their money, lol.

Other wild ideas include having Crispus advertised as a "Language Master- Teach your slave to speak perfect Common in 100 days", finding a necromantic cult and/or medical researcher and doing some good ole fashioned graverobbing.

Of course, then there's the fact that I basically built Linus to be a con-artist, but haven't been doing a lot of "conning".. I'll have to think about that.

[Erasmas]

I promise I am not ignoring you!
I am trying to find the time to sit down and address all of ^ that.
:smallbiggrin:

The latter half of my week at work should slow down enough that I can get to everything. Just wanted you to know that I haven't abandoned the Great Quest yet!

[pife]

Brother, trust me when I tell you I know exactly what you're going through.. My "free-time" has reduced to virtually nil for the last few days, and the next few don't look better, lol.

Hey, I'm just glad the game's still going. Normally the games I'm enjoying the most fold up (try finding Mage/Werewolf/Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay/Call of Cthulu/Vampire games that don't crumble in chargen, lol)

So, it's all good. And I know I threw a ton at you, which is one reason I haven't followed up with more, haha.. Take all the time you need, and I'll be ready to throw more at ya when you're ready.

[Erasmas]

Thank you for being so patient, brother. And yeah, there are far too many games around here that go under due to lack of participation; either because of players or GMs (which is really sad).

Okay...

Business (I am including "Money Making Schemes" here)

Fighting in the Pits- We would run it here, and yes... we would play out the fights with rolls (which we will have to be careful about doing, since the timing will be different than the Main and a dead gladiator may not be around for another fight that may take place later on, chronologically). In the pits, you get paid nothing for bringing a gladiator to the fight. However, the winner of the night gets 50% of the total money brought in. Hard to say... but it is severely frowned upon by your 'peers'. It could possibly be lessened by those means, but your gladiators might be recognized and doing so wouldn't earn you any prestige. These fights take place on a weekly basis... though it could be possible to find one or two others that take place on different nights (giving you two or three a week).
Fighting outside of Davenshad- There are a few arenas scattered about the Davenian countryside... but the money would be far less. Every lanista (and prospective gladiator after fame and glory) has their sights set on Davenshad.
Fight Club- This is kinda what The Pits is... but if you were wanting to try and set one up yourself... it's possible. The law would be one danger; as would the established persona that already run such things. I am perfectly cool with a lot of these little side-ventures, but I want to keep the focus on the ludi and the fights... so anything supplementary will need to have simple bookkeeping.
Wanda Trossler's School of Beauty- (hehe, no I didn't catch it. I did, however, look it up and I love that movie! I still have people on my "Fill Their House with Popcorn" list.) This is a possible venue, for sure. It would likely require more room than what you currently have... but I could see this working.
Receiving good/services on credit- This is doubtful (unless it is with someone that you are already on good terms with). Most successful merchants and whatnot will not extend credit to someone with a little more than a promise.
Ranking my gladiators- If you wish to do have them 'fight' in a ranking tournament, then I am fine with you running the combats to your heart's desire! It might be possible, if you could procure space, to host such an event. Renting an arena is very expensive and the people do (typically) attend for free... which is why they are sponsored.
Bounties or standing rewards- There are not currently any "standing bounties", but there are many rewards being offered on a variety of lawbreakers. Most of these are picked up by adventurers seeking coin and/or the Justicars... but if you wish, you can keep an eye on the posting board and see what comes up.
"Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"- Me too, although it would be immense fun to watch you try this. Also a great movie. "Ruprecht! Put down your fork, Ruprecht"
Other wild ideas- I don't think that the "Language Master" thing would pick up quite as well as you might think... as most simply beat their slaves until they understand or avoid buying ones that don't speak it already. Graverobbing... could get interesting. LOL
Con-artist- This is true. Maybe wealthy old widows? :smalltongue:
Weaponsmith- You find a man that agrees to your terms, named Merrius "Iron Back" Sarraeus (he also just happens to be Firra Sarraeus' (one of your Vipers) uncle. He is ex-Imperial Navy, however, and threatens that if you take advantage of him... that returning the spear he made you will be the least of your worries. You get the feeling that he can probably make good on that offer.


Social

Vegella Blessing/Party

Hiring:
Cook - You find one named (a halfling woman named Fashi Bucklewood) that is looking for permanent employment and will take the job for the cost of a "high end" slave. The party, she agrees to do for the cost of 5 gp (excluding alcohol).
Bard - You find a half-elf who agrees to perform for 4 sp.
Troupe - You find a group that can do all of those things and agree to the sum of 5 gp (there are 10 of them).
Hookers/Entertainers - You rolled 7 times, so I assume that this is how many you want? In which case, the males are numbers [6] & [2]. Each will agree to the sum of 10 gp apiece for the evening, allowing for the 'extra payment for extra services rendered'... except for #5. The negotiations were a little more tense with this one and they demanded 25 gp for the evening and has refused to do anything extra. However... this one has an 18 CHA.


Guest List:
The invited guests reply in the following manners (unless otherwise noted, it will be left up to the dice; below the listed percentage is a "yes", above is a "decline").
Adontus (80%) - [49]
Valento (100%)
Martus Saturno (65%) - [62]
His son Junaus (same as above)
His wife Seodea (same as above)
Arlorn Venstacia (50%) - [38]
Armedus Kaeus (is Doctores to Servitus)
Proxitus Gaus (55%) - [11]
Gowan McMillan (45%) - [50]
Leana ([i]pending PC answer)
Servitus (pending PC answer)
Suda (pending PC answer)
The High Priestess of Vegella in Davenshad (90%) - [28]
Marso Isalus (60%) - [54]
The local Magistrate (50%) - [28]
Clementina Arra Ditius (50%) - [63]
Giada Sorrano (50%) - [84]


Other Things:
The invitations will cost 1 gold apiece.
Clementina and Glada - roll two separate Diplomacy rolls, please (and yes, your Reputation goes into this). They both, apparently, declined the invitation.
Garkensmee does ask for two matching 'bracelets' for the party.
See above about the retired gladiators (one is employed, the other is not).
Gowan MacMillan - Likewise declined the invitation.


The Entertainment:
I will leave you to make whatever rolls you feel are appropriate for the combats between the gladiators and however randomly you want to ascertain which guest has which ribbon.

Private Exhibition

Senator Bartonus is currently unmarried and has no children. And his birthday falls on the [25th day of Fairymoon (June)].
Saturno's birthday is the [28th day of Magemoon (May)]. His wife's is on the [5th day of Dragonmoon (Febraury)].

You can easily cross paths with Bartonus after a small amount of work at the Spear and the Rhino. When you offer the exhibition, he heartily agrees... though, he tells you, if you are to parade your more 'monstrous' gladiators, he would rather it not be at his home.

Adontus

He most certainly attends your little gala; and graciously accepts your gifts.

From what you can gather about providing Adontus with such a boon, it would have to come from Legatus Drunto Bruximus Dico (added to the NPC List), the Senate, or from Caesar himself. Such a thing would not be easy to procure without significant evidence of a deed worthy of such praise... simply fabricating something such as this for a man of Adontus' standing would be very difficult.

The Vipers' Den

Meeting each of them is easy enough. Let's see what it nets you...
Clementina- Your attempts seem to be met with quite a bit of resistance. She doesn't seem interested; probably since you are not high enough up the social ladder, nor do you have the physique/appeal of a gladiator (at least to her).
Firra- She is perfectly polite in conversation and is even quite sweet-natured. Unfortunately, with the death of her father, her mother had no other real prospects and more or less 'gave' her to the priesthood. Being the daughter of a soldier isn't a great social standing, but once she becomes a full-fledged priestess, her status will be improved by quite a bit. She would not be able to marry until after she was finished with her studies at the temple, but her dowry would then have to be paid to the church (and would be much higher than it is currently). As for interests, she seems to have taken wholeheartedly to the teachings of Aldarr - so learning is a big deal to her.
Giada- Her father tends to deal with exporting Davenian & Baklan wares (typically textiles) and trades most often with the Jechotians (Nordic) for lamp oil and pitch. And meeting with the father to discuss potential business will most certainly lead up to a "bumping into" Giada. She seems interested in you, even firmly grabbing your crotch the first time you meet... in front of her father. The man seems to hardly even pay it any attention.
Carrera- With her father being a somewhat well-known olive farmer (you actually have met her brother Nesius already; he was at the games), she belongs to the middle portion of the middle class and is decently well off. After speaking with her (chaperoned), you are able to discover that she loves to read about things in the world and hopes to one day travel a great deal of it. She also loves aromatic plants, particularly strange/rare flowers.


We can RP anything further if you'd like... once I get through this stuff and get the next games underway!


Espionage

List of Plots:
Retired Gladiators- Armedus is, in fact, the Doctores of Ludus Palahenus, Servitus' ludus. He refuses to even meet with you. Proxitus is currently not employed; and hates moneylenders and the arena bookies. Apparently, he has a penchant for gambling on the games and had found himself in debt because of it twice before... and he blames these people for "conspiring against him in order to rob him of his hard-earned gold".
Informants in the Ludi- Honestly, right now... most of the other players aren't doing much with their ludi. I'm not sure what plots could come out of this, but I will definitely keep this in mind if I start getting more from everyone.
Senators' Handlers- Marcus and Aelius can certainly start making friends there, buying drinks and performing (telling jokes, singing songs, etc.). How are you going to go about "cultivat an arrangement" with Tius Horalius?
Marcus & Aelius- They do seem happy and content, but certainly feel a little overworked (though they do not complain directly to you about it, Herminia has confided so in you).
Garkensmee- He is busy, but he seems happy with his arrangement. He hasn't reported anything major yet, but time will tell. And yeah, [i]prestidigitation would most likely be able to pass him off as a different bird... to all but the most discerning of eyes.
Beggars- Apparently, one of them informs you, Servitus has made his new halfling slave into an 'agent' of his own and has been asking questions around town - particularly about Pedrum (a continent to the west) and about possible repercussions for not taking part in the upcoming ritual at the temple of Nerull).
Poison- The apothecary can sell you a bottle of the sleeping tonic for 50 gp, but 1 dose is the entire bottle. He could potentially sell you the concentrated active ingredient that goes into making the tonic and would have more of the effect that you are talking about. But that would require... more. The Assassin's Guild contact asks what it is specifically that you want this poison to do - he tells you that there are many different kinds that achieve many different ends.
Adontus' Most Wanted-
Current Important Inmates: Jahan ibn Kerif ibn Shavid Al Sekhemdori {a Shachran (Arabic humans) sultan that was taken prisoner several decades ago after a long skirmish in their lands}
Guard Connections: I need a Gather Information for this one.
Notorious Criminals: No escapees, but you learn that there is an ongoing manhunt for someone named Akantami Esnus, also called the "Ghost Wolf", a half-Davenian half-Qwinian (Native American humans) tracker that was being used as a guide. He apparently defected, murdered his centurion and a dozen other men, and then disappeared into the wilds west of Davenshad. It is rumored that he is impossible to catch.

Aelius' Stable Girl- He agrees to do so.
Fake Mugging- You think that the Silhouette Theatre (the thieves' guild that hosted the illicit market) may be an avenue to pursue here.

[pife]

Just waiting for things to settle down with you before I bury you in more of Linus' stuff.

But I do have one request, lol..

I would like to check around with the best up and coming weaponsmiths in town. Not the ancient, been here forever, has a "name" for itself shops, but the young talented guys trying to break into the Davenshad scene. I'm looking for a MW Spear (okay, magical would obviously be better, but.. well, you tell me, lol). I would like to contact them, and feel them out to see if any of them would like to be the exclusive armorer/weaponsmith for Non Omnis Moriar.

So, to begin with, they get my exclusive business. Second, I would like to offer them (the armorer/weaponsmith) a 10gp bonus each fight for each of my gladiators that they equip, assuming they survive (win or lose). Third, I will publicly announce, no less than once a month, that one of the main reasons my gladiators perform so well in the arena is the amazing weapons that they are using, and name the merchant as the premier purveyor of weapons of war or sport in all of Davenshad. (So, basically, I'm pushing for a partnership that will grant the merchant much esteem and business). Hopefully the lure of an increased reputation, increased sales, and the exclusive business of the finest up-and-coming ludus in Davenshad (hey, I'm laying it on thick, lol).

In return, all I'm asking for is a flat 10% reduction in all of their prices, AND, a Masterwork Spear worthy of my champion Karsus. (in a perfect world, this would be magical, but I'm a realist. But I would want the weapon to look good, high quality fancy materials, all that jazz..

So, they provide:
1. 10% discount across the board
2. Fancy MW (or magical) spear for Karsus (and yes, I mean for free, returnable if our partnership ends)

In return, they receive;
1. My exclusive business
2. My regularly repeated endorsement
3. Flat 10gp perk per surviving gladiator
4. I will put a word in with the military prison (Adontus) to speak on the weaponsmith's behalf for a similar exclusive deal.
5. Soon, I will have a silvered suit of plate mail made for Thonah (big bucks fancy schmancy armor)
6. The weapons and armor they provide my gladiators can be marked with their sigil so that anyone who sees it will know from whence it came.


Not sure which roll(s) might be necessary.. (I added my +1 Reputation to them.. should my reputation have gone up with the last fights, or is it still static at +1 )?

Bluff- I'm making this sound too good to be true for them. [roll0]
Diplomacy- It's a good business decision for you! (These are not the droids you're looking for, lol?) [roll1]

[Erasmas]

Okay... I will add this latter part to the list.
:smalltongue:

I just finished up my input on the Vegella Party and added it ^. I will get back to this tomorrow!

[Erasmas]

Alright. I've finished (for now).

I remembered after I tried it several times that rolling in an edited post doesn't work, so I rolled elsewhere. If you wish to see the rolls, let me know and I will provide a link. The NPC List is updated with most everyone that needs to be there (I think).

[pife]

Sorry I've been so lazy this weekend (on all my pbp games). Jill (my wife) has me doing some running around, so this post will likely be edited once or twice before I'm done.

By the way, you've mentioned that nobody else is really doing much 'behind the scenes', other than myself and to a lesser degree, Rizban.. Lol, shall I go to the OOC and mention that they're missing out on what is arguably the most fun portion of this campaign (the intrigue)? Because the auctions and the fights are great fun, but there's just something about the "Batiatus Syndrome" that I've really attached myself to.

For now, you had asked for several rolls, so I'd better get them in the original post.

Diplomacy rolls for Clementina and Giada-
Clementina [roll0]
Giada [roll1]
Gather Info roll on Guard Connections at Adontus' prison- Since I'm not sure if it's me or one of my agents (I'm assuming me, but I'll roll both)..
Mine- [roll2]
Aelius' [roll3]

General Notes

The beggar that informed me about Servitus' agent and their inquiries gets a meal, a medallion, and 5 gold pieces (I'm assuming that's a hefty bribe for a beggar?), along with my thanks and encouragement for the future.

Vipers Nest- BTW, for Firra, Giada, and Carrera, tell me, with what I know of them, which (if any) most fits the (and forgive me for the obvious reference) "Lucretia" motif? Charming, passionate, loyal (to her husband, with the exception of that affair with Crixus, but even that had "some" devotion to her husband at it's core), and ruthless as hell. Linus is looking for (in a wife) a partner, one to assist him claw his way to the stars! So, would any of these women be inclined to be social climbers of the sort Linus belongs to?

Okay, Clementina is out.

Firra, I would like to acquire a rare book for (something that fits her interests, whether fiction, theological, cultural, etc). Something fairly exotic and unusual, but not expensive (this is a first gift, after all). Perhaps something from a foreign philosopher? In doing this research, I try to determine whether it would be easier/cheaper to buy one, or steal one. At this point, I am just pursuing friendship, with the hopes that I can get her to pursue ME.

Giada- Hmm.. I don't know why, but I like this one. This one has spirit. (If only I could channel it).. I want to make this one fall madly in love with me. Double entendres and clever words, guile and wit, laughter and shock. I am going to apply myself to this one. Discreetly, mind you, so that my efforts with Firra and Carrera are not damaged. I want to find ways to surprise this one. Not with fine gifts, all of her targets likely procure those.. I want to find ways to shock her senses, in a good way. Whether it is to see an otherwise pedestrian artwork at the one time of day and year when a particular light shines on it, or showing her interesting things that she's never seen (and maybe didn't realize she wanted to see), I want to put her off balance, to be mysterious. (Likely the hours Linus keeps and the traffic of his agents in and out would be enough to generate mystery right there, lol). But basically, I want to challenge her expectations, never giving her what she expects, but always something interesting and pleasing.. Basically, I'm going Dirty Rotten Scoundrels-lite on her. Charming, sophisticated, genteel, but with a dash of roguery. The reason I'm interested in this one is that she is exciting, intelligent, and obviously has a devious mind. Depending on how much I eventually feel like I could trust her

Carrera- ahh, the prize of them all, actually. Well, depending on how her personality shakes out. Are there any events that I might be invited to that I could invite this young lady to? (It also might inspire jealousy with Giada, which could be useful). Chaperoned, of course, if such is their intent. For her, I'm going to do something strange.. Linus will be himself. In fact, he'll slowly start to dribble hints of his actual past and intent for the future. He'll gauge her response, and will modify his behavior from there. If Diet-Honesty (he won't blurt out everything he is or is involved in) seems to be working, I might pursue that further.

Herminia- ahh, what to do? Linus realizes he can gain neither coin, nor prestige, nor opportunity from pursuing Herminia.. Yet, sometimes that's the fun of it. I neither hide what I'm doing from her, nor press beyond what is proper. As far as enforcement, so far, her word is law in the ludus and villa. While I keep my ears open, I give her the benefit of the doubt, and do my best to show her favor and honor in front of the other slaves, though I do not take her to my bed. As I have done nothing to "consummate" any relationship at all, I am still in a good position.

Linus is genuinely conflicted. Power and the attaining of it is one thing, but he actually dislikes the prospect of risking a loveless marriage for political gain. He's actually waiting to see if both purposes can be served, rather than taking the "biggest" prize with the largest gain. Another reason for the ceremony to Vegella, to grant him good fortune in difficult decisions ahead.

Senator Bartonus-
Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!!! This could be huge for Linus! Okay, he wants input on this one. He'll be asking for advice from Herminia, Adontus (I wonder if they've met), Valento (who might have some insight, having been feted by the upper crust most likely when he was granted freedom), and anyone else who is likely to have valuable information

Of course, Senator, I wouldn't dream of bringing some of my less.. restrained, fighters into your home. I would be honored if you would grace my home with a visit. I am already well situated there, and could thus ensure the best show, absent large crowds, of course.

Do you think he could be persuaded to come to the Vegella Party? (my nickname for it). That way, my limited resources could be better focused on one event, and making it slightly grander, for a personage of Bartonus' stature. I was already planning to put on a spectacle, and combining the two events makes sense to Linus. Can it be done?

Patronage- Yes, it's the "P" word. Without being as bloody and blatant as Batiatus was, THIS man can grant me patronage, elevating my house, and ensuring future glories. Linus is not sycophantic, he wants to be respected by Bartonus. Using his considerable intellect, he will be conceiving ways to make himself interesting and effortlessly useful. The long term "Jedi Mind Trick" I'm working for here is, "It's perfectly natural to extend patronage to Linus Spurius. He's a fine and upstanding Davenian, with a keen eye for gaining the love of the masses".


Costs/Expenses

1 medallion to the beggar who informed me about Servitus' agent and her inquiries, and 5 gold
85 gp for "entertainment" at the Vegella Party (10 gp each except for one at 25)
Bard: 4 sp (that sounds really low, but I'm really broke, so I'll take it. If he's terrible, I'll have some of my guards visit him between songs, and his well-bruised skin will be hurled bodily from the premises. Of course, if he's adequate, he will be rewarded in the future)



Assassins Guild Contact
They want to know what I want it to do? Basically, I want it to look like an every day sleep aid. Whether intended for use as a potential suicide (complete with a darling suicide note provided by.. me), or as an accidental overdose ("He drank the whole thing while smoking opium? That could have killed him").

I don't think I have the money to actually procure this at this time. (nor do I have anyone yet who desperately needs killing). So, this is a good contact to have and good information for the future, if I can pull out of my self-inflicted financial nose dive, lol.

Adontus

Okay, so he's holding Jahan ibn Kerif ibn Savad Alphabet Soup. A former sultan, interesting. Upon whom would I need to prevail to get him in the arena (either as an execution to celebrate Davenshads military might) or as a bout, if the sultan is a martially inclined man)? What are the legalities and logistical difficulties involved, and what could I project as likely results of success?

Akantami Esnus- This Ghost Wolf.. Darn my lack of resources, this sounds like it could be interesting. I wonder.. Garkensmee. And scrying.. I'm sure that I could acquire a piece of Akantami's clothing, to use as a focus.. I wonder if he could be scryed? If so, Garkensmee could get a look at him, and we could try to divine the location. Garkensmee can cover SO much ground, and has excellent vision. He would be an amazing agent to locate people, if he had a visual of the target and a place to start. Let me know if this is feasible and how I can proceed. The idea would be to procure the Ghost Wolf for three reasons. First and foremost, the stability and safety of Davenshad. Second, it would be set up so as to make Adontus seem the genius in charge of the capture. And Third, I'm certain I could make arrangements to get paid to put this beast down in the arena.

*memo to both of us*.. I am inspired to tell Ferakhan to begin incorporating a new "trick" to the birds of prey (falcons/hawks/owls/etc). I want them trained to GUARD Garkensmee in flight. (I can just see him getting chased or eaten by a pesky cat (on the ground, obviously) or another bird of prey.) Anyway, that's long term, but I mention it to him

Silhouette Theater
Have I got any idea how to get in contact with them again? I can see a potential lucrative partnership here. I want to slowly angle to become a potential "member" of the guild. This could be advantageous to them, as I have a legit (and soon, several) business, some (and rising) status in the city, and (so far) a clean name. Plus, they seem secretive enough that I might be able to maintain relative anonymity, but still gain access to resources that I otherwise could not.

Aelius and Marcus
Tis true, I've been running the soles off of their boots. One hopes that they remember that they are slaves, but.. It doesn't hurt to be generous, on occasion. As they have set certain assets in place, there will be less immediate cause for them to pursue many new ones. (the beggars, stable girl, contacts in various places, etc). They are each to receive another day off (separately, in case I need the other), but will have to make due with the coin they may have, as I have none to spare for that kind of indulgence at the moment. (by the way, let me know if I ever even suspect them of skimming coin off of my purchases).

Karsus' Spear
Excellent! As soon as more funds become available, I'll let you know what all I'm buying from him, and I'll be sure to pay my "fees", as the fights progress.

More to come on the details of the Vegella Party (but let me know about the possibility of Bartonus attending that. It will affect my preparations).

[Erasmas]

I will get to the majority of this during the week, but I will go ahead and answer about Bartonus... so that you aren't waiting on that for any major plans.

The Senator accepts your invitation (have you sent a PM to the other players, of shall I) but he wants to know if he could come early so that he may get a personal tour and look at your stock before the 'duties of the festivities pull your attention too far afield'.

[pife]

Groovy..

I haven't sent the PM's to them yet, and it would be very cool if it came from you, though I'll be happy to do it if you prefer not to.

And I jubilantly accept the Senator's generous offer! I set him a time two hours prior to when the guests should arrive, and tell him that my titans will be ready.

I hope that I have about a week of game time before this event still.. I would like to have Valento working very hard with the gladiators on Weapon Drill and sparring. For those without the skill itself, I just want him to teach them something they can memorize by the day of the party. (not true ranks of knowledge, but just a scripted "enactment"). Not all of my gladiators are "impressive", but enough are that they should be able to cut a fine form. I'll add anything else in my post on preparations for the party.

[Erasmas]

I didn't have time to chip away at the things up here today, but the rest of my week looks like gravy!

Anywho... I can send the PMs to the other players (the invites) if you will construct what you want them to say!

[pife]

Alrighty, I can work on that. (will be this evening or tomorrow before I can do it though, pretty swamped at work atm)..

[Erasmas]

Vipers Nest-

None of them are really all that much like Lucretia, but what I can do is list the aspects that you named and tell you what order Linus would probably put them in in each aspect (the most being first).
Charming- Clementina, Giada, Carrera, Firra
Passionate- Giada, Clementina, Firra, Carrera
Loyal- Firra, Carrera, Clementina, Giada
Ruthless- Giada, Clementina, Carrera, Firra
Social climber- Clementina, Firra, Giada, Carrera

Clementina:
The result of your Diplomacy (23), coupled with the interactions you've had with her, plus the fact that she did not even reply to the invitation to your gala... has supported your inclinations that, while she finds you mildly entertaining, that unless something drastically changes - that you have little chance of peaking her interests. She seems to have very specific tastes and a strict set of standards, and it she has made no qualms about letting you know that you fall outside of those.

Firra:
In order to find something worth stealing, it would either have to come from the Library (the temple) or a private collection; neither of which are probably a great idea. Perhaps you could find something with what your ship brings in (see note below)?
She seems to cherish your visits, when you stop by and speak with her. There have been a couple of walks through the courtyard and things of that nature.

Giada:
You result of a [33] means that things with her are going well so far. You are fairly certain that you could bed her at the mere mention of it, if that were your goal. Oh, also for this I will also need two Hide checks (for discreetness). And then, of course, I will need to know what it is that you want to "challenge her perceptions" with. You get the distinct feeling that this one may end up shocking you more than you are able to do so for her. From talking with her... you think that there is little that she has not seen or done.

Carrera:
Well, you could invite her along to the next series of games that you are taking part in at the Danacus Auditorium. She seems a little taken aback by the more 'vile' things that you reveal to her... but she takes it in stride and attributes it to "the way the world is" in most other places. While it does appear to make her cautious of the world she so longs to travel, it likewise seems to further her curiosity of just how different it might be outside of her "dull and dreary life" here in Davenshad under the protective roof of her father.

Herminia
Oh, I was under the impression that with her being your bodyslave that she was already attending to your 'nightly needs'. She does seem to be a little hurt by the affections that you are paying towards these other women, but says nothing about it and remains diligent in her duties. However, she is not quite as 'doting' upon you as she was immediately after the date you took her out on.


Senator Bartonus-

Advice:
Herminia is very happy for you and thinks that a good relationship with a Senator could be a great turning point.
Adontus seems worried about you speaking with Bartonus (since he is the very Senator that Mirthen's "letter" was addressed to). He voices his concern that you may be revealing the same false information to the man directly. Secondarily, he worries that it may slip out in future dealings.
Valento sees the potential that is there, but warns you - saying something to the effect of "in the arena, your opponent stands in front of you, on the same sand... that is not the case in the Senate".



Assassins Guild Contact

Yeah... there are two options:
One is Adabi Mist, which does more of what you were looking for. However, it alone would probably kill only the weakest of men. It can be traced, however, if one knows what to look for. It also costs 1,000 gold.

The second is odorless, tasteless, and otherwise undetectable. It is very deadly, though it takes days to take its victim and it masks itself with the symptoms of a serious fever.
However, it is called Extract of the Black Lotus, and is 4,500 gp per vial (1 dose).


Adontus

Guard Connections- You discover that one of the guards, named Alaxion Meridras and is the cousin of Marso Isalus (the Registrar of the Games); a fact that Marso would rather not admit to. Apparently, his career in the Legion is less than sterling and he is a terrible soldier. He was relegated to a posting here, as a lowly prison guard, and would probably have been kicked out all together if it hadn't been for a report of him single-handedly killing a band of goblins in the defense of a messenger carrying orders from the battlefront. It is rumored that this entire incident was fabricated by none-other-than your friend Adontus, who submitted the report stating that he found Alaxion injured on the roadside. It is also whispered that the two are secretly lovers. (Added to the NPC List)

You know that trying to get the sultan into the arena is a very unlikely scenario... as he is being held as a political prisoner. More than likely, there may be some sort of ransom being negotiated for his return.


Akantami Esnus-

There is nothing of his that was left behind at the scene, as he burned down the centurion's tent (and half the camp before it was put out). Garkensmee may be able to search him out, but the jungles to the west are very treacherous, and your little informant doesn't sound too keen on traveling there (very big cats, y'know). However, nothing is impossible... and you know that could you capture him and put him in the arena - that it could very likely set your rise to greatness in marble.

*memo noted*


Silhouette Theater

You don't have a real solid idea on how to get ahold of them, no. Last time... you starting asking around about the illicit marker and a scroll just showed up. And then you made the drop at the temple of Aphrodite. And then you went to the show at the actual theatre. So, the theatre might work... maybe.


Aelius and Marcus

Neither of them has complained a bit directly to you, mind you. And they are both very pleased with their nights off (even despite not being handed "spending money").


Gerden Shipment

You receive a scroll from the harbor master, at the request of Captain Novante Romand Tololano. It would appear that the Gerden has returned from his voyages and is currently settling business at the docks (paying port fees, turning over his manifest, releasing his men for leave, etc). He relays that he will await your arrival in the Briney Banshee - a "quaint" little tavern that caters to sailors and serves as a fantastic place to get drunk... or stabbed.

[pife]

gee whiz man.. I could have fun with this all day, lol..

Vipers Nest
Okay, so like I said before, I am placing Clementina in the "friend-zone", and am no longer pursuing her for romantic purposes, though I do find her interesting and fun, and would happily pursue a friendship with her. I even keep my eyes out for potential suitors for her.

Just "thinking" out loud here.. Between Firra, Carrera and Giada... Ugh, so.. many.. variables, lol. If my only interest was "bedding" someone, I'd find a hooker (or a slave, but Linus isn't normally inclined to bed unwilling slaves). If his only interest was financial, he'd go after the wealthiest. And therein lies the conundrum. He wants "it all" with this. He realizes that he's only likely to marry once, and actually has endearing notions about the honor of love and loyalty, of making a partnership with a woman bound by affection, duty and desire all equally important. (This is just to elaborate that Linus is not going to merely choose the most obviously advantageous). In fact, he's probably the fondest of Herminia.

Seeing Herminia's ardor fade saddens Linus. If he had his druthers, he would have snatched her up already. He's not trying to mislead her, and is genuinely fond. But, in his mind, she is currently one of several possible "fits" for the hole in the tapestry of his life. However, if she is so fickle as to allow the occasional harmless and to this point completely non-physical flirtations of a single man (and her master to boot) to dissuade her.. Hmm.

So, tell me if this is a reasonable appraisal (from Linus' perspective, realizing that he may be an unreliable narrator right now)..

Herminia is interested in improving her station, and is fond of me at best, but her motivations are self-serving. Giada would likely be the most "fun" at least until the proverbial dagger pierced my back. Firra is genuinely fond of me, but would likely not be able to accept my "politics", given her religious duties. Carrera is put off by my past and my methods, but wants "out" of her fathers house, and would likely want to travel on my dime after marriage, leaving me empty-handed for long stretches.

By the way, the two Hide checks for Giada (Hide, lol, really? Not Linus' specialty, lol.. So he's actually "sneaking" around, haha?). [roll0]
and the 2nd [roll1]

Is Linus being too harsh in these appraisals? I like the way you rated them for charm/passion, etc.. Could you do it again, excluding Clementina, but including Herminia, using the parameters of; Station/Wealth/Resourcefulness/Amenable

(specifically, Station meaning how far up (or down) the social ladder would the match take Linus, Wealth being both the size of the dowry as well as the relative resources of her family, Resourcefulness- how much "initiative" would they show, being assertive in the background and being "pro"-active in furthering my (our) cause. And Amenable is an abstract category that combines their interest in ME personally, the likelihood (as I perceive it) that, if they threw their lot in with me that they would be "all-in" for the long haul, and able to "thrive" in the conditions that we're likely to exist in.

Adontus
I reassure Adontus that I have only his best interests at heart, and even now I am undergoing a search for Akantami Esnus. I tell him that if we are able to capture this beast, Adontus will have the political "firepower" to not only improve his reputation and standing, but he will also be able to deflect any false accusations from that worthless Mirthen. Diplomacy roll to convince him- [roll2] I also tell him that if I can uncover Akantami, that I will likely have need of some of his troops (and that makes it easier to push the credit largely to him) in order to make the capture.

I'm not sure what to do with the information aboutu Alaxion yet. Still turning that one around in my head..

This one got bigger than I thought: Proxitus
Connected to this.. Proxitus is bitter and unemployed, with a gambling problem.. I already have a Doctores, but... A) would having a second Doctores (with a different skill set, I assume) provide any tangible advantage to my stable? B) Would he be willing (at least on a temporary basis) to participate in a manhunt for a violent criminal (I would pay him Upper Slave pay or better, and his reputation and creditworthiness will be restored if he has a hand in bringing Akantami down (though I don't yet share the name of the target with him). C) Assume Linus founded a casino in the future.. Would there be any role that Proxitus could play in that that would serve the multiple purposes of making him happy, and improving either the prestige or the efficiency of the business? D) Exactly how talented, in relative terms, is he? How good a bodyguard would he make, and is that something he would be amenable to, at least in the short term)? E) Would he be willing, for a share in the proceeds, to act as my surrogate in the Pits? He would be training and fighting my lesser gladiators, and, if he has any actual "skill" in gambling, he would be in charge of making wagers on my behalf (and his).

Diplomacy [roll3]
Sense Motive [roll4]



Silhouette Theater-
Darn it.. I just don't have enough money to pull this off yet. I will make my discreet inquiries again, in a similar manner to last time, but do not go as far as to drop a coin purse off without first discovering something.

Tololano
And you're an evil man Jeremy! Tololano comes back NOW, when I'm broke, lol? Evil, evil evil!! I am excited to attend the Briny Banshee, which, unless he's a known criminal, I openly go to meet him (with Thonah, Herminia and Marcus, Thonah looking lovely thanks to Sabine's efforts (if you need it: Profession-Stylist; [roll5] (but at the very least she would take her time and do a good job. If the result is less than the result of a "take 10", then she'll start over again. ) Thonah is to look good and exotic, (no weapons btw), and Herminia and Marcus are to accompany and attend me. Herminia will be treated in a most favored way again, and in a decidedly non-slavish manner. Nice clothing, a Sabine makeover [roll6], and the finest flower for her hair that I see en-route to the tavern, which I will place on her head myself. I myself am decked out in my finest, and ask Garkensmee to both shadow us on the roads (to give warning of any ambush or undue interest), and to find a way to listen in on Tololano after I leave.

Sooooo much more to come you bad man!

[Erasmas]

Vipers Nest

Charming- Clementina, Giada, Herminia, Carrera, Firra
Passionate- Giada, Clementina, Herminia, Firra, Carrera
Loyal- Herminia, Firra, Carrera, Clementina, Giada
Ruthless- Giada, Herminia, Clementina, Carrera, Firra
Social climber- Clementina, Herminia, Firra, Giada, Carrera
Station- Clementina, Carrera, Firra (when done with temple), Giada, Herminia
Wealth- Clementina, Giada, Carrera, Firra, Herminia
Resourcefulness- Herminia, Carrera, Firra, Clementina, Giada
Amenable- Herminia, Carrera, Giada, Firra, Clementina

Clementina:
Done.

Firra:
Firra is genuinely fond of me, but would likely not be able to accept my "politics", given her religious duties.
This is probably a fair assessment, at least from Linus' point of view.

Giada:
Giada would likely be the most "fun" at least until the proverbial dagger pierced my back.
Again, this makes good sense. Although I don't know if "dagger" would be the right word, but you definitely do not sense that fidelity is high on her list. Whether that extends to anything other than sex... is unclear.

Carrera:
Carrera is put off by my past and my methods, but wants "out" of her fathers house, and would likely want to travel on my dime after marriage, leaving me empty-handed for long stretches.
Again, she wasn't entirely 'put off' by what you told her... she just didn't accept it as another rogue might. And her father more wants her out of the house than she necessarily wants out. Traveling on your dime... hard to tell.

Herminia
However, if she is so fickle as to allow the occasional harmless and to this point completely non-physical flirtations of a single man (and her master to boot) to dissuade her.. Hmm.[***]Herminia is interested in improving her station, and is fond of me at best, but her motivations are self-serving.
I don't know that this behavior makes her any more fickle than any other woman. You get the feeling that her shift in demeanor is more driven by jealousy than by a "loss of potential gains"; it seems as if she might have genuine feelings for you and had hoped that things were progressing beyond the mere master/slave relationship.

I amended the ranking system above to include Herminia retroactively in the previous traits, as well as the new ones (I also included Clementina in the new ones, just to show where Linus would have placed her, for perspective).

Yeah, the Hide checks were the closest skill that I could think - knowing where and when to move, what places to avoid entirely, familiarity with using distraction, how not to leave traces of your passing... made sense to me. Besides, you did very well! :smalltongue:


Adontus

Oh... that natural 1 doesn't bode well for winning him over in this regard. He really isn't convinced about your dealings with Bartonus and you can tell that it is making him really nervous... but he seems to let it rest for the time being.

Although unsure of where you got such information, he is somewhat placated by you mentioning the capture of Akantami Esnus. If you can arrange this successfully, he will supply the men to aid in the arrest, and will make sure that you likewise bask in the glory that will surely come his way.


Proxitus

No, having a second Doctores (at least for a school your size) would do nothing but cause potential conflict.
He seems to bite at this proposition, but wants to know how much the reward would be before he takes such a job. He is not interested if he is simply to earn 25 gold/week.
He likes to sound of the gambling house. Linus, however, may have some apprehension about hiring him to such ends... because of his past issues with getting into trouble with games.
He reached the top echelon of gladiators and retired with a great record. He would make an excellent bodyguard, but he doesn't seem all that interested in that line of work.
He spits upon the ground at the mere mention of The Pits. You get the feeling that the answer may be a resounding "no".



Silhouette Theater-

Your inquires produce no effect. You are not contacted by the guild.


Tololano

He is not a known criminal, no. Marcus voices his opinion that going to the Briney Banshee is not something that he would recommend - it is "a dangerous place full of desperate people" (as he puts it). But he goes along with you anyways, if still commanded to do so. Thona and Herminia both look lovely... and get no small amount of attention and cat calls the closer you get to the docks; and once inside the Briney Banshee... they have a difficult time doing much else beside turning away 'potential suitors'. Thona even decks one particular drunken sailor in the jaw, causing him to fly into a nearby bannister and break it; thought no one seems to even care and just leaves the unconscious man where he lay.

Tololano is pleased to see you, and informs you that he has some things in stock that he thinks you will be happy to see.

[pife]

Craig= Kid+Candystore..

Vipers Nest
Dude.. I'm doing the math in my head... If it weren't for the fact that I'm stone cold broke, I'd snatch up Herminia and smile all the way to the temple.. Damn. Still thinking.. Linus is conflicted.. His pants say Giada, his head says Carrera, and his heart says Herminia.. Haha, what are the laws about polygamy in Davenshad? Any Jiminy Cricket advice from anywhere, lol?

Adontus-
Damn, lol. A friggin 1, haha.. Hmm.. I'm trying to think of something reasonable that would calm Adontus down. Nothing comes to mind yet, lol.. But I do tell him that my ascension depends on Senate patronage, and unless he can arrange for thousands of gold pieces to fall into my treasury, he's going to have to trust me. You have my word as a friend, and as a Davenian.. Our paths are intertwined, friend. We must always look out for one another. You already see that I am making progress at locating Akantami for you, I invite you to my home, and.. I came to you about Mirthen. All will be well, my friend, you'll see. I then pick up a winecup that must certainly be somewhere near.. For Davenshad, and glory, Adontus! (and it was sooooo tempting to put one of those charm potions I bought in his drink.. But I don't, lol)

Proxitus-
Yeah, I'm a little nervous about the casino thing.. And as a former RL blackjack dealer and table games manager, I can tell you that working in a casino doesn't necessarily mute your desire to gamble.. Hmm. About the Akantami-Hunt.. His reward would be based on the outcome. I would pay him a retainer of the 25/week while the hunt was ongoing, but his "bonus" for actually catching him would depend on how long it took, was he taken alive/hale, and what tangible benefits that Linus amassed for arranging it. I couldn't promise him XYZ gold pieces at this point.

Tololano-
You're right, of course, Marcus. Send three of the guards ahead, in clothing suitable for that establishment. They are to just wait, and watch, and only involve themselves if something erupts. .. And bring me Karsus!! (I haven't picked Karsus' languages (didn't think it would be relevant at the time), but he's definitely smart enough to know Common, correct?)

I will present Karsus' spear to him, and tell him that... even though he lost in the arena, I'm trusting that he won't disappoint me in the future, and the spear is my investment in "our" future. Finally, I tell him that he is to act as my bodyguard today. Be silent. Be watchful. Be rewarded. (I definitely want him in his Holocaust robes for this, hood up).

And.. I contrive to have this conversation when Herminia is specifically NOT around, but other's ARE.. (Sabine, Thonah, the chef, Marcus, Aelius, a guard, Crispus, Valento, any of my servants/employees). And Karsus.. Your priority is Herminia. If she has one hair put out of place on this trip, by ANYONE.. I'll remove your stones myself, and feed them to you before I sell you to a taxidermist. (I expect that this "news" will circulate back to Herminia at some point, and fully intend it to).

So.. I have various and sundry servants/agents/acquaintances/hirelings/etc.. Is Linus "missing" anything that I need to be aware of? Something that maybe should have been obvious to me, but might require a comment from one of my people? Some obvious money making endeavor that would bring me rapid returns?

Oh, and I will try to clean up any other business in a post later. Oh yeah, and I'll also get you more details on the Vegella Party, and the invitations. Lol, so much to do.. (And I don't know how you juggle it all).

Dude, I have to get into more sandbox games like this.. I'm having a great time with the actual arena fights, but I'm having even MORE fun with the sandboxi-ness

[Erasmas]

:smallbiggrin:
I'm glad that you are enjoying it so much! I have never run such an open game before, so it's good to know that it is going alright. Hopefully it isn't getting too "scattered".

As for anything obvious that might bring you "rapid returns", I cannot think of any (outside of theft/murder).

Vipers Nest

Polygamy is not traditionally Davenian, though many men openly have a wife plus several other lovers. Women here have a little more sway than in a lot of other parts of the world. You would know that it wouldn't fly with these ladies in particular (well, Giada probably wouldn't mind... so long as she could have hers as well).

If you're looking for Jiminy Cricket - I believe he said, "And always let your conscience be your guide".
:smallwink:


Adontus

He relents that he would not be able to be your patron. And once again, you can tell that he is not willing to press the issue further at the moment... but that it still sits uneasy with him.


Proxitus

I imagine not; if anything I would imagine being around it all the time might be difficult if you had an addiction to it. It would be like working in a bar as an alcoholic and trying to not abuse it.
He will agree to the manhunt for no less than 30 gp/week as a retainer (in addition to 50% of the reward for his capture). He also wants at least three other experienced men to go with him, at least one of which should be a tracker/woodsman. And he would like to take Ferakhan along with a hawk/falcon, if you would allow it.


Tololano-

Karsus appreciates the gift and agrees with a "Yes, my master!" (and yeah, I would say that he could speak Davenian (which is the common tongue)).

[pife]

Proxitus-
You will receive 25 a week, 20% of any reward, I'll find you a tracker and extra men, and yes, you can take Ferakhan, AND my man Aelius. Oh yes, and Garkensmee.

Diplomacy check to negotiate- [roll0]

(I explain the situation with Garkensmee , but ask Proxitus to keep Garkensmee a relative secret)

I will be sending four (4) of my guards with Proxitus, Ferakhan, Garkensmee, AND Aelius (yes, I'm serious about finding this dude.. Aelius is there for intelligence gathering and such).

I will ask Adontus if he wants to send anyone along.

I will look into retired/semi-retired rangers/trackers/bounty hunters. I handle the inquiries about this personally.

Proxitus, my guards are stout, sturdy men, but they are not soldiers, nor are they gladiators. Do not be overly proud.. I need this plan to work, and so do you. Do. You. Need. More. Men? If you do, do you want soldiers, or gladiators? I'd love to send you with spellcasters, but those I have are not well suited yet.

Have a feeling I'll owe Garkensmee extra for this..


Holy crap! No friggin way I just rolled another "1" on back to back Diplomacy checks.

[Erasmas]

Proxitus-

The negotiations were beginning to sour and the tempers of both you and Proxitus were starting to rise at the inability to reach a compromise.

"If you wish for this job to be handled by an amateur, then I suggest that you find yourself one. However, if you would like for this to be handled professionally... then I require 30 a week and 30% of any reward. I will take Aelius on your insistence, but I cannot guarantee his safety."

When you tell him about Garkensmee, he shakes his head, "I have never in all my life, heard of such a thing. But again, if you insist, I will agree. But I would prefer a falcon or a hawk - a bird that can defend itself and is less... domesticated. As for your guards, no offense meant, but even four of them will stand no chance against the jungle. This job requires men who are hardened and tough... not ones that have gotten fat off of table scraps and from sitting around all day! So yes, soldiers would do nicely - they can follow orders and, unlike gladiators, they do not have the thought of escape clouding their attention."

Adontus informs you that he cannot supply any of the men from his prison, but that he knows of several ex-military men that still live in the city. One in particular who was once a member of the Imperial Navy and has been asking around for work - a man named Varus Argento.

As for the inquires into woodsmen, you find one name that keeps coming up - Skewulf burr vid Beogar Chanalk, also known as Skewulf the Relentless. The similarity in name between this hunter and his potential target does not escape you.

[pife]

So, in all likelihood, this is another Qwinian tracker, with a reputation. I will need to ask Adontus if he can help cover this Skewulf's fee.

To Proxitus- Wait, let cooler heads prevail, please. I pour wine for both of us. I spoke in haste and the heat of the moment. You're right, of course. 30 percent and 30 a week. Soldiers then. And which sum of blades do you think would see the job to successful completion? My soldiers to remain behind, Ferakhan, Aelius, Garkensmee, and any trained bird of prey I possess to join you. And a tracker, a good one. And I am making inquiries about having this man scryed upon, that we may show Garkensmee a face to recognize, and perhaps gain clues as to his current whereabouts.

I would like to send Marcus to arrange a meeting at my villa with Varus Argento, to pursue an interest in hiring him and perhaps other like minded soldiers.

Aelius is to discreetly try to learn as much as he can about Akantami. Not necessarily looking for where he is "now", but his history. I want to know his habits, his proclivities, his tastes. Is it for expensive wine, cheap whores, the games, races, gambling? Everyone has a vice, and wherever he is, he's either indulging in it, or wondering when he next will. (making several rolls for him, just in case)

Gather Information [roll0]
Knowledge: Local [roll1]
Knowledge: Davenshad Bureaucracy (checking on his military records, home of record, medical history (if known).. [roll2]
Bluff Check (if needed to get information at any point) [roll3]
Sense Motive: [roll4]

I would like to arrange a meeting with Skewulf the Relentless, to discuss if he is the proper spear-tip in our search.

Where do the rumors place Akantami? Gather Info roll- [roll5]

[Erasmas]

Proxitus-
Now that terms were being agreed upon, Proxitus visibly relaxes. He empties the cup of wine that is offered to him in a fell swoop as he listens to what you have to say.

"Me, the tracker, your men Ferakhan and Aelius, plus two others who are experienced should do the trick. Plus the birds, I suppose. Scry-magic could help narrow it down."

Varus-
He agrees to the work for 10 gold per week and requests 20% of the reward. Likewise, he says that he has another man that may be interested as well - a man named Merrius "Iron Back" Sarraeus, your newly-hired weapon smith... and the uncle of Firra Sarraeus. He also informs you that they both are ex-comrades of none-other-than Lanista Servitus Opimius Pollio.

Skewulf-
Adontus agrees to fund the tracker's fee 100%, since you are funding the rest of the expedition (it seems). You discover that Skewulf is not Qwinian, but is actually Jechotian (Norse, not Native American) - the "similarity in name" is that they both contain the word 'wolf', in a sense.

When you meet with the man, first impressions are good. He buys you a drink for one... and with the little bit of time that you are around him, you are left with no doubt that his skill matches his reputation.

Akantami-
The popular rumor is that he is located somewhere in the jungles to the west of Davenshad, beyond the borders of where the Legion actively patrol. There are no real human settlements out that way, but some say that there are tribes of 'wild elves'. Most seem to think that he likely perished thanks to the many dangers of the wilds.

Aelius discovers that he was born to a Qwinian slave who was bedded by a Davenian soldier. He grew up in the lands surrounding Davenshad and soon earned a name for himself as a skilled game hunter and guide. He was conscripted by the Legion on a peculiar mission that sent them far into the desert, into Baklan territory; no one is really sure why. On their way home, he defected - killing his centurion and twelve others, as well as burning down half of the encampment. During his time with the Legion, it is reported that he typically stuck to himself... often times traveling a day or more ahead of the camp and coming back only to report what he had scouted out. If he has a vice, no one seems to know what it is.

[pife]

Ugh, need to hammer out the details of the Vegella Party.. Lol, why do weekend disappear so fast?

Okay, so, if I understand, we now have Proxitus, Varus, and we will be approaching Iron Back. As far as the negotiations with Varus.. (got hammered on the negotiations with proxitus, lol).. So, I'm already giving up 30% of an unknown reward (what a surprise if there isn't one). I offer Proxitus 20 gold per week (whether the mission is a success or failure), and, if it's successful, I will grant him 20% of the 70% remaining after Proxitus takes his piece off the top. (ends up being 14% of the gross, 20% of the net). Diplomacy [roll0]

Soldiers- Proxitus is getting Varus and Iron Back. He claimed to only need 2 soldiers (plus himself, Ferakhan, Aelius, Garkensmee, the tracker etc). I'm worried about that number, and I tell him so. Didn't this Akantami kill a number of his fellow soldiers at once? I'd really prefer this Akantami come back alive (along with everyone I'm sending), so I press Proxitus to make sure he doesn't need more assets.

Skewulf- I am pleasantly surprised at our meeting. I make sure that he understands that the priority is bringing Akantami in ALIVE, preferably without injury to my people. further, I ask him if HE thinks that the expedition needs any additional support, and what he believes his chances of success are.

Scrying- I would like to approach the churches of Brandol, Dalorra, Evandel, Ganol, Heironius, Palotasha, Thorne and Nerull. For each of them, I would like to tailor a specific request (based on the deities proclivities). Basically, the request will be a fancier version of.. "Akantami Esnus is a blight on our city. This man has betrayed the trust of the nation of Davenshad, and robbed many of it's citizens of life. Here comes a lie I have information that implies that he plans to continue his attacks on the security and sovereignty of Davenshad and her citizens. I am funding an expedition to hunt him down, using the renowned tracker Skewulf and the famous former gladiator Proxitus, along with a number of my own agents. What we need, more than anything, is to know precisely what he looks like, and, secondarily, any information on "where" he currently is would be helpful as well.

Your church stands as a beacon of (insert proper praise here, depending on the deity), and it is only with the help of (insert name of proper god) that this miscreant will be brought to justice. I go on to elaborate on how the churches involvement behooves them (i.e. for Brandol, they will be enforcing the law and ensuring that those who break it are properly punished, for instance).

My goal here is to prevail upon their civic integrity. Hopefully they (the church itself, or one of it's followers) can be convinced to scry upon Akantami. In a perfect world, this would be free, as they will see it as their civic duty. However, if they are so mercenary that they would require payment, I would want to negotiate something reasonable (and not payable until he is captured).

Lots of Diplomacy/Bluff rolls


Brandol- "Show us what happens to those who flout the law and commit murder". Diplo- [roll1] and Bluff (if the lie is necessary) [roll2]

Dalorra- "The Peace of Davenshad, always an elusive goal, is being corrupted before our very eyes. This oath-breaker has committed the most heinous crime of slaying the defenders of our people for personal gain. I implore you, aid me in bringing this man back alive. Many families of his victims will sleep easier knowing that he is no longer a force for chaos in our lives. Diplo- [roll3] and Bluff [roll4]


Evandel- Justice cannot be served until this man is in custody. The more we allow miscreants and malcontents to flout our laws, and the less we are seen to do in order to correct or counteract their malfeasance, the harder it becomes to inspire the common man to live within the law. Aid me, please, in the name of Evandel, and the greater good of Davenshad! Diplo [roll5] and bluff [roll6]

Ganol- My lords and ladies, a heinous crime has been committed on the whole of Davenshad. Akantami Esnus is a threat to our entire way of life. Even now, he conspires with enemies of our fair nation to bring further pain and heartache upon us. Let your sheltering palm shield those innocents who cannot protect themselves. Aid me in locating this beast, that he may be put down, for the greater safety of Davenshad diplo [roll7] and bluff [roll8]

Heironius- O' Valorous Ones. A coward has struck at the proud heart of our Legions. I seek Akantami Esnus, in the name of Davenshad, and am outfitting an expedition to see him brought low, as all spineless dogs must be. I ask little, only a guiding light to shine on my brave hunters who push back the darkness in their quest to bring Akantami out from under the rock he has hidden under, that the common man sees valor, courage, and right thinking, not perfidy, as goals to aspire to diplo- [roll9] and bluff [roll10]

Palotasha- It is now that we require sage advice. Our society is one of laws, and rightfully so. When those laws are broken, the public good is best served by rapidly apprehending the criminal and punishment be publicly served, to act as a deterrent to other crimes. We require so little, only a face, and perhaps a direction in which to start. Our hearts are full, but alas, our purses wither. Aid me, for the love of Davenshad! diplo [roll11] and bluff [roll12]

Nerull- I come seeking your help in slaying a man, and in so doing, will offer up much to Nerull as time passes. This man, this Akantami, holds the key to my success. If I find him, my cause will be heavily advanced. So too, can yours. I sit in the enviable position of arranging for the deaths of men on an almost daily basis. One soul at a time, I send them screaming to your master for their final judgement and punishment. I ask your aid in bringing this man to me. You will have the opportunity to be seen as a progressive force for the greater benefit of Davenshad if you aid my cause, and, I will see to it that your coffers are well replenished after I gain what is rightfully mine. I bring a gladiator to you even now, to fight for Nerull's greater glory. diplo [roll13] no bluff needed for this one, it's more of a "he's evil, so are you, help me kill him, and you'll get good stuff)

Thorne- It is only through discipline that our armies are victorious. If one of our scouts is allowed to commit mutiny and murder and go unmolested for his deed, what message does this send to the rest of our brave warriors? How can they face front with unwavering loyalty if they must always fear the knife at their backs? Aid me in bringing this criminal to justice, that the honor of our armed forces be restored, and greater glory to come for the armies of Davenshad!! diplo [roll14] and bluff [roll15]

[Erasmas]

Varus-
Varus agrees to 20 gold per week, but he informs you that Iron Back will want the same deal. And they will split their percentage of the reward earnings, but it will have to be 20% of the gross if you want them both.

Proxitus-
Akantami killed thirteen men (one of them a Centurion), but you are not sure whether it was "at once" or not. Proxitus tells you that, depending on the men you are sending with him, that he is confident in his abilities to bring the fugitive in alive.

Skewulf-
He seems to understand perfectly that the bounty is to be brought back alive. He does not, however, share in Proxitus' confidence that the group currently has enough manpower - judging by what he knows of Akantami.

Temples-
Brandol: They donate 90 gp towards the reward.
Dalorra: Although moved by your words, they inform you that because you are a man that profits from violence... that they cannot endorse you in any way. Then, they politely ask you to leave.
Evandel: They insist on sending a group of four Justicars with you, to make sure that this injustice is dealt with swiftly and properly; and to make sure that he is brought back to face judgement for his crimes.
Ganol: They donate 110 gp towards the cost of the campaign.
Heironeous: They donate 100 gp towards the reward, as payment for the deeds of the brave men and women who bring him in.
Nerull: They tell you to come to them once he has been found. They will offer aid in making his death a grand spectacle.
Palotasha: They tell you that they see no wisdom in pursuing a single man into the jungles, simply to bring him back to the city to die. Thirteen men have already lost their lives and who knows how many more will trying to obtain him. They turn you away.
Thorne: They donate 110 gp towards the cost of the campaign.

[pife]

Very well. Varus and Iron Back to receive 20/week, and they will split 20% of the gross reward (if any). (This now means that 50% of the total reward money is already spoken for. I will negotiate HARD to avoid giving up any more.

Would the Justicars be willing to accept Proxitus as the leader of the expedition, and would they also be willing to accept that he be given either to Adontus or myself (Adontus for imprisonment, or myself if I can work out a way to get him condemned to the arena) upon his capture? If they answer yes to both, they're welcome to join.

If my math is correct, Linus received 410 gold from four of the churches. (He now has a new moneymaking scheme, lol. Petitioning temples for assistance with city problems, haha.. Is this where "lobbying" got it's start? I just made 410 gold pieces for an afternoon of chatting up preachers. That's a helluva days work, haha..) (adding the 410 to my treasury, since I'll be paying the expenses for this excursion. Will also add Proxitus, Varus and Iron Back's weekly costs (total of 70/week if I'm not mistaken).

Skewulf, coming from a less passionate and testosterone driven mindset, is obviously more conservative than Proxitus. How many does HE feel would ensure a safe and successful journey? Also, assuming the Justicars pan out, would he consider them to be "enough"?

I'm also thinking about a way to extort money from Servitus.. You know on Tommy Boy, (I think), when Tommy goes on TV and claims that Akroyds character was going to buy all of the brake pads? (Zalinsky?). And because it would have been a PR nightmare to refuse to pay it, he decided to go along with it, and enjoyed the press coverage of his "generosity". Yeah, I'm thinking about something like that. I already have two of his legion-mates.. But.. hmm. how to get him to chip in without having to share the limelight for having brought him to justice.. I'll get back to ya on this, hehe.

And.. NONE of those churches even gave me a price for scrying? Or a name of someone who might do it? Or parking validation? Anything, lol?

[Erasmas]

Yes, the Justicars are willing to accept Proxitus as the leader of the expedition. They would prefer that he be given to Adontus; if the fugitive is condemned to a death in the arena, they would have no problems with you taking him to that end.

No, Linus received 220 gold from two of the temples. The other 190 gold will be added to the reward upon the return of Akantami. 70 gold/week is correct for those three.

Skewulf thinks that with the Justicars onboard, that that will be enough. He just hopes that the Justicars don't get too much in the way.

Scrying-
Sorry, forgot that part:
Brandol: They will only agree to scry on someone with their consent.
Dalorra: Once again, they asked for you to leave based on your chosen profession.
Evandel: They will agree to attempt it for you. It will cost 300 gp (nearly half the normal price).
Ganol: They inform you that their priests do not study such practices.
Heironeous: They inform you that their priests do not study such practices.
Nerull: They will agree to attempt it for you. It will cost 540 gp.
Palotasha: Your negotiations with them did not go well, at all. But they agree to perform the scry for you for 700 gp.
Thorne: They inform you that their priests do not study such practices.

[pife]

Akantami
Done. The Justicars are accepted, and Akantami will be given over to Adontus upon his capture. (I make sure to sprinkle lots of hints to Proxitus, Skewulf and the Justicars once I meet them that this effort is the shared brainchild of both Adontus and myself, ensuring that we both will get a portion of the credit. )

(I will attempt to arrange for Akantami's death in the arena following his capture and trial, whether through Adontus, or another entity)

I agree with the price the Church of Evandel proposed and pay them immediately. (reducing my treasury by 80- 220 up, 300 down). The other 190, as you say, will go toward the reward, so I'll leave it to you to administer? I would like it if everyone be present for the scrying so that a) they can all see what he looks like, and b) so that everyone present can help form an opinion on where to find him.

And, I will make one more attempt to locate something that belonged to Akantami, for the scrying attempt. Surely something was kept as evidence (a weapon?) Did he bleed on anything? Did he take ALL of his possessions? Was he known to visit pawnbrokers? Did he lose a family heirloom in a poker match? Did he have any family (blood or lovers) in the area? Where did he live?

Am I able to find out what the specific mission is that he was on? I have a feeling that it has something to do with why he turned on his employers, and that piece of the puzzle might help..


I invite Adontus to dinner this evening, to share my progress, and hopefully put his mind at ease. On top of the fact that I think that he will be a most profitable acquaintance indeed, Linus actually would like to think of Adontus as an actual "friend", such things being rare in his line of work.

I am ready for the meeting with Tololano when you are.. Or, since we already met, I'm ready to see what his offerings are.

Need to dig deeper into the Viper's Nest and the Vegella Party, so I'll probably toss you some more thoughts on that shortly. And I keep goingback and forth about those darn women.. I'm still "stuck" on them, lol. Have no clue which way to go yet (which proves that a woman's involved. A man is never so lost as when his mind is wrapped around women).

[Erasmas]

Akantami-
You had mentioned, in your previous post that you "add[ed] the 410 to my treasury, since I'll be paying the expenses for this excursion". Just wanted to make sure that you didn't add the 220 in a second time!

And yes, everyone agrees to attend the scrying ceremony. He did take all of his possessions with him when he ran (he was used to traveling light, being a scout and a guide), but there was one soldier's gladius that he did use to slay one of the legionnaires... if you think that will aid in the scry.

You can roll a Gather Information on finding out more about the mission that they were on!

Adontus-
He is very happy to hear about the progress and seems pleased that the money he is spending on Skewulf has a real chance of bearing fruit. A relationship between you and he certainly seems to be a thing of great possibility!

Tololano-
After meeting with the captain, he takes you down to the piers and onto his ship, The Lady's Flower. At first, you are slightly disappointed (or perhaps not, because of your financial situation)... but you see jungle cats, a rhinoceros, Tiernish (Moorish/African) slaves, several big orcs with black skin - and while these things are hardly 'commonplace', they aren't so exotic that you have never seen them before.

And then something else catches your eye - you see a massive gorilla manacled to an even larger beam. What is even more unusual is that this one is wearing tattered clothing and savage jewelry. The captain sees you eyeing this one and speaks up, "Ahh... I see you have found Thaphos." Novante walks over to him and begins speaking to the creature, as if he were holding a normal conversation.

[Gerden]"Come, great Thaphos, to your feet. This is the man I was telling you about; the one who will let you rip Davenian's arms from the shoulders that hold them."

The gorilla then stands, and you immediately see that you had misjudged his size. He is easily eight feet tall and the rocking of the ship caused you to reach out for support to avoid being listed over. Then... to heap surprise upon the mountain that was already forming...

"I am Thaphos, son of the great Attar, who is chieftain of the Onnooa Clan."... the beast spoke, in Davenian no less.

[pife]

Friggin Evil dude. Seriously. Love it.

Y'know, I think I forgot to add the money the first time, but I'll doublecheck my math just to make sure. I've been keeping pretty good track of my money, but I can't remember if I'd already done it. I have been noting what each expense was and how much it was, so I should be able to tell pretty quickly.

Well, I don't know if the gladius will be of use to the scryer, but it's worth a shot. Linus has heard that these things work better if something possessed by the target is available, even better if it was something precious to him. But, there must have been intense emotional "turbulence" when he used the sword, so.. maybe..

Gather Information for Akantami's mission- [roll0] (I added my reputation of +1, so reduce this total by 1 if that is inappropriate). If I can spend a little coin to get a further situational bonus to this roll, let me know how much (within reason) and I'll do it. **Edit** This G-D dice roller is KILLING me, lol

Umm.. Dude.. We wants him. We wants the Thaphos. (and a couple of other things he has, including the Tiernish (Tiernan?) and .. dammit, I'm going to just end up with a stable of monsters, aren't I, lol?

Okay.. Linus is smart.. He knows he doesn't have the physical coin to make this purchase.. He knows the price tag will be.. daunting.. Go ahead, hurt me, tell me how much Tololano wants for Thaphos.. (an intelligent 8 foot gorilla? Umm.. Yes, please!! Lol, picturing Rizban in real life as he trotted his little dryad out to face.. THAPHOS!!

Okay.. several questions

1. How much is Thaphos
2. How much for the most impressive Tiernan?
3. Just from our dealings with each other and his station, how much money do I '"think" Adontus could lay hands on if he wanted to?
4. Is there any way to get a "2nd mortgage" on my ludus?
5. Did my grandfather have any friends who were well disposed to me?
6. Am I on friendly terms with anyone who could be considered truly wealthy?
7. Is there any chance that Tololano would take payments, if it increased the net profit he made?
8. Is there any reasonable way to forge "letters of rights", (bank notes, effectively cashiers checks)
9. How much do I "think" (given my expertise as a lanista, such as it is) I could get for selling Vitus, Longinus, and Celsus? (all 0 level, but decent, a Goblin, a Hobgoblin and a Dwarf).
10. Pulling the Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (DRS) motif back out.. Do any of the ladies that I'm quasi-courting (Firre, Carerra, Clementina or Giada) have enough coin readily accessible to them to make it worthwhile for me to try the DRS scheme?
11. Given my knowledge of Davenian events, what range of reward MIGHT I be looking at for bringing in Akantami? (which of course would have to be lowered by 50% at least)
12. Looking at the list of deities, there really doesn't seem to be a God of Merchants, or Commerce, or even thieves. So, who are the 3 wealthiest churches, and which church(es) consider themselves "capitalism friendly"? Is it even conceivable that I could get them to either loan me money, or invest in me? (C'mon Vegella, I'm planning a big shindig for ya, lol)
13. Would it be completely evil of me to come up with a convoluted scheme to get Tololano seized on a trumped up charge (remember, I'm a con artist who is very good at forgery and bluffing). , and have his confiscated goods accidentally land in my ludus? Hey.. I'm becoming very good friends with a Prison Warden.. The kind of guy who might.. lose.. a prisoner.. And I already know that Adontus skirts the rules sometimes. Hmm.. (BTW, for the record, I really wouldn't WANT to roll over on Tololano... But if the boat and all of it's cargo could be commandeered in the name of the Spurius Republic.. Hmm.. I'd really rather have him available to do business with in the future though. Just asking questions so I know what my options are, lol.
14. What "crimes", real or imagined, are so heinous to Davenians, that the perpetrator would be seized instantly, without too many questions being asked?
15. Short of going totally "hollywood" on it, do you think there could be any bizarre way that I could... <blink> <blink> **Edit** This is the moment that I got my idea about.. well, it's down below..
16. Do I think that there's any chance in the pit of whatever the Davenians equivalent of Hades is that Tololano would take something in TRADE for Thaphos?
17. Realistically speaking.. What am I talking about here with Thaphos? Is he a paper tiger? For instance, is he more "valuable" than Karsus? Two Karsi? How about Thonah? (I'm just trying to see if Thaphos is a Cadillac, a Viper, or a Lamborghini, in the grand scheme of things).

Dude.

No seriously. DUDE..

We has Charm Person potions. Yes we do Precious, gollum. Okay.. In YOUR interpretation of the power of Charm Person.. In a BEST case scenario.. Which of these scenarios are conceivable or likely?
1. Tololano would GIVE Thaphos to his new best friend Linus
2. Tololano would GIVE Thaphos to his new best friend Linus in exchange for a 50% interest in his winnings for his career
3. Tololano would make VERY generous payment arrangements so that I can afford Thaphos
4. Tololano would sell me Thaphos for "cost" (whatever that was)
5. Tololano would "sell" Thaphos to me for normal price, but would give me a couple of months to pay him
6. Tololano would sell Thaphos to me for normal price, but would hold the "deeds" to all of my gladiators until Thaphos is paid for (within a reasonable time limit)
7. Tololano would sell Thaphos to me for a combination of coin and favors that I will owe him in the future.
8. Something brilliant that I haven't thought of, but that my merciful DM will share with me because he's a swell guy, lol?

[Erasmas]

I'm glad that you're enjoying yourself. Thank you for checking on the donations/financial status for me.

Scry Guy-
Obtaining the gladius takes a couple of days, but with Adontus' help, it isn't difficult. The priest performing the ritual thinks that it could aid him somewhat, and goes to cast the spell. In the scrying mirror, you all see a swirling mist gather in the reflection and then a pair of eyes emerges. Suddenly, the eyes close tightly, and the mist engulfs them once again, and then the mist is gone. (He past his Will save with flying colors.) But, the priest did manage to get the feeling that he is, in fact, to the west of the city and at some distance. He could tell no more before the connection became unraveled.

Akantami's Mission-
Yeah, the Curse of the Persephone definitely seems to like you. Sorry, but there is nothing that you are able to learn about it.

Thaphos-
"Tiernan" is the correct term, yes... but they are not monsters, they are actually humans.

The Questions:
1. Tololano agrees to sell you Thaphos for 550 gold (in addition to his promised retainer fee).
2. The most impressive Tiernan he will charge you 375 gold for.
3. You are unsure on an exact figure, but you surmise that it could be a considerable sum. He does not seem to want for much.
4. No, as it is you actually own the ludus... no one holds a mortgage on it.
5. Your "grandfather" had some friends, but those that are still alive are very old. The only one that you have ever met was the lanista of Vetus Canis- Nerius Postumus Livilian. And he did not speak to you and eyed you with suspicion the entire time you were together. He may have met the real Linus at some point (though it was probably decades ago).
6. Clementina's father is incredibly wealthy, but you certainly aren't on friendly terms with him... and your relationship with her is even somewhat estranged. Malatra and her husband are very well off, but you have yet to even actually meet either one of them face-to-face, let alone become friendly with them.
7. Since he only comes to port about twice a year (and there is never any guarantee that he or his crew may survive to see the next time), that is very unlikely.
8. No, not really... such a thing rarely even exists.
9. The dwarf you could probably sell for 100-150 gp (depending on where/who/when). The goblin and hobgoblin you know you could see to The Pits for 50 apiece; but you might be able to sell them for a little more (if you could find a buyer).
10. Once again, Clementina is really the only one that you might think that this was worthwhile with.
11. The listed reward for bringing in Akantami alive is currently at 11,000 gold (500 per Legionnaire and 5,000 for the Centurion).
12. The temples are not really that place to go for "funding". They typically only collect money and are not in the habit of giving much of it away - with the exception of holy wars and/or the occasional donation to a cause whose agenda aligns with their own.
13. This is possible, of course... but yes, that would be truly depraved (in the likes of Fernand Mondego, no less).
14. Anything that endangers the Emperor would fit that bill. Or a slave spilling the blood of their master.
15. Okay, good... because I completely did not understand where that was going. LOL
16. Another ship. :smallbiggrin:
17. Many Davenians have seen a gnoll, so Karsus is nice... but he is no Thona. A half frost giant would be incredibly rare (in fact, the rumors of you having one are circulating even in the higher places). Thaphos would be the other half of a matched set of "book ends" for Thona, in that regard.

Charm Potions-
1. Inconceivable (you knew that was coming; hopefully you at least read it in Wallace Shawn's voice)
2. Not very likely (for the same reasons listed above)
3. Not very likely (for the same reasons listed above)
4. Likely, that may be what he is already offering
5. Conceivable
6. Not very likely (for the same reasons listed above)
7. Not very likely (for the same reasons listed above), but if those favors could be cashed in immediately... move that chance to 'Conceivable'
8. Inconceivable (as I am neither brilliant enough to come up with anything, nor merciful)

[pife]

Holy cow, I forgot that I hadn't responded to Thaphos yet.

Mighty Thaphos, is it? Speak on, and enlighten me. From where do you hail? How stands your intent to reach for glory on the sands of the arena?

Sense Motive to gauge his responses and Diplomacy to engage him and draw him out, always maintaining a respectful yet authoritative tone (as in: it's a foregone conclusion that Thaphos is a slave and I am a lanista, and while the relationship "can" be pleasant, it will of course be on my terms).

Diplomacy [roll0]
Sense Motive [roll1]

Scrying
Scrying- Oh well, was worth a try, and at least we have a cardinal direction.. And a pair of eyes? No matter, I'm very confident in the team's ability to bring him to ground.. (Though I do tell Aelius, Ferakhan and Garkensmee to watch each other's backs. Garkensmee will receive his bling bracelets upon his return. I tell him that my favorite jeweler has engaged with a commission already and will be available in a couple of weeks. (Just a play for time on my part, but should be easily believable, especially by a bird).

Tololano's Offerings
The monster comment- Sorry, was thinking Thaphos, Monstrum, Karsus etc when I made the monster comment. I was picturing Oenemaus and Barca from Spartacus when I picture the Tiernan.

BTW, those prices are extremely fair. The Tiernan that are available.. Are any of them both powerful/talented in appearance AND attractive in face and body? (baiting a hook for Clementina, perhaps?).. And I do want someone that can be the "respectable" face of my stable. I need a Gannicus! Someone that can stir the passions of the crowd both for his bloodlust and his feral charisma!

One way or another, I'm going to purchase Thaphos. Still trying to work out the math and method. but.. I can picture some kind of crazy match which found Karsus, Thaphos and Thonah facing off against something(s) impressive.. Just a fanciful daydream.. And I have three other new gladiators that i got from the last auction that I need to fill out character sheets for, as well as a couple of my non-gladiator slaves. I'm going to work on some of that today.

I allow myself to lightly flirt with Herminia. Playful eye contact, personal banter when we aren't otherwise engaged, including her in the conversation when it turns from business. I'm also curious about Thonah's opinion of Thaphos.

Perhaps most importantly.. What "immediate" favors would be considered, and what combination of coin would be required with it?


A favor from Adontus

Hat in hand (as well as a document naming Adontus the owner or seller of Karsus, Lepidus (1/1 gnome barbarian wizard) and Monstrum, in the event of my failure to repay), I visit Adontus in the evening, having sent a messenger to ensure that he was available and pleased to receive me. I openly ask for assistance, claiming that current expenses temporarily exceed resources. If he could see his way clear to loan me 1000 gold pieces, I would see him repaid 1500 gold pieces, payable no later than the day that the mission to capture Akantami concludes, successful or failed. (basically, I would either pay him back out of that purse, or would pony up the money myself, upon penalty of losing three gladiators, which he would likely sell, not being a lanista, but I think that together they are worth far more).

Further, as the stated reward is 11,000, and 5500 has been promised in payment to Varus, Iron Back, etc, I feel that Adontus should take 2000 off of the top. (this is in addition to the 1500 that I would pay out of my portion). While Linus is desperate for money, this mission was always more about acquiring a promotion or recognition for Adontus (which he should see as almost entirely by my doing) and making contacts with Davenshad's elite. (Senators, magistrates, etc).

Favor Roll combined with the contract.
Gentle Vegella have pity on me!! [roll2]




I do not want to sell any of my gladiators.. I might end up doing so, but.. For now, I consider them (in a strange way) family. Vitus, Longinus and Celsus shall remain for the time being. I imagine that 10 gp can buy a fair amount of cheap wine... I tell Valento to see them to drink and relaxation after the days training. Perhaps Marcus will share a tune or so if he is so inclined. I declare the following day to be a day of rest, to heal wounds incurred in training, and pray to their varied gods in the manner they see fit. Small allowances will be made (incense, braziers, simple and cheap methods of accomodating their worship). Discipline is still to be enforced, and any of Doctores punishments still stand throughout this day of rest.

I am doing a full accounting, going back to my purchase of Thonah. I'll let you know if anything got missed.

[pife]

BTW, I have reconciled my funds rearranged my opening post, and completed creating all of my gladiators/slaves. whew (there were 8 of em to make).

As i mention on my summary post on page 1, I had missed a couple of transactions, both up and down, and ended up needing to shave an additional 50 gp. As soon as i find out about Adontus, I'll be a ble to finish up with Tololano. Actually, to keep us from having a continuity issue.. Once I see Thaphos, I want him. Unless my interview with him goes catastrophically wrong, I will agree to terms with Tololano, without charm person potions, but with the offer of favors in exchange for a reduced rate. (something about "immediate" favors?). I will be purchasing Thaphos and likely one of the Tiernan. (I want the best looking one, unless that one is also a "runt" comparatively. If the most "able" happens to be the best looking, all the better, lol. Does Tololano have anything of a less.. combative nature?

[Erasmas]

Okay... I think I finally have enough downtime to get to this (don't read this too loudly, I don't want anyone to hear)!

Thaphos


"I come from Manglar, deep in the Scaramian*." The giant ape looks to consider your second question carefully, before continuing, "Your people have killed many of my brothers and sisters. My father has sold me, that the killings may stop. For this honor, I will gladly kill many of your brothers and sisters in your fighting pits."

He seems to be incredibly proud of a predicament that most slaves abhor. There is a storm that brews behind his eyes and causes his nostrils to flare when he speaks of the killings.

*Scaramian - A massive jungle that 'cuts' Pedrum in half (Pedrum being the tall continent to the west).


Scrying

You assume that the pair of eyes belonged to Akantami. And Garkensmee seems satisfied with that arrangement.


Tololano's Offerings

Oenemaus would definitely be Tiernish, as would Juba (his friend from Gladiator). Barca would be mixed; most likely at least part Qwinian (he is actually who I was planning on using the picture of for Akantami).

The one that seems both attractive and powerful looks like this:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/TiernishGladiator_zps89829966.jpg


As for him having anything less combative... you do see one thing that deserves further attention. You see a very attractive female half-elf whose human half must be Tiernish. You get the feeling that she may be out of your price range.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Slave16face_zpsc427b7a9.jpg


Herminia becomes responsive after a bit of pressing, though she starts off a little "cold" to your attentions - it is obvious that she is very uncertain of where things between you stand; likely because of your other pursuits. Thonah tells you that he is a strange beast, but that he is a mighty-looking warrior and that he would definitely draw the attention of the crowd.

He would be willing to sell you Thaphos for 300 gold... if you kill someone here in the city for him. And one of his men was found to be member of the Imperial Navy that had deserted and has been thrown in prison and has been sentenced to death. He is a good sailor and Tololano has heard that you are good friends with the warden. If you could return the crewman to his command, he may be willing to drop the price down to 100 gold (still in addition to his retainer).


Favor from Adontus

He says that he will either loan you 1,000 gold with you repaying him 1,000... or 1,500 gold with you repaying him 1,500. He sites that "friends do not charge each other interest". He will take the deed to the three, but does so uncomfortably. And he tells him that you pay him when you can.

Adontus will agree to taking his share of the reward, however, if you think that is fair.


10 gold will be plenty for cheap wine for your entire stable. They have a night and a day of merriment and the mood seems much improved throughout the ludus because of it.

Thank you for checking on your funds! And the opening post looks very nice.

[pife]

Thaphos

Then welcome to the House of Spurius, Thaphos. You'll find that I'm fair, and more accomodating than other lanista you might have fallen in with. And you shall have opportunities aplenty to fight for glory and honor in the arena. I look back at Tololano and nod, indicating that one way or another, I will make this creature mine.


Tololano & Negotiations

We should speak more of this in private, my friend. Assuming we're able to gain some privacy; (meaning Herminia and Thonah not present, but Marcus can be).

Now, let me make sure that I clearly understand the situation.

In addition to the retainer of 300 gold, your price for Thaphos is 550. If I arrange for a death, you will lower the price by 250 gold. If I arrange for your crewman to be sprung from jail, you will lower the price by a further 200 gold. Am I correct in that? Linus is businesslike but approachable, making sure not to say or do anything that will cause tempers to flare. Now, it seems to me that you've set a fine starting point for negotiations. Thaphos is a wonder, there is no doubt. But arranging for a deserter under penalty of death to walk out of a military prison is no easy feat, no matter who I happen to be friends with. And I don't know in how many places a man can arrange for knives in the dark for 250 gold pieces.

Note that I'm not saying "no", my friend. I'm saying, "lets discuss".

Perhaps the question that has me most curious is this. Whom do you wish to see dead? There is a fine City Guard here, and I would be risking my position, my possessions and my life. As you know, I am no beggar in the street to leap at the sum of a quarter-thousand coins, just as you would not sail through shoal waters at night for a pittance. No, no, Captain, I of course mean no insult. But, men of means such as ourselves must ware against rash actions. Tell me anything I need to know about the object of your fury.

Next would be your crewman. This is even more complicated than the first. If I have my facts straight, a deserter is condemned to be beheaded, publicly, in the full view of government agents. I have several ideas, but they are complicated and very risky. By the by, is desertion the only crime for which he is charged? I'll have no part in freeing a traitor to Davenshad. I have no ill will for any who decide that military service is not their ideal vocation, nor do I begrudge someone a little shady profit from time to time, such as you and I engage in. Just as long as your man isn't the "enemy", I will consider this.


How long are you in port, and when is the execution set? I need to know how much time I have to research and prepare.

Some questions Linus has;


What can Tololano tell me about the person he wants removed? Name, description, vocation, known activities, known talents/abilities.
Does Tololano care "how" it's done?
Other than Tololano, does the victim have any known enemies?
Is there any similarity in looks between Adontus' friend in prison, and Adontus' enemy that he's trying to have killed?
Does the "Death Touch" Domain power for clerics with the Death Domain leave any traces of "cause of death"?
Can my halfling chef create something that both has a thick gravy, and crunchy bits?
Would a glassblower either have, or be able to manufacture, extremely fine crushed glass? (to the point that it looks like very fine sand)? (Nevermind this line of thought. I just looked it up, and apparently glass ground finely enough to not be noticed in food is almost entirely harmless, so sayeth snopes and apparently tons of doctors for the last 200 years)..
Are you (Jeremy) familiar with the old technique of slipping finely crushed glass into food, which then lacerates the holy heck out of everything from the throat on down?

Would Adontus not be the one who oversaw the execution? Is "he" the superior officer?

To Tololano My friend.. Thaphos is surely a wonder, and I mean to have him. I also have interest in "that" Tiernan (pointing out the one that you sent me a picture of). Now, your offer suggests that, at best, I would receive Thaphos in exchange for 400 gold, a murder, and a prison-break for a condemned man. Here is my counter-offer. I am to receive Thaphos AND the Tiernan male (though that female is lovely, I must admit). If I am able to perform both of your extra requests, we call it even (and you apply the 300 retainer to my NEXT purchase). If I am only able to accomplish ONE of your requests, you will receive 500 gold plus the retainer, so 800 gold, but I still receive both slaves. If I'm unable to perform either of your requests, I'll pay the 550 (total of 850 with retainer) for Thaphos alone.

Diplomacy Roll to negotiate with Tololano- [roll0]
Sense Motive- Is there any more room for negotiations, and is he keeping anything from me? [roll1]



Adontus
Linus will actually let a tear slip down his cheek. Such a friend! Linus smiles inwardly as he realizes how much fun it can be to mix business with pleasure. That, plus the fact that Linus has not had too many "real" friends in his life, makes him all warm and fuzzy inside. (BTW, going the 1500 route)

The gods themselves deserve a friend such as yourself. I am humbled by your generosity. And yes, I insist that you carry the deed to my titans until I can make good on our arrangement. And of course you should take those coins from the top of the reward. Is it not your money funding Skewulf? Should you not receive compensation for helping to bring to ground a traitor to our fair nation? If we are careful, and perhaps a bit lucky, you'll end up with a commendation, or, dare I hope, a promotion?
How drunk we'll get that night, eh?!?!

Adontus, I ask, changing the subject.. How often do people die in your prison? From fights, disease, or other misfortune, I mean, not the executions. Is it common?

[pife]

Oh, and increasing my treasury by 1490

(1500 from Adontus less 10 for the wine)..

And making another payment to the moneylender (500gp), reducing my debt to him to 9.5k. 3 weeks out of the allotted 12 have passed

[Erasmas]

Tololano & Negotiations

You are able to speak in a more private setting. Once there, the captain listens to all that you have to say. He then replies,

"300 gold for the retainer, 375 for the Tiernan, and 550 for Thaphos (which is an already discounted price, mind you) brings the total value of our current arrangement to 1,225 gold pieces. You tell me that the favors alone I have asked are worth this much money for a friend? No, I must tell you."

Tololano makes several clucking noises with his tongue in rapid succession as he shakes his head. "As to the murder... I could find men to do this for less than 10 gold coins; but I offer it to you for the value of 250! And still you say it is not enough. Ha - the pair you have! This man is a dog... this Tiso Nomitus. He is a ship-builder and a competitor of mine. He is sneaky, under-handed, dishonest, and... and I want him gone. But if you refuse to do this for as much as 250 gold, then you are not the one to do this favor for me."

"On the other matter... yes, he is merely a deserter - a crime for which you Davenians would kill a man; to prevent injury to your great military pride, no doubt. His execution is set in two days time, after which we will be leaving immediately. It is the only reason we stay that long. If this is also impossible for you to achieve, then so be it. He is a good sailor and a good friend; but his life is not worth the exchange you demand. It may not be able to be done for 200 gold... but it certainly should not take over 900 to accomplish!"

Specific Questions:
Tiso Nomitus. He is on the NPC List; shipwright, owner of a small shipping company; 1/2 Davenian, 1/2 Shachran.
No... so long as it cannot be traced back to him.
Not that he knows of. But he is fairly certain that many of the other merchant captains would not miss him.
No... Tiso is only 1/2 Davenian while the sailor is full-blooded.
I would assume so, yeah. Probably a blackened mark from the point(s) of contact with the veins radiating out from the spot also being black out to a certain distance.
You do not think that there is much more room for negotiating. And no, his math seems correct, and it does not appear like he is keeping anything from you.



Adontus

He informs you that inmates dying is not a common occurrence, no. They usually die of old age or disease, if anything.


Good deal on the money-lender!
EDIT: Forgot to include that picture of Thaphos!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/ThaphosoftheOnnooa_zps535da64d.jpg

[pife]

Linus laughs heartily. Ho ho!! Never let it be said that you are anything but a shrewd negotiator! And now we get into it..

Yes, you could arrange for a beggar to stick this man with a knife for 10 gold, I'm sure of it. But.. Cheap men have cheap tongues, do they not, which squeal when the heat begins to rise.. This increases the danger to you.

So, the "friend" price for Thaphos is 850. The Tiernan is 375. This is a total of 1225 gold pieces, yes? You valued your two favors at 450 gold pieces, which leaves 775, if I want both slaves. My first counteroffer was for Thaphos and the Tiernan, plus you would apply my retainer to the next purchase (in absolute terms, this means that I was offering to do your favors for the equivalent of 1525 gold pieces. You are right, I ask too much. )

Now, your best offer was, effectively, that I pay you 400 gold (including the retainer), murder a well known businessman and break a condemned criminal out of prison, in exchange for Thaphos.. He is worth much, but is he worth that?

Let us meet near the middle.. I pay you 325 gold, plus the retainer, for a total of 625 gold pieces. I will do your favors for you, in the next two days, no less, (though the gods only know how). Additionally, I will give you another 300 gold pieces, to replace the retainer we have applied to Thaphos, and you will have your friend restored to you, your enemy feeding the worms.


Linus sits back and takes a long pull on his wineglass, confident that this compromise will be satisfactory.

[Erasmas]

"625 gold pieces and these two things you do for me, in exchange for mighty Thaphos and the Tiernan?"

Tololano adopts a contemplative look, walking over to the side of the hull and picking at some imperfection that isn't there. After a moment, he spins on his heels and adopts a wry smile full of white teeth. He spats into his palm and extends his hand (a traditional Gerden accord), "You have a deal, my friend Linus! And because I like you so well and how you do business... if you complete the terms, I will throw in the half-elf as well upon our departure! Now, let us drink!"

[pife]

I likewise spit into my hand, and shake firmly, hoping I haven't bitten off more than I can chew.. But the crowds.. Thaphos! Thaphos!! THAPHOS!!! THAPHOS!!!! I can hear them.. (psst, does he come with that armor, and perhaps weapons? Badass pic, btw. Hey, his father sold him to save the tribe, maybe he came with his stuff, lol. Doesn't hurt to ask, right?)

Gods willing, it will be done. Holding up my cup, I say Two days hence, friends and enemies dealt with in kind. And a friendship widens! My god man, Thaphos is magnificent! Tell me he can fight as viciously as he looks!

Oh dear God what have I gotten myself into? Lol, Now, I have to/get to plan a complicated murder, and arrange for a condemned man to disappear from my best friend's prison, without letting it reflect poorly on him, while I'm actively trying to gain him accolades and wealth, for friendship as well as a healthy path to profit and/or security. While planning and executing the Vegella party, navigating the Viper's nest (btw, Firra with the lead after seeing the pics, lol.. j/k.), hunting down a dangerous criminal (by proxy), and securing the friendship, support and/or patronage from a Senator. Nope, Linus isn't stressed, lol. Not at all.

First of all, I want to apologize for the wall of text that is hereby forthcoming.. But, these are two complicated endeavors, and unless you're just planning to have me make a series of Bluff checks, I'm assuming that you're wanting me to rp both events. Which means (rubbing my hands in glee), I need data. Mountains of data.. So. Without further ado, here goes..

The Mysterious Death of Tiso Nomitus

Tiso Nomitus, ship builder and merchant.. (What country/culture is a Shachran)?

So, I'm assuming he will spend time at the docks, at his shipworks, he probably owns at least one vessel of size, he will own a home, and likely has hobbies.

Linus' Little Helpers

I have three assets remaining that should do surprisingly well in assisting me. Livia was a budding "2nd story man", and Herminia has surprising talents as well. And Marcus is my left hand (Aelius being my right). In the course of the madness to ensue, i will be making rolls for them as they attempt to learn things for me. As always, feel free to alter, amend, change, ignore or modify any rolls I make as you prefer, these are just half-baked ideas.


Disguise- I need information, and I'm better at getting it than Marcus.. I plan to have Marcus assist me for a +2 bonus, and my disguise kit for another +2. I also will have Sabine bring her "Profession:Stylist" into play, giving me a wig, a wildly different look and style. I have not added a bonus for her, not sure if you would allow an assist or if you wanted a [roll0] (Stylist). My disguise roll is [roll1] not counting anything from Sabine.

Gather Information- Tiso Nomitus (+2 bonus gained by having Marcus assist me assist me in learning more about him, I hope.) I'll be looking for habits, associates that might be relevant, holdings/properties, patterns, weaknesses, enemies, friends. (sorry dude, this gets complicated lol, especially with the timetable..) If it helps, my focus is going to be on finding times that he is alone, finding times when the fewest people know where he is, how many guards/slaves he has, trying to determine the garderobes he might use, whores he visits, etc. I don't have time to get fancy, but if I can learn where he goes and any relevant details about those places, I'll have a chance. Perhaps the beggars I've been having the 'boys bribe can be of use, but I'll leave that to you. [roll2] I also plan to have some coin on me, so that any potential leads can be "lubricated" with my good will. (I will spend up to 50 gold, parceled out, but only to solid leads. As soon as I find out some friends/enemies, I will begin to claim to BE an agent for one or another (I'll switch it up, to one person I'll be an agent of A, to another, an agent of B, etc. Bluff - [roll3] to be believable

Sabine has decent housebreaking skills if such becomes necessary or prudent. I haven't decided the "method" yet, but it will depend a lot on what I discover.

I would like Sabine to use her Knowlege:Local and Herminia to use her Gather Info skills to learn of any natural rivals to Tiso. Business rivals, romantic rivals, jealous lovers, criminal connections or endeavors, debtors, etc. (Knowledge Local I'm assuming might be used to know or learn what other businesses and their owners in Davenshad compete for the same marketshare)
Sabine: [roll4]
Herminia: [roll5]
Each lady will have 20 gold to dispense at their discretion (but I hope to receive change). I hint to them both that if they were to go buy nice (for commoners, nothing ridiculous) dresses for themselves or some small luxury, I would be pleased.

**Disclaimer** I do still have those three Charm Potions. If at any point it becomes ridiculously obvious that one of them would help, I plan to use them.

Further, I am skilled in building traps (Craft:Traps-6, so I'm not "great" at it, but still). All information I gain could conceivably lead to a well-placed trap, whether a kill-trap, or an immobilization trap.



Escape from Alcatraz

Oh boy, not sure how to pull this one off..

1. How much does a Raise Dead spell cost? Nevermind, the component is 5k.. Scratch that..
2. Fast acting diseases that could conceivably exist in a prison. something that could kill quickly, preferably with facial disfigurement, lol?
3. Damn, it's really too bad Garkensmee isn't here.. I could do something clever with him in this situation involving carrying a vial and a note to the prisoner)
4. A potion of Alter Self should only be about 300 gold or so, give or take, depending on the Davenshad market.. I'm considering that
5. Poisonous creatures- Is there ANY precedent for a toxic creature being found in the prison, either naturally or by design?
6. Lying my ass off.. Follow my logic... So, I'm the prisoner. I'm a deserter, I'm a coward, and in one or two days, they're gonna kill me for it.. It's time to break outta here, right?!?! So, if I were to somehow contrive a false escape attempt, and tell the authorities that the condemned tried to break out and was killed in his escape by the guards. An alternate plan would be that he started or was involved in a fight between prisoners and died. Then I would just need to provide a substitute... someone who had "bitten" their tongue off in the night...
7. Forging my ass off- Generate a letter, from God knows who. Wait.. Surely Adontus has had someone's sentence commuted before. he HAS to have a document like that somewhere, with the correct wording, and better, the signature of someone with the authority to grant it.

That's it. I need to forge a commutation of sentence, altering his sentence to permanent exile. Unless he's a known associate or known criminal, the document might even name Tololano as the responsible party unto which the prisoner be remanded (and if I'm feeling particularly insane, I might stipulate a 250 gold piece payment be awarded him for services rendered, which include taking him from these shores and never bringing him back).

Adontus loses no face if the sentence is commuted and the execution never takes place. It potentially costs nothing, no real prep time or fancy stuff.. I would have to consider who the legatus is, and attempt to select someone whose signature he does not know. The man gets to leave these shores a free man. (a funny turnaround would be if I had the sentence commuted to slavery, and I bought him myself.. Then sold him back to Tololano for a profit, lol. I won't, but it's a funny thought). But this way, I wouldn't have to bribe any guards, wouldn't have to arrange any secret movements. So, to do this, I need to come clean to Adontus.. Truly, why should he care, lol? Instead of death, this man receives permanent exile. There should be no way to connect Adontus to any crime, it endangers no one.. Dude, have Marcus slap me around if I'm wrong, but this sounds ludicrously straightforward, and deceptively simple. A distant magistrate sends a missive, too far away to verify, and really, who knows signatures that well, lol? But I should have a perfect copy of the signature, and it's relatively unlikely that it would ever be questioned, and if it was.. How would it lead back to me? There would be no proof that I wrote it. By the by, if exile would be considered odd, perhaps this other magistrate wants to try him for additional crimes (perhaps those that involve heavy torture, something more serious than desertion, something that would warrant this transfer.. Or, a third option is, because of "acts of valor in the name of the City of Davenshad", prior to his desertion, has justified him a sentence of life in (some distant) prison.

Your thoughts on the Forged Letter of Commutation? Okay, I don't know why, but this might be my favorite idea for Linus yet... Hope it's feasible.


Oh, and I will reduce my treasury by the cost of Thaphos and the Tiernan. Shoot me some stats when you get a chance, lets see what I won, lol. (AND the half-elf? I thought you said she was out of my range? Friggin awesome dude, I mean to have her!)

Looks like the dice were up and down this time, but that's way better than down and down...

[pife]

Oh, PS.. In case I need it here is a Favor Roll for Adontus.. As in, "c'mon buddy, let me whisk a condemned criminal out of your prison, all yer friends are doin it, lol"

[roll0]

[Erasmas]

Tololano

Thaphos - No, sadly he does not come with any armor or weapons. Thank you, I thought it fit (since the armor does look vaguely Davenian-esque). Tololano informs you that he has not seen Thaphos himself fight, but that the Congan men certainly are ferocious beasts.
I will get you some stats possibly worked out tonight! And the half-elf was out of your price range... but luckily the good captain decided to sweeten the deal (so long as the favors as finished, that is). Think of it as "incentive".



The Mysterious Death of Tiso Nomitus

The Shachran are the Arabic-styled humans.
Those are probably correct assessments, yes.
Linus' Little Helpers- they are yours to command... literally.
Disguise- The way "assisting other" works in my games is have the 'assistant' roll the appropriate check and then add/subtract an amount equal to what the modifier would be if that result had been an ability. So, for instance, Marcus rolls his Disguise check and gets a 14... then you add a +2 to your check. If he gets a 20, then you can add a +5... but if he rolls a 6, then that is a -2 to your roll! Likewise, in this case, you would use Sabine's Profession check in the same way - though she got a 9, so that would actually drop your check result by -1 (so, something that she did actually detracted from the work you were doing in some small way). So give me a roll for Marcus and we'll find out how everything came out in the wash!
Gather Information- Same thing here - need a roll from Marcus.
Both women are able to learn that Tiso is not very well liked among his competitors. He is known to make shady deals that go against the rules laid out by the sea merchant's guild... of which he refuses to be a part of. One of the only reasons that he is as successful as he is (which is mildly lucrative at best) is because he doesn't ask questions of his suppliers or his buyers. He is discreet, however, so neither learns of any particulars as far as "associates" is concerned. Sabine returns with a fine bottle of wine and a nice dress, and 8 gold in change. Herminia returns with a very nice dress 11 gold and tells you that she would prefer that you put the remainder of it towards another night for just the two of you.
Not any place to use the potions just yet that you have seen.
The traps idea is a possibility. We shall see what you are able to learn with the above checks.



The Great Escape

Scratched.
Nothing really with facial disfigurement, but there would be a whole host of diseases that could fit the bill... though the Legion Stockade takes fairly good care of their inmates' health - specially to prevent outbreaks from occurring. With as many temples/clerics/paladins as there are here in the city, that need is attended to pretty thoroughly.
Might've been possible.
Yes, 300 gold is correct.
Not typically, no. In the bowels, maybe the odd snake or two.
This is possible, but you would know that the authorities would never take Linus' word for it. What possible tie could he have to a military prisoner (in their eyes)?
Forging- It sounds like you are on to something here. Okay...
+ First: True, Adontus probably has one of those around somewhere, but you have to locate one and be able to have enough time to study it in order to make a forgery.
+ Second: Tololano is, in fact, a known associate... since the deserter in question was apprehended from his ship the moment they made port.
+ Third: Coming clean with Adontus would most likely un-complicate a lot of the portions of this particular plan, true. If he chooses to go along with it, that is. With the Favor roll; he is willing to help... but he wants complete and utter assurance that it cannot/will not come back to him. Lying to his superiors is not something he is willing to do lightly.
+ Fourth: A faraway magistrate requesting exile in the place of execution for a low-ranking legionnaire might seem a little fishy, so you may want to come up with a very damn good reason that this person would even request this. Additional crimes might work, but that will all depend on the presentation.
+ Fifth: 'Acts of Valor' probably isn't going to work, unless you can someone get his previous ranking officers to make some stuff up.

[pife]

Okay, reducing my treasury by 21 gp (what the ladies spent),

Marcus Disguise- [roll0]
Marcus Gather Info- [roll1]

And yes, the forgery sounds like the best plan, as does coming clean with Adontus.. Especially since Adontus could likely approach the legatus saying "This missive was just delivered"... The legatus shouldn't question the validity of a sealed order when it comes from the hand of the Warden of the prison, I should hope..

Tololano-known associate- Okay, then I would have to arrange to have him meet Tololano another way.. Walking him down to the ship won't do..

Working on the concept behind the commutation.. who might have "penned" it, and what the reason might be. But the reason will likely revolve around family ties (blood or marriage). examples: "He's an idiot, but he's my nephew." "He's an idiot, but he's my wifes favorite grandson", "He's the brother of a Vestal Virgin", "his family is loaded", "he's the secret lover of a Senator"... So, I'll be filtering through some concepts

Herminia scored some points. I purchase her the loveliest silver pendant hung with her birthstone that I can find for 100 gold or less. And THEN I take her to some kind of entertainment venue (A play, a race, a dance, a moonlit walk around the Gardens of Aphrodite, something like that).. Still no hanky panky though.

As evil as the die-roller is to me, I still love actually getting to use my skills.. In case it is relevant or helps..

For Herminia's gift
Appraise- Crap, I can't find my modifier.. Umm, will update unless you feel like checking, haha.. (I think it's 8, so I'll +/- from there) [roll2]

Diplomacy (to barter a better item for reasonable coin) [roll3] <----DANG!

[Erasmas]

Okay... so, the Disguise worked out like this - Sabine got a [9], which brings a -1 to the table (bad girl, Sabine!); Marcus got a [17], which brings a +3 (good boy, Marcus!) - for a net bonus of +2 to your base roll of [15]... for a grand total of [17]!

And the Gather Information came out as - Marcus got a [23], which brings a +6... added to your [13] comes out as a [19]!

And with your Bluff check at a [37]... you should be good.

So, you were able to get into a few places under the guise of __________ (someone decidedly not Linus), in order to collect more information about Tiso Nomitus. You likewise determine that Tiso is not very well liked among his competitors. Shady deals against the guilds guidelines, etc. etc. (as posted above). You also discover that two months ago, he actually had a fairly public altercation with a man by the name of Orius Pronitus Sigleanos, an arms dealer who is known for his lavish parties every bit as much as his wicked tempers. You also learn that Tiso is worked late at his shipyard all this week, trying to get a new boat built for a customer's rush order. In the past when this has been the case, he often sleeps in his office on the premises.

Well have to see how well Adontus handles simply handing over the missive, but no... there should be no reason to worry about that part going south. The believably of the whole pitch, on the other hand... well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. And once you get him out (notice my optimism), yeah... walking him down to the docks would probably not be so swell.

Looking forward to what you come up with for the commutation!

You find Herminia a very nice necklace for 25 gold (talked down from 50)! And the two of you have a wonderful time and over the next several days, she is heard humming to herself as she works around the villa.

[pife]

So, I have a question.. It came to me while you and Jamie and Jack were sick.. If this game ever goes belly up due to player-participation, would you be willing to either re-post for more players or run it as a solo game? Fair play to you if you don't want to, but just thought I'd throw it out there since Lentrax and Riz and Super aren't quite as.. fanatical.. about this game as I am, lol.

Anyway, between work, I'm trying to come up with plans for:

Tiso's Death
Tololano's friend's Commutation
The Vegella Party
The Vipers Nest (including Herminia)
... can't remember off the top of my head whether that was everything (at least until we get an update from the hunting party)..

Something I don't think I've asked.. Are YOU enjoying this game? How can I/we make it more enjoyable for you?

Oh yeah, and working on Culdhaven too.. Ugh, I really like the concept of the movie Multiplicity.. I want one of me to do the money-earning, and one of me to do the honeydo's, which would leave me time for.. well, this! (She touched my Pepe', Steve"..

[Erasmas]

Yeah, if the rest of the main game goes flop (which it is starting to look like it might)... my plan was to just continue to run it solo for you.

And yes, I am enjoying this game. It definitely is a different creature than I had in mind when I first decided to run it, but it is still definitely a lot of fun!

[pife]

Alrighty, work is trying to kill me today.. But I'm dying to keep moving with this.

Questions about Tiso

I need a feel for the layout of the shipyard (nothing particularly detailed, but..) Is there an elevated position (tower, hill, tall building) from which I or an agent could survey the shipyard? What I'm looking for is posted guards (and their positions or patrol routes), especially at night. Where is Tiso's office in relation to other occupied buildings? (Would noise up to and including screaming be noticed and potentially investigated by the neighbors)?

Does Tiso have any known allies?

Does he have any distinguishing marks? Tatoos, unique jewelry, disfigurements?

The water directly facing the shipyard.. Is it patrolled, and if so, by what and how well?

Is the boat that he is rushing to completion seaworthy yet? Is it on a roller system similar to that which was seen in the 1st Sherlock Holmes movie?

What is the worst crime that I "know" Tiso has committed or masterminded?

Does Tiso have business interests outside of Davenshad?

Is Tiso, or his known servants, troops or bodyguards known for their military or magical prowess?

I apparently have two nights total to plan for this.. I realize how limited a typical Hawk familiar's intelligence is (I believe he would have a 6, which is actually pretty good for a bird, lol), but I plan to use Livak and her hawk for a little bit of surveillance.. He's a predator, he knows how to look for "targets".. I want to know how many floors/windows/doors there are to Tiso's office, and where they are in relation to each other, (i.e. door faces north, with a window on the east and west sides, another door out the south, and a second story with windows to the east and north)

I also plan for the bird to be our alarm system.. (I just googled it.. They do have good night vision (but obviously not as good as an owls or other nocturnal flyer). But he will be used to a) tell us when the time to strike comes as he will be circling high above as the evening progresses, and will let us know when most/all of the people have left. B. He will also be watching to make sure Tiso is where we think he is. C. Once our attack begins, he will alert Livak/us to any interruptions or reinforcements.

What nocturnal businesses are within a few hundred yards of the shipyard (if any)? I would like to position several willing beggars (I'll pay, of course) near any routes that lead to the shipyard. If possible, I don't even want to tell the beggars where we will be, they will just be "in the area", and their job will be to distract/deflect any patrols. (Not by attacking them, but by talking to them, faking an injury/sickness, etc). Again, I do NOT want the beggars to know what the true target is. If there is no way to make this work, scratch this portion of the plan.

Longinus- (my goblin cleric gladiator).. He's screwed and he had better know it, considering some of my other titans.. Assuming that it isn't completely illegal to "be a goblin in Davenshad", I will make him an offer.. I want him to make a mask out of a burlap sack. I will give him a bottle of cheap wine. His job is this.. Once we "begin" entering the shipyard, his job is to run a 2nd level of interference in case the beggars aren't viable or something gets by them.. He's gonna be buck naked, smelling like wine, wearing a mask, and if he sees anyone that even MIGHT be a threat, he's to run run run his little naked goblin ass off, screaming bloody blue murder the whole way AWAY from the shipyard. If he gets caught, I'll have him killed. If he ever speaks about this night, I'll have him killed. If anything gets past him, I'll have him killed.. If the night goes without incident, AND we nail Tiso.. I'll set him free and arrange passage to wherever he wants to go (or keep him as a paid "free-goblin" agent for me, if he'd prefer that). (besides, if he does anything against his master, I'm pretty sure the penalty is death anyway, isn't it)?

Crap, Ferakhan is gone and so is Garkensmee..

Do any of my gladiators/guards have experience as sailors?

Do any of my gladiators have any experience with. Umm. Taxidermy? (My plan is to have Tiso's face removed from his body (not his head. His face). And that face is what I will present to Tololano as proof. (just as a reminder that I'm not as nicey-nice as he might think).

Methods of killing are still varying between a straight up beat-down, tying him to a beam on his ship and sinking it (or a rock, if the boat isn't ready), poisoning him, killing him and putting his body in the ballast-hold of his new ship, under the ballast stones, feeding him to Karsus (hope he eats humans too, lol).. or setting fire to his office/shipyard/ship. Or hanging him and making it look like a suicide.

Still not positive what the "strike force" will be. I don't want to use Thonah, or the guards, or even my gladiators if I could avoid it.. This will likely depend on a few different details received from the above questions.

Is Tiso known to have any weaknesses for hookers or other vices? No nice drug addictions I could fake an overdose from, are there? Speaking of which.. Whatever the equivalent is for a cheap, readily available and highly toxic substance is (the equivalent of crack), what is it, and how much is it, and how hard is it to get?

What type of area is the shipyard in? Affluent and well patrolled? A slum? Isolated? Surrounded by other businesses?

Okay, the answers here should pretty much tell me how/when I will do it..





Commutation (First Draft, not final) Correction, probably WONT use this one, but.. still thinking about it.


Okay, I need a slightly off-his-rocker senator. Surely such a thing exists.. Actually, I need the person to be from far off, so, either a senator, a military commander or other personage of appropriate position (nothing much lower than say, provincial governor, for example, it has to be someone with real juice).. A letter will be "received" by Adontus, laying out the request.

From: His high and mightyness, Mr. Importanter-Than-You-Person
To: Adontus, or the legatus, whatever propriety dictates.

Sir, I am given to understand that you have procured the capture of one (insert bad guy's name here). I also understand that he is to be mercifully slain for the heinous crime of Desertion. I find this verdict to be much too kind. This man seduced and ruined my youngest daughter (a girl of only ELEVEN). He brought shame to my house, and to my name. I fear that my daughter had an accident over the affair, and my heart is torn to pieces by the loss of my little girl. I have far greater plans for this man, once his ability to seduce good girls has been completely removed, stem and root.

I have heard of your good works (insert several ringing endorsements for the legatus that Linus can dig up, things that make the legatus sound better than he is), and know that advancement is ever so close for you. Perhaps all your career needs is a small nudge to earn you. I wonder who could provide such a nudge?

[pife]

So, okay, let me try to sum up...

Tiso- Linus knows how much of a time crunch he's in. He needs quick and accurate surveillance of the shipyard and it's inhabitants. He either needs this to look like an accident, a suicide, or Linus will need a rock solid alibi for where he is. While the simplest answer would be to use the element of surprise and brute force (a dozen gladiators would likely mow down any reasonable guard force he might have), that's not normally Linus' style, and would require too many people to know "the plan".. I'm half tempted to try to lure him to my ludus, and claim that Tiso attacked me.. and have Crispus stab me (in a place that he knows isn't critical).

I need more info on his nearly finished ship. Is it floated yet? Y'know, fires happen all the time, and with all that freshly seasoned wood, along with the pitch and other chemicals that they use to waterproof it, ships can be dangerous places. If the boat is already floating, it would be easy to set up a fire using a torch or lantern. I'd really prefer to make it look like an accident..

Are there any holocaust cloaks? No seriously.. Are there any orders of monks that go around robed and hooded all the time? Or, barring that, are there any diseases (like leprosy) that cause people to have to go around cloaked and hooded? The reason I ask is that a group could potentially walk right up to the shipyard, and slaughter Tiso and any companions.

Are there any criminals or organizations that leave "calling cards" at their crime scenes?

How heavy is the typical murder investigation for someone of Tiso's status?

Does he like any "dangerous" foods? Things akin to pufferfish, or absinthe?

Current thoughts on Cause of Death-
I have a few different thoughts. One is to seize him in his office, and pour seawater through a funnel down his throat till he drowns. Then just leave him there, possibly with the holy symbol of an ocean/storm type of god. Another is to suffocate him, then place him in the ballast hold of his own ship, with a rock crushing his ankle so that it appears that he just got caught. I could set fire to his yard and boat. I could tie him to the mast and sink the boat in the harbor. I could plant his body at one of his or my enemy's property. We could pour alcohol down his throat, then knock him in the head with a rock and make it look like he fell. We could mock up a fake "sacrifice" scene, making it look like some evil priest or another had sacrificed him. I could arrange the scene to look like his own servant did the deed.. Argh!! And I'm still really torn on whether I should take Linus there personally, or just send operatives. Really feel like Linus SHOULD be there, just in case, but.. that adds to the risk significantly.

[pife]

Let me just say that the preceding post does a HORRIBLE job of summing up.. Sorry about that. OMG, so many questions, lol.

Umm. One important question.. Tololano's friend (need to look up his name). Does anyone "here" (guards, officials, the legatus) know him "personally", as in, could they recognize him? I'm wondering if I'm not thinking too hard. If a letter came in from abroad, claiming that Tololano's friend had been captured elsewhere, and further stating that there has been a case of mistaken identity. So, has the dude either confessed, or been seen by people who can undeniably identify him?

Also, if I was able to convince the legatus that he had the wrong man, then he would just be released, and I wouldn't even have to worry about sneaking him anywhere. Plus the legatus wouldn't be motivated to look any deeper into it.

If it's viable, this has just become Plan A- If it's reasonable to believe that nobody in authority can personally ID the guy, and the guy hasn't confessed or admitted to his identity. I know that some of the military forces tatooed their men, not sure about this one. However, it would just state what unit he is attached to, right? There are lots of veterans from "the 7th Legion", for instance, right?

[pife]

By the way, just noticed that Livia has a Raven familiar, not a hawk.. Actually, that makes this even easier. A) it can speak. B) it's smaller, and C) it would be remarked upon less. Heck, technically, other than telling the bird to do what I say, Livia wouldn't even necessarily have to be involved. (The less of my slaves that get involved, the better).

That's it! The raven can tell me exactly where Tiso is at any point, and is small enough to comfortably get in through windows and such.. He also might be able to appropriate keys or other shiny things of interest. Now, how do I dress him up like a seagull, lol? j/k.

Hell, If Tiso gets drunk and falls asleep, I could even have the raven knock over the lamp that sets the whole blaze, lol. I might even be able to do this from home!! Remote control assassination by crow.. And, even if divination magics were used.... Unless the "perfect" questions were asked, anyone asking typical questions would be completely led astray when they saw a raven "accidentally" knock a lamp over.

BTW, anything really big that can fall onto or into Tiso's office? Like a really heavy load suspended overhead, or, if the boat falls from whatever is mooring it (assuming it's not in the water)..

I'm still popping ideas out because I'd really like for it to look like an accident if possible.

Also, please let me know of any ways I could put my hands on Tiso's assets or goods.

Only if and as it is practical, secondary interests (after Tiso is dead)
1. Making sure it can't be traced to me
2. Go through his correspondence for anything of interest- business partners, upcoming deals/shipments/deliveries, secrets, evidence, blackmail material for others, diaries, contracts, journals, manifests
3. Get good examples of his handwriting.
4. Anything generic, valuable, and portable needs to be taken, as long as it can't be identified as his.
5. Try to determine if there is any way that paperwork could be forged/altered so that it appears that I have already purchased or am partial owner of any vessel
6. Forge a codicil, granting title over the land and works of his shipyard, to the long suffering guild, with the stipulation that if they sell or break up his property, they must distribute 20% of the proceeds to the widows and orphans of dead sailors, along with a sizeable donation to the Church of Poseidon.

Unless there is a sneaky way for me to take ownership of the shipyard without arousing suspicion. If there is, let me know, and we be in bidness!!

[Erasmas]

Wow, okay...

Commutation-

Senator Cicetus Mutuus Aechus would fit that bill somewhat (added to the NPC List). Although, he isn't all that far off... most senators live either in the city or within several days of the city. If you need someone further away, let me know and I will see what we can do.

As for the draft itself, a few notes:
If you use the man listed above... "daughter" would not work (as he is far too old).
I am unsure of what "had an accident" means, but that may be on purpose.
The promise for further advancement (even one a soft as this) will likely cause the Legatus to follow up afterwards when they do not come down the line. While this does not spell doom for the plan, it is something that I think Linus would be aware of as a potential issue... thus I am just bringing it to your attention.



Tiso-

Questions:
Elevated Position - No. The raven would, in fact, be your best option for this. He would also work very well as an "alarm system"... but as a familiar, I don't believe that he can travel all that far away from his master, so Livak will most likely have to be present.
Tiso's Office - The shipyard is small enough that, while most noises may be ignored, screaming would be heard and would rouse suspicion.
Allies - The men in his employ are about the closest thing that he seems to have. Most of those that do business with him even appear to not want to have much to do with him outside of such.
Distinguishing Marks - He is half-foreigner, which is fairly distinguishing. Aside from that, he has a noticeably tall cranium and very crooked teeth.
Water Patrol - The "bay" is patrolled, yes. Usually by two boats from the Imperial Navy that work in conjunction with the City Guard. They are mostly a "respond when something goes wrong" type and are prone to ignore most 'slinking about', even when they happen to see it (at least down near the docks).
Boat's Status - No, it is not seaworthy yet. The frame is finished and they are in the process of putting on the planking for the hull. It is not currently on rollers because it is still being supported by a large network of beams and ropes.
Worst Crime - You don't know of any... unless being a underhanded in and of itself is one (in which case, Linus might want to beware).
Business Interests - He definitely has some that lie outside of Davenshad. He is the owner of a shipping company, as well as being a shipwright.
Prowess - you know nothing of his personal prowess. You have no reason to suspect that he employs anyone with arcane arts, though you know that shipbuilders are often very strong and know their way around a variety of potentially lethal tools.
Area Around the Shipyard - There are several taverns, inns, and brothels that are open all hours of the night nearby. It is in the slums (the docks) and is not patrolled well at all, except for by private guards and/or the thieves' guilds. It is fairly cramped, but crime is no random occurrence here, and many go completely unreported or entirely ignored by the majority of the people here.
Longinus - The death penalty for a slave is enacted if they "spill the blood of their master"... not simply for disobeying them. While it isn't "illegal" to be a goblin in Davenshad, it would not be unusual if he was attacked on-site by someone if he were unaccompanied (especially running naked through the street). He tells you that he would rather be set free than to remain here any longer than he must.
Sailors - No, no real experience, though some may know how to tie knots and work a fishing boat to some degree, none are really 'sailors'. With the exception of Thona - she likely has a fair bit of sailing knowledge under her belt.
Taxidermy - You do have no small amount of orc and other monstrous blood running through your stable. I would say (at the very least), that one of more of the full-blooded orcs has experience with skinning humanoids and tanning hides.
Vices - Again, other than coin... none that you know of. Nor do you know of any "dangerous" foods that he likes.
Crack - There is something called a "smick" in Rostfin, which is a type of fruit that is a hallucinogenic used for recreation. But its effects are more like LSD and opium. There isn't any form of highly processed drug in existence yet that would be a good comparison.
Beggars - Putting them in place and having them harass any potential guards is accomplished easily enough with 5 gp (split amongst many of them), to cover the area to your satisfaction.
Shipyard Fire - While this seems like a potentially good idea, Linus knows that a fire would cause wide-spread damage before the city would be able to get it under control (potentially district wide, no less... with Tololano's ship sitting tied to the docks).
Hooded Monks - The Brothers of the Black Hood (temple of Nerull) definitely match this description.
Calling Cards - Not that you are aware of, no.
Investigation - Murder is taken fairly seriously, although much less so when it occurs down in the docks. And while Tiso's is a business owner, he is not that high up the social ladder.
Tololano's Man - Again, he was removed by armed men directly from the deck of Tololano's ship. So they knew who they were looking for and where to find him. Pulling the "mistaken identity" thing will probably be very difficult.
Heavy Load Overhead - There is not currently anything that is suspended, as most of the pulleys and ropes are being utilized at the moment to hold the frame in place with the planking is attached.
Goods and Assets - You would know that most of what will be lying around would not be inconspicuous enough to sell, aside from coin and gems. Most anything will be readily identifiable as being nautical supplies, if not personal to Tiso himself. Linus would also know that trying to sign a vessel over to himself would very possibly look fishy... as there is no prior evidence of them being even remotely involved with one another. Likewise, the codicil would also probably send up red flags (as he repeated has shunned the guild very publicly) and would be likely to cause trouble for the guild in the way of an investigation into their possible involvement.

[pife]

The familiar can be at any distance IIRC, but the special abilities (speech, Appraise bonus) fade if he exceeds a mile (how big IS this town, lol)? So, either way, if I need to take Livia, I can, but if it's within a mile, she wouldn't need to, if the bird could be convinced to cooperate with me.. (maybe I can offer it some of Garkensmee's wine and rare seed, lol, maybe let him hang out with one of Garkensmee's ladies, haha.. Get that bird drunk and laid, and he'll be my best friend!! ).

Oh, "had an accident" technically meant that the Senator killed his own daughter to mitigate the shame, Taliban style, lol, but I worded it that way intentionally so that it could be misinterpreted in a number of different ways.

Next, the Commutation.. Here we go. This is the official plan..

Letter is from Senator Aechus. (need to scour Davenshad for his handwriting, unless servants write his letters for him, but if he's fairly eclectic, there's a good likelihood that he's written other missives that could be viewed, like a proclamation making it illegal to argue with or paint trees). In it, the Senator explains that during a private ceremony honoring Destonia, a vision from the Goddess indicated that on a particular date (the date of the execution, but the Senator ostensibly doesn't know that), a guilty and condemned man must be freed, in order to secure a victory for Davenshad's forces in their recently begun war with (forgot the name of the race). The penalty for failure will reap a "thousand-thousand tears" from the mothers wives and children of Davenshad. The letter won't even name Tololano's friend directly, but presumably his will be the least heinous death-penalty crime to be adjudicated that day. (otherwise, if there is more than one execution, I need to lean on Adontus to "suggest" Tololano's friend be the one saved).

The Senators letter goes on to commute the death sentence of "fill in the blank here" (No, really, the letter has a space for a name to be entered in order to make it a valid order.. you said the senator was off the rails, right)?. Instead of death, the penalty shall be changed to permanent exile, upon pain of death if the accused ever "sets foot on land in any holding of Davenshad". (this wording should even protect the fool if he sits on the boat at the Davenshad docks).

Let me know your thoughts on this, got a meeting to run to.

[Erasmas]

Davenshad is massive, but your villa and ludus are probably not a mile away from the shipyard. If she orders him to listen to you, then the bird will (without bribery).

Gotcha on the "accident" thing.

I'll need some Gather Information, Search, and Sleight of Hand rolls from anyone attempting to track down handwriting samples for the Senator. If they are doing so individually, then the rolls can stay separate. But if they are combining their efforts... then I need you to declare whomever is "leading" the effort (i.e. who it is that will be making the main roll and who will be assisting).

As to the contents of the commutation itself, I think that should do the trick.

[pife]

The first thing I'll do is check to see if the Senator is/was an author, litigator member of the judiciary, etc. If so, his proclamations should be fairly easy to find, especially in the Library of Aldarr. Also, if he's a poet, amateur minstrel, engineer, etc, he may leave doodles laying around that I can use.

If that isn't enough,


(Plan B) Noc Noc (Livak's Raven) can make attempts to find examples of the senators writing in his office.. He would have to see the senator actually doing the writing, not just grab anything from his desk.. (he could even grab a blank sheet of paper (that was likely used as a blotter back in those days) that sat under the sheet that the senator actually wrote on)

By the Way, Digitus has a weasel familiar, so if there ever comes a time when I need a little critter, and the bird won't work, I've seen the Beastmaster and Inkheart. I know that weasels/ferrets can be fantastic little thieves, lol.. So, that's always an option.

(Plan C) Has the Senator ever sent any missives to Adontus and the Legion Prison?

(Plan D) This is my last resort, because the dice hate me..

Gather Information- Herminia, assisted by Marcus
[roll0] modified by Marcus' [roll1]

Search- Herminia, assisted by Sabine [roll2] modified by Sabine's [roll3]

Sleight of Hand- I really can't remember mine. BTW, I'm going to post my own character sheet in this thread (like the gladiators character sheets) so I can get to it here at work. By the way, I am looking for ways to utilize Livak's Unseen Servant Spell, if I need it to walk into a dark room and get a piece of paper and walk back out.. Only problem is the range (25').. She would have to be at the window, basically.. Not ideal, depending on the circumstances. The only Sleight of Hand that I'm positive about right now is Marcus, so.. I'll hold off till I get home to see if Linus has the skill, Marcus' is only a 3.. I think mine might be better than that..

By the way, if they can't find the writing, they can't find the writing.. I'll just have to make due. It's not even very likely that the legatus would have "known" the senators writing in the first place, but I try to be thorough.

[Erasmas]

Plan A
Let's see if the good ol' Senator has stuff filed away in the Library of Aldarr that is able to be identified as being his writing (I'll give it a 55% chance; 1-55 = yes... 56-100 = no).
[roll0]

Plan B
If it comes to this, roll me three Hide/Move Silently/Stealth checks for either the raven, the ferret, or both (whichever is attempting this).

Plan C
Adontus informs you that he has not, in fact, ever sent a missive to him or the Stockade.

Plan D
Herminia ended up with a [30] (thanks to Marcus' +6) on her Gather Information and a [20] (thanks to Sabine's +3) on her Search!

Herminia actually learns of a torrid love affair that the Senator had with a woman many years ago! Her apparently wrote her beautiful poetry during this time period. The woman died recently (of old age) and her faithful body slave went to dispose of the letters she had kept all of these years... though she couldn't bring herself to destroy something that had meant so much to her mistress. Thinking they were such lovely works, she tracked down a fairly famous bard/cleric of Aphrodite here in the city by the name of Tulina Octania (added to the NPC List) who is know for her performances focused around love and romance. The body slave, at least according the the rumors that Herminia found, sold them all to Tulina Octania.

[pife]

Okay, I would first like to try to locate and approach the old woman's body slave, to discover if she really sold "all" of them, or if she retained any. If she did retain some, it might not be too difficult to get her to either sell, rent, or loan me one.

If I either can't locate the bodyslave, or if they won't/can't part with any, I will attempt to locate the bard/cleric of Aphrodite. The story for him will be that I knew and was friends with the old woman who died. I tell him that the reason that she had kept all of those letters was so that she could have her favorites illuminated, copied and framed, so that the lovely words could be displayed as an inspiration to all. I offer to purchase, rent or borrow the letters (or only one if that's the problem), with the guarantee that I would be making a beautiful work of art with it, AND I would be returning the original to him.

(By the way, I pay attention for any tell-tale signs.. When I'm talking to either bard or slave, when the letters are mentioned, if they are nearby, there is a strong chance that they will look at the place where they are stored, or reach down and touch the pouch that they are in, etc)



Okay, the death of Tiso..

The Plan


The Players

Livak (also written as Livia, but Livak is correct)- along with Noc Noc her Raven familiar
Digitus Minimus along with his weasel familiar
Arcius, my new 2nd level half orcish bbn
Lepidus, my 1/1 gnome wizard/fighter
Vitus- Hobgoblin gladiator
Longinus- Goblin Cleric Gladiator



Setup

Prior to beginning "the assault", I plan to have the following actions complete or in process.

1. Beggars hired to deflect any unwanted attention
2. Longinus the Goblin set as a secondary defense against unwanted attention
3. Noc-Noc (Livak's raven) to scout the area, make sure that Tiso is present, tell us how many "bad guys" there are, and where they are.
4. Prior to leaving the villa, Digitus will need a disguise (my disguise roll [roll0] plus a possible benefit from Sabine's styling services [roll1]. This is because this is the only person on my team (other than myself) that has ever been seen in public. Twice, once in the arena, and once he went to the Temple of Aldarr.
5. I will need a disguise.. [roll2] plus Sabine [roll3]
6. I, along with Marcus, must be SEEN to be drinking and carousing at a tavern a good distance away from the docks. I will find an extremely attractive hooker, and pay her 50 gold, at which point we will retire to a fine room at a popular and affluent inn. Once inside, I will convince the hooker to play along. She keeps the 50 gold, she gets a medallion and the promise of good things to come. I like tipsy girls, so she will be asked to imbibe heavily from a skin of wine that I brought. (which yes, will have a charm person potion in it). I will tell her that my medicus has me on a cleansing program which wine would badly interact with. Assuming the potion works, she will a) be informed what a great guy Linus is, b) that she should come work for him, c) that it's important to be loyal to Linus, because he gives rewards, d) that we DID mess around (we really aren't going to), and that e) Linus is AMAZING at it. This is my alibi. As soon as she is either charmed or passes out, I leave wearing Marcus' clothes with my hood up. Marcus is to stay here and ensure that nothing bad happens to the lady. So, I will try to charm her if possible, but if it doesn't work, I'll just try to convince her to go along with it. Bluff roll [roll4]

Unless someone tells me about a better time, I plan to make my move in the late hours, sometime around midnight likely.

Digitus and Livia are to be dressed in decent street clothes. Lepidus will portray their bodyservant/guard. They will be seen in market districts all day long (spending the 20 gold each I gave them, change appreciated kthx, lol), and only under cover of night will they make their way toward the docks.

Arcius, Vitus and Longinus, along with myself after I get back from the inn, will dress in heavy black hooded robes (simulating the Nerull followers), and will head toward the docks.

A wagon and team of mules with with a wagonload of rotten fish spoiled and unsold at market will be pre-staged and guarded by two of my guards. (yes, I'll buy the fish, it shouldn't cost too much, lol). As soon as we approach after the attack, we will all (save the two guards) climb into the cleverly covered boxes under the fish for the ride home. The story will be, if challenged, that Linus is punishing his gladiators for poor performance by making his warriors eat rotten fish until morale improves)

The actual "plan" will depend on what type of situation we're walking into. If we're fairly certain that he will be in his office, I can give you that plan, (but I have been meeting with my "team" and have been drilling contingencies into them. "If Tiso does x, we do y", type of stuff. "If there are guards, we do x".

Lepidus- If there are guards that might be able to be drawn off, Lepidus will use his innate Ghost Sound ability (only lasts for one round, but I think that'll be enough). He'll make the sounds of a woman in the throes of passion just far enough away from the guards (behind a crate or building) that it would take them out of sight of their post. He will also use Prestidigitate to emulate the flickering of a torch (something that the guards could see that makes it look like someone with a lantern or torch is just "around that corner". He will also use his innate Dancing Lights ability to play with shadows. Again, all of this is just a lure for any posted guards. He will be set in a position to cut off one avenue of escape from the office, and will have his greatsword ready and be holding an action to cast Truestrike.

Arcius is to stay with me. He's here for muscle, and to remove Tiso's face (he has a REEEEALY sharp knife with him).

Digitus- Foremost, he is here to coordinate the weasel. Between the weasel and the raven, I should be able to get some kickass stuff done. (Weasel has sick bonuses, +10 Balance, +10 Climb, +11 Hide, +8 MS, plus it has the Scent ability. So, the weasel is to sneak around, making sure we know where all guards are (and Tiso). If there's a locked door that we need unlocked, it's possible the weasel can unlock it. If there's an unlocked door that we need locked, it's possible that the weasel can lock/wedge it. After the fighting, the weasel is also to use it's sneaking/spotting/scenting ability to look for any hidden goodies. (Hey, gold has a smell, as does Tiernan lingerie.. Who knows, right?). He is to remain hooded and in the shadows as much as possible, but if a fight breaks out, he is to use Color Spray early and often (and the rest of the team has been instructed that when he says "pudding", they are to close their eyes for a brief moment. He'll be saying it quietly though.

Livak- Mostly here to coordinate the raven. The raven is our scout and alarm. He'll tell us what we need to do to set up the attack. Once it begins, he's going to need to watch our escape routes. However, if fighting begins, she is to cast sleep early and often (avoiding nailing our guys with it). Also, if an opportunity presents itself to use her Unseen Servant (25 foot max range) to open a door, or pick something up or the like, I take it. Could even be used to knock on a door to provide a distraction. Knock on the door, and when the door is open, make some kind of scratching sound around the corner.. Fun for hours, lol) . Can also use prestidigitation to make small noises, lights, smells, etc. Prestidigitation will also be used to clean up any blood that happens to be spilled tonight

Vitus- Hobgoblin with a Net- I think you know why he's here.

Longinus- Gave you his instructions in a prior post. But I mean what I say about setting him free if this works.. (that should also improve my reputation at home with my other gladiators).


The preferred goal is to encounter Tiso either alone or with as small and harmless a group as possible, late in the evening, at his shipyard.

Please let me know if you have any questions, or need any rolls..

[pife]

btw, if this has gone full solo now, let me know if we can pass a few weeks time, lol. I need to develop some resources. (even if said time is after all current plots are rp'd).

[pife]

And another btw.. I will not be trying to keep it a secret from Thonah and Herminia that I am creating a deception (the affluent inn and the expensive <and hopefully charmed> hooker). They won't be GOING with me, because they are too recognizable, especially Thonah, but I make sure that it's clear that no hanky panky ensued (unless Marcus nails her, lol).

I would imagine that Linus is pretty good at dissembling.. Well, not dissembling per se.. I think he would be good at subtlety. As in, asking questions without "asking questions", if you know what I mean? Like, for example, if I were wanting to determine if Herminia would be amenable to being "the other woman", thus allowing me to marry for position. (I'm delving back into the Viper's Nest). My thought process is.. Herminia is extremely valuable to me, not just because she runs my household, but because I am genuinely fond of her. However, it's my duty to the Spurius family to marry and have children, and I know that the status quo would prefer that I marry to advantage. Marrying my loyal, lovely and affectionate vilica is nice for the stories, but is it good for Linus in the long run? (Truth be told, I've been tempted on several occasions to marry Herminia, consequences be damned... Hey.. wait a minute... There will be a new spoiler at the bottom that I'll need feedback on.

To put it into perspective using Spartacus.. Linus needs a Lucretia. Someone who is a) in love with him, b) polishes up nicely and can "walk the walk" in society, c) can "preferably" advance his cause by her position, family or influence, and d) actively participate in all of my dealings, especially the underhanded ones.

An Illythia would be nice, except that bit*h is crazy, lol. It's hard to say if she would have remained loyal to Glaber if treated well. She has all of the attributes I would look for (attractive, cultured, sensuous, calculating, fearless), but unlike Lucretia, Illythia came across as something of a wild-card, more of an "all about me" instead of an "all about us".

Interesting thought about Herminia
So, y'know how Linus was born a streetrat, and he is now a minor noble because he's a clever, duplicitous bastard who took the identity of a dead nobleman? Well, I haven't thought it all the way through yet but.. what if we "reinvented" Herminia as well? As in, did something similar to let Herminia assume the mantle of a family name not her own? I mean, this isn't the computer age, where there are pictures and records of you everywhere.. Hmm.. I wonder if Tiso has a daughter, lol?

But basically, assuming I was clever and put together a convincing story, how feasible do you think it would be to give Herminia a false identity? Obviously, it wouldn't gain me any assets (unless I was able to pull something like what I did for myself, lol), but at least there might not be the stigma of me marrying a slave and Herminia having been a slav.

[pife]

The Final Lap with the Viper's Den

Okay, I'm wanting to wrap my current courtship woes up.

I'm down to three "contestants" in the "Win-a-Husband" sweepstakes !

Contestant #1- Herminia
Contestant #2- Firra
Contestant #3- Carrera

(I was tempted to just have Linus "play the field" and have fun rp'ing encounters with multiple women, but, for some reason I picture Linus as strangely loyal when it comes to romance. He really is a romantic at heart. And this is why both Clementina and Giada are out of the running).

Activity #1I plan to visit the churches of Aphrodite, Destonia, Palotasha and Vegella. I plan to spend no less than 6 hours at each location, in the late evening. (basically, I'm spending a night apiece at these temples). Between donations, incenses, small offerings/sacrifices, I plan to spend 50 gp in EACH location. I will be praying, requesting to speak to a ranking priest (counselling session, looking for advice), and performing small rituals intended to appease each deity. I try to look at it from all angles, but the basic question I am trying to find an answer for is: Which woman will bring with her the greatest joy, for myself, for herself, and for those around her? I am invoking the deities of Love, Fate, Wisdom and Luck to try to get my answer.

Activity #2 I'm sure that Linus has "friends" of sorts. What kind of good natured ribbing/teasing/encouragement am I hearing from my contemporaries? Of the three ladies, which are my friends "rooting" for?

Activity #3 (Alias: The Search for Synergy). Of the three, is there one that stands out to YOU ("you" being Jeremy as DM) as being more interesting? I hate to say it, but if the DM "loves" one contestant, and is "neutral" to another, chances are the story will get more intriguing if it uses the one the DM likes.

Fact Checking Okay, since I love the little matrices you've put together for me, I'm asking for another one.. Please rate the three by:

Affinity for Underhanded dealings- Do they have the skills and the temperament to be the Domina of an upwardly mobile morally ambiguous lanista?

Social Circles- Each of these three ladies has a social circle. Obviously they will be extremely different.. Herminia's would all be slaves, Firra's would likely be largely from the priesthood, and Carrera's.. I'm not sure, lol. But, each of these social circles will be more or less "relevant" to the game and story than the others. All other things being equal, whose Social Circle would be more likely to be useful (prestige, information, invitations, assistance, etc)

Genuine Feelings- Different people express affection differently. However, one of these women actually IS more genuinely fond of me than the others, and one IS less fond than the others. Of course, my ability to interpret their "true" feelings comes into question, but as far as I can tell, rate them in the intensity of their feelings toward me (as perceived by me).

Intangibles- Sometimes, it's nothing that you can quantify.. Perhaps one of them has better taste in clothes, or just has that effortless magnetic charisma that inspires those around her. Or, for example perhaps one has a skill that wouldn't "normally" be considered relevant.. (Craft: Painting at 18, for example).


Am I agonizing over nothing? Assume that I pick one and marry her.. Will she be more active, less active, or equally active when compared to the other NPC's in my employ? I mean, the decision takes on more importance if you are going to drive part of the story through this relationship. If they are just going to be a background NPC (ala Valento), it's not as imperative that I "get it right". (btw, I love Valento, and I'm totally cool with his role. I occasionally ask questions, you give me answers, but he isn't a "player" in my activities). So, will my love interest be Random NPC #6, or will that person be used by you to drive the story?

[Erasmas]

Love Letters-

You have a difficult time even finding word on what happened to the body slave. It appears that she was set free upon her mistress' death and was even given a portion of the estate (as the woman had no surviving heirs). The body slave seems to have sold the letters and then left the city.

You easily can locate the bard/cleric, as she is fairly well-known and is prominent within the temple. You see no tell-tale sign from her as to where the letters are being kept, but she does seem curious as to why a lanista (such as yourself) would care to illuminate and frame such lovely prose (such as the letters). It does not seem as though she is going to refrain from loaning any of them to you... she just seems like her interest has been piqued in your interest.


I will have to finish this up later. This coming week is a total ball-buster and everyone and their mother is wanting their ish done early. My schedule for today was looking pretty lax, but my many masters have decided to crack the whip!

Going Solo-

Yes, obviously... this has gone solo now. However, you will not be able to roll for resources just yet. We still have both Tiso's death to play through as well as the Festival Matches in the Danacus Auditorium. And then we will work on getting you some more cash!


Herminia-

I like the idea of trying to "reinvent" Herminia a lot! And because I am a fan of storylines that converge and intermingle, we will say that Linus has unearthed a rumor that Tiso has an illegitimate daughter (roughly Herminia's age) that has been living with her mother in a much smaller Davenian village quite some distance away. Let's see where that might lead us.
:smallwink:


Viper's Nest-

I will hold off on this for the time being, just until you chew on the above for a bit and make a decision on that. Let me know if you still want to pursue this!

But to answer the follow-up questions... she will likely be not dissimilar to Valento's role. She will be there, interacting with you when you request it. And she will be a potential tool for me as a DM with which to either feed you information, sink in a hook, or RP something that needs to be done. As we are not role-playing this game in "real time" (aka focusing on the characters' activities throughout each day), I don't see much point in consistently talking through her.


Other Stuff-

Thank you! Yeah, I wish that you had been able to come as well. But, hopefully that can happen next time! Unfortunately this week is anything but smooth, however... I did get the chance to post this morning at least.

I typically just refer to this game as "the gladiator game" or "Crimson & Gold" or just "Crimson". And yeah, that other game sounds a little... abusive. LOL

And I am absolutely down for working on putting another game together!

[pife]

I too, have many masters.. (Luckily for me, today they seem to be leaving me alone).

[pife]

Welcome back! Hope everyone came back from the wilderness unburned (by the sun OR the fireworks, lol) and un-drained by the mosquitos.

Hope you have a smooth week coming to help you recover from what I am sure were long days and nights of gaming and merriment. I want to thank you again for inviting me. I really wish I would have been able to make it.

Anyway, since it's been a few days, let me know if I need to get you any rolls or information on this. (By the way, what do you call this game? I find that I don't really have a name for it.. I've called it "the gladiator game", "the game Jeremy's running", "Crimson and Gold".. What do you call it, lol?

I'm down to this game and one other in which I'm playing a solo level 2 wizard in the Forgotten Realms. (So not much action, lol.. And the DM was a hardass. My high score is a 14, and I have 3 8's.. Brutal, lol). I think my raven familiar has done almost as much damage as I have, lol, and I've only been knocked out and woken up "somewhere else" twice so far..

So, if you're still interested in collaborating on another game, just let me know when you have some time, and we can start zeroing in on what we're after..

[Erasmas]

Okay, I updated my previous post addressing everything except for the murder of Tiso (including your response posts).

I am heading to lunch and will hopefully be able to push the ball into gear on that, complete with map and all that stuff. Go ahead and give me an initiative for all of the players involved on your end. I will get a Battle Map and Battle Chart posted in the initial post of this thread soon!

[pife]

Initiative (I'm assuming that the familiars go on the same initiative as their masters, but let me know if they need an individual roll).



Me [roll0] (I have GOT to make a copy of my character sheet. I don't recall what my initiative modifier is, but I'll go with +2 for now)
Livak: [roll1]
Digitus: [roll2]
Arcius: [roll3]
Lepidus: [roll4]
Vitus: [roll5]
Longinus: [roll6]

(By the way, one of my posts above was unclear. I stated that I need to be in disguise, then later described my alibi (hooker, expensive inn, etc). For THAT part, I need to be obviously, me.. It's for the actual travel cross-town and the assault on Tiso's shipyard that I need the disguise for. Just wanted to clear that up).

As far as Herminia's re-invention, some thoughts..


Can illegitimate daughters inherit in Davenshad?
Did my informant know if both mother and daughter were still alive?
Did the informant know if Tiso was on speaking terms with either mother or daughter?
Is it known if the daughter has ever been to Davenshad?
Theoretically, assuming that A) everything goes perfectly, which it never does, and B) that I understand the situation correctly.. So, theoretically, if Herminia was able to successfully "assume" the mantle of Tiso's daughter, then she could inherit some/all of his holdings?
This one is a statement rather than a question. I would plan for and prepare this without letting Herminia know I was doing it. My plan would be, assuming all went well and I "could" insert Herminia into "Tiso's family", I would actually manumit her FIRST, THEN grant her her new "title and holdings", and THEN get down on my knee in some extremely romantic fashion and propose to the newly minted "Ms. Wealthy daughter of Tiso". So it would be; "Surprise, you're free, because I love you". "2nd Surprise, you're now a wealthy woman in your own right, have fun with that". "3rd Surprise ultra romantic (yes, I'd put some thought into it) proposal. That way, she could slap me, take the money and walk away if she was so inclined. I would hold no authority or leverage over her, thus allowing her to make any romantic decision free of any obligations or entanglements.


Oh, just thought of something. I don't know how common manumission is.. But, could I, as a citizen of Davenshad, physically be in another holding and manumit my slave from there? Meaning, if I was from Davenshad, could I take Herminia to "Riverside" and manumit her there? I'm just wanting to avoid any possible recognition issues.

Yet another thought.. Okay, so picture it.. What about this story.. Tiso, being a thoroughly despicable bastard, had actually sold his illegitimate daughter (illegally, I should hope) into slavery, and its just the merest happenstance that I happened to own her. (There should be no other connection between Tiso and myself, as our paths and interests did not cross). But, when Tiso is found dead or missing, a document (aged to look like it's from the correct time) would be found, the "bill of sale" as it were that had condemned his poor daughter to slavery. This could further impugn his reputation, and potentially make the authorities stop looking so hard . It would also justify and explain why "that slave that Linus Spurius wandered around with" had just become "Ms. Tiso's Daughter". It's even possible to invent a completely "new" illegitimate daughter. (hey, he was a sailor, right? A girl in every port?). If this one was designated/documented as "older than" the "real" illegitimate daughter, then she would inherit over the "real" one, correct? Then, Linus and Herminia could even send the "younger half-sister" some kind of bequest, improving her lot in life as well. Did that make sense? It's a bit convoluted, but I'm thinking it might work... I think it would be better than either finding and killing the real daughter, and also better than hoping like hell that the real daughter never shows up.

To summarize that line of thought, here would be the phantom "timeline".

1. Tiso creates an illegitimate daughter (Herminia) in his varied travels. The mother "died in childbirth"
2. Tiso sells Herminia into slavery
3. Tiso has his "real" illegitimate daughter with whomever he had her with.
4. Tiso dies
5. Documents (planted by me, of course) are found by the authorities investigating his death that clearly mark him as an unlicensed slave trader, who is also guilty of the deplorable crime of selling your daughter into slavery (if it isn't a crime, it should be, lol). The documents name Herminia and some real or imagined time and place where the "sale" took place.
6. Linus, finding out about this, immediately manumits Herminia, because.. it's the right thing to do
7. Herminia inherits Tiso's assets (and his debts, I'm sure)
8. Linus proposes to Herminia allowing her to accept or refuse as a free woman.
9. Herminia either accepts or tells me to pound sand
10. Assuming she accepts, we find and "gift" Tiso's real daughter with some kind of wealth, also inviting her to visit, and otherwise acting as though Herminia "has a sister that she never knew about and now wants to get to know".. (This could possibly also deflect any suspicion.. It wouldn't be unreasonable that Tiso fathered a child. Nor is it unreasonable that the daughter he condemned to slavery would be generous and interested in beginning a "relationship" with her newly found sister)
11. Linus and Herminia forge an empire of their own, eventually eclipsing Davenshad and taking over the world.
12. Linus wakes up from his pipe dream.


Okay, the bard/cleric.. I would just tell her that my acquaintance had often reminisced about her wish to "immortalize" the poems that the Senator had written her, but was concerned about the impact on his reputation. Now that she is dead, I can honor her wishes and see copies of these beautiful verses into her crypt, and into the Temple of Aphrodite. It wouldn't be "Linus as lanista" who is showing interest. He's just doing one last favor for an old friend. (BTW, if personal friend doesn't work, then perhaps the old woman was my "grandfather's" friend, or perhaps my grandfather was even a subsequent lover (oooh, he'd be rolling in his grave for that lie, lol). Yes, that might be the way to go. The old woman was the apple of my grandfather's eye, but for whatever reason, he never pursued the woman romantically. (This would also allow for the old woman to have been a commoner, and would also justify why my grandfather had not pursued or publicized it.). Surely, as a prominent lanista, my grandfather would have had multiple opportunities to run into the Senator over the years. Hell, I might even be able to get him to "remember" it, if he's as batcrap crazy as you say. (The senator, not my grandfather, lol).

[Erasmas]

Okay... time to get busy busy here at work again. I posted the stuff in the initial post. Your animal spies return with the information depicted there - Tiso and his slave are in his office; and there is a third person that is apparently working late this evening - a large orc with a big wooden mallet.
:smallbiggrin:

Oh, and this is kinda the architecture you are looking at for this area.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v71/Erasmas/Crimson%20and%20Gold/Shipyard_zps856070b7.jpg

[pife]

I object to your "work"! I demand that you become independently wealthy, immediately!

Okay, now I wish I had brought Mummia (my female orc) for honeypot duty, lol. That being said.. Livak isn't hard to look at. Hmm..

What time of night is it?
Does the orc look like a laborer or a guard?
What is on the "north" and "west" sides of the office?
Please Confirm any windows/doors/stairs/cellars in the office that I am aware of

My people will be informed that, if possible, all three should be taken alive if possible (but when in doubt, wipe-em-out). Any attempts to "capture" should ensure silence as much as possible. And all three dead are far preferable to losing one or having an alarm raised.

Can I assume that my alibi activities were performed and were (to my knowledge) successful, or will we RP that one as well? (hooker, wine, room, trade clothes with marcus, disguise, etc) (speaking of which, how did the charm thing go?, assuming it's happened yet?)

Do any of my "people" voice opposition or disapproval at being included?

Do any of my people make suggestions?

Did I, my agents, or their familiars see or know about any type of "alarm system"? Whether that's just a bell/gong to alert people, or a "lunch bell" at the office that gets rung at noon, or a horn, or any other theft prevention device?.. pause.. I will have Livak and/or Digitus use Detect Magic quietly when they are in range, to attempt to identify any magical entanglements or items, including those on Tiso himself.

How much did the load of rotten fish cost, and were any other fees/bribes necessary (other than the 5gp for the beggars)?

I also ensure that everyone has "something" that can be used as bindings and gags. 5 ropes need to be brought, just in case. (It's a shipyard, I'm sure there are literally TONS of ropes just lying around though).

Once I am aware of the orc, I want to quietly talk to Arcius. I tell him to memorize this phrase (translated to orcish). "Stop. Cooperate and get paid. Interfere and get dead" He is to say this to the orc if I give the signal. All of my people are informed of him and his whereabouts. Livak and Digitus are instructed to focus both a Sleep and a Color Spray at him if he engages, after first ensuring that Tiso is engaged and not escaping.

I am also looking for places to fake an accidental death, just in case that becomes viable. If, for example, I am able to convince the slave and the orc to stand down, I can try to make it all look like an accident. Of course, if push came to shove, I could also just position the slave and Tiso as though they had killed each other simultaneously, and then make it look like lots of alchohol and unwilling sexins (inflicted on the slave) may have been the cause of the altercation. Also possible, sinking him in the water, putting him under a pile of wood, throwing him off the roof with a bottle of rum so it looks like he fell, placing him in the ballast hold of a partially complete ship (assuming it's not just ribs like in the picture) and covering him with ballast stones, finding the pile of ballast stones in the shipyard and burying him under it, burning him in the pitch warmer (I believe the pitch had to be hot to be spread, so there must be some industrial sized crucible or some such), hanging him and making it look like a suicide, etc. So, just looking for all reasonable possibilities for place/cause of death.

[pife]

btw, your picture has a fire extinguisher and spotlights in it, lol. That's top notch safety gear for Davenshad, que no?

[Erasmas]

Yes, I know it does. It also doesn't contain a two-storied building or an orc that's going to crush your... oh, nevermind!
:smalltongue:

Okay, the rest of the above will be addressed soon. However, a little bit more about the Map so that you may strategize!

Doors/Doorways:
A3 (leads to the street; official entrance/exit for the shipyard)
A6/7 (opens onto the top of the staircase; used to access the 'yard' from the 'office' and vice versa)
C2/3 (leads into the bedroom)
D2/3 & D4/5 (leads onto the balcony, overlooking the 'yard')
All of Column 21 (massive set of double doors that are barred and locked; are opened when the chamber is ready to be flooded, in order to sail the boat out)


Windows:
A5/6 (opens onto the street, ground level)
A/B1 (opens into an alley, ground level)
D1/2 (opens in bedroom; looks down on 'yard')
D5/6 (opens in office; looks down on 'yard')


Tiso is seated at his desk, working. Tiso Slave is going through inventory. The Boatman is hammering planks into place. The staircase (Column 7) has a half-wall that runs along the length of it. The office only has the second story (there is nothing below it) and it at street level; the remainder of the yard in below ground level so that it can be flooded (via aqueducts and through the currently dammed carved channel that runs in front of it, outside of the big doors). The whole thing is lit by multiple hanging oil lamps (not spot lights) that are scattered throughout.

[pife]

Okay, questions..

From the map, you say that the front door at A3 leads to the street. Does that same street run parallel to the shipyard? Specifically, can a person stand on the street at around F0 and look down into the shipyard? Are there any buildings or other obstacles that prevent line of sight or access?

The door at A6/7, is it/can it be barred, and are there mechanisms (brackets) to bar it from both sides, or just one side?

Is there (with a little climbing perhaps) access to the stairs from the street?

What types of businesses/buildings are adjacent (including across the street) from the shipyard? And how much traffic is there in the wee hours?

Are the windows at street level large enough to be used for entry/exit? Are they open/shut (what time of year is it, I can't recall)? Are there bars on the windows, or easy access?

Tell me a bit more about the alley to the "west" of the shipyard. Please include information on what I would see if I was standing in the alley at E0 looking toward the shipyard.

I've had people/birds observing this place for two days. Is the door to the office (A3) usually left open/locked/barred?

How hard would it be to procure a couple of first level scrolls (DMG 25gp each) (Specifically considering Hold Portal, Grease, and possibly Enlarge Person)

Can Noc-Noc tell me if there is any roof access? (ability to enter the building from the roof)

Are there any ladders/ropes/ledges/other reasonable access that would allow someone in the sunken yard to climb to the alley/street?

Am I correct in assuming that Unseen Servant can be cast so as to appear on the other side of a glass window? Meaning, cast from the alley through the closed window, manifesting inside the office?

I took another look at Unseen Servant.. It says it can't attack in any way. However, I stipulate that standing perfectly still, holding a stick horizontal and parallel to the ground at a height of 4 inches isn't an attack. He's more like furniture that gets tripped over, but I'll agree to any call you make in that regard.

Are there papers or other small objects in the office? (Objects lighter than 20 pounds, specifically)

How sturdy (and of what construction) is the office building itself? Would someone likely hear a person that attempted to quietly move across the roof and drop down onto the balcony?

Are the doors to the balcony open or closed?

The windows to the alley.. how are they covered? Storm Shutters? Drapes/curtains on the inside?

What weapons are visible on Tiso?

How far is the drop from street/balcony level to the floor of the shipyard?

What is in the alcove under the office?

Lets start with those, and that should get me 99% of the way there.

[Erasmas]

Okay... here goes...

Non-Combat Stuff

Herminia's Reinvention

Yes, under the conditions we discussed via text.
It is merely a rumor at this stage, no confirmation has been obtained. But the rumor did not mention the death of either.
Unknown.
Unknown.
Yes; and marrying her, you would then be the proud owner of a shipping company and shipyard. Again, theoretically.
Free. Richness. Romance. Got it.
As a slave, she would be registered here, in the city (since this is where your property is all located, it is also where it is all registered).
The scheme about Tiso selling his daughter into slavery might work, so long as no one decides to validate the initial rumor about her living far away in some fishing village. The one about him having a second daughter (older than the "real one"), may also work... though Herminia may (or may not) have a few scruples about lying to an 'innocent' woman with something like the basis of becoming sisters.


Love Letters

This may be possible. The senator isn't "crazy" per say... just a little eccentric and senile. Regardless, the bard/cleric does grant you one of the letters (at first), to make sure that you will make good on your promise of returning it before she releases any more of them to you. However, it should be more than sufficient for what your true intentions are.


I welcome being independently wealthy. Make it so.


The Murder of Tiso Nomitus

Yes, familiars go in the same initiative segment as their master.
I believe you are correct about your bonus (a +2).
Roger on the disguise for for the assault, not for establishing the alibi. I figured that is what you wanted to do... as that is the only way that it makes sense.
It is around 10-11ish (no clocks, but approaching mid-night).
Orc is a laborer.
North of the office (the front) is a street that runs east down to the channel. Across the street is another shipyard (currently empty). To the west is a seedy brothel/inn... still lots of noise and activity there.
What I described about the map is everything that you are aware of.
Your people are so informed (you will be controlling them anyways).
Your alibi was performed and the hooker was more than willing to go along with it - the charm potion worked wonders! Marcus did in fact nail her... she attractive (as per request) and was bought and paid for and once she started drinking, he 'wooed' her (as much as she needed to be).
No, no one voiced any objections or suggestions.
No, no alarm system seems to be present.
No magical auras of any kind emitting from the shipyard. You will not be able to cast those on Tiso until the casters are able to lay eyes on him.
The rotten fish set you back 2 gp for the whole lot. No bribes were necessary.
Yes, more rope than you could shake a, well... a rope at.
Got it on Arcius, however (once again), you will be controlling them.
It looks like there will be no problems faking an accident (possibly for all three men). It is a dangerous environment, after all.
The street runs east-west, someone standing in F0 would be in an alleyway (between the shipyard and the brothel). But no, you cannot look down into it... it is two-storied (one below ground level, one above). Just like in the other picture, it is all enclosed.
It can be barred and locked from the inside, preventing anyone in the shipyard that may come up the stairs from getting inside the office (such as the orc).
No. Again, it is completely enclosed - a wall runs around the entire perimeter (with the exception of the large doors to the east).
See above.
Yes. Windows are big enough for entry and exit, though they are currently shuttered (it is mid spring, though winter has been prophesied to cling on a bit longer). No, no bars.
The alley is dark and dirty and littered with all manner of things. If someone where standing in E0 and looked towards the shipyard, they would see a stone brick and mortar wall.
It is always barred and locked once the main workforce goes home for the day. Tiso and his slave are also usually lightly armed during this time.
It would be fairly easy, but not in such a short time span without possibly rousing suspicion once the crime scene is discovered.
Yes, but only for halfling/goblin/children sized people (where the aqueduct lets water in to fill the room.
No, no other means of accessing the alley or the street; other than leaving the shipyard and going out into the channel... but without it being full of water, it would be a difficult climb.
I suppose that would work, yes.
Yes, plenty of small objects lying around. The office is kinda a mess.
Very sturdy (brick and mortar). No, no one would likely hear you moving on the roof... but again, you cannot access the balcony from the outside.
They are move doorways with curtains.
Shutters, with curtains (to prevent a draft).
He carries a shortsword and dagger.
it is about a ten foot drop.
The only empty space below the office is directly under the balcony. It is filled with barrels and crates.

[pife]

Assault on Tiso's Shipyard

Here's the plan...

Starting Positions and Pre-Combat actions

Nominal starting positions (with explanations and pre-encounter movement for how I (hopefully) get there.

Noc-Noc the raven flying overwatch
Sly the Weasel: With Digitus
Linus: C0
Lepidus: Standing at the feet of Vitus at A0
Arcius: B0
Livak: A neg1
Digitus: B neg1
Longinus: lurking/hiding around A8
Vitus: Ready to boost Lepidus through the window at A0



Pre-Planned Actions

Livak's Raven Noc-Noc [SPOILER]will be flying overwatch. It is to empathically communicate with her using predetermined keys. (the raven will be looking for observers wandering into the area, and knows the difference between a patrol of guardsmen and a gaggle of revellers. Would communicate concern for the one, and alarm for the other. If Livak sends an empathic message, Noc-Noc is to break off his overwatch, and FIND TISO (because Livaks signal will mean that Tiso is escaping). The bird is to locate and trail Tiso, even into buildings if need be.

Point of Attack

On a visual (watch my fingers) count of three, the following things happen almost simultaneously.

First, Lepidus quietly casts his innate Ghost Sound, to create the sound of a rusty saw laboring through gnarled wood, as loud as he can.

Second, several things happen: As soon as the noise begins, Arcius assisted by Linus rip the shutters out of the wall, at the same time that Vitus lifts Lepidus, ready to help him through the window as soon as the shutter is gone. Finally, before Lepidus is put in the window, but after the shutter is ripped out, Livak quietly casts Sleep centered about 8 feet behind Tiso, to ensure we hit Tiso, miss ourselves, and potentially hit the slave at the same time that Digitus casts Cause Fear on Tiso

So, in a perfect world,

Ghost Sound masks the noise of the shutters being ripped out, two targeted spells hurl at Tiso the moment the shutters are gone, then Vitus tosses Lepidus in the window, and begins to follow.

[pife]

Okay, trying to sort out where we are, and what's next.

I think the Tiso Assault can be called "under-way"..

Commuted Sentence- Is there anything else that needs to happen with this one? I think we should be to the moment of truth, or close to it.

Herminia's Reinvention- This supercedes the Viper's Nest. I will only go back into the Viper's Nest if something goes wrong with my plans for Herminia.

Vegella Party- Looking forward to this. I think most of the plans are laid, just need to finalize the party-game that will be played (with the ribbons and the prizes, etc), and actually do the gladiator fights. Will you prefer that those are done in-game, or would you rather I just run them and give you the results?

Manhunt- Underway

Two planned gladiator bouts (umm, can't remember the details, but sent one to Nerull, and two to this one).

Receipt of Thaphos, the sexy Tiernan, and the mystery chick. (Assuming both Tiso's Assault and the Jailbreak occur without incident).

Am I missing any?

I'm not going to bring up any additional plans at the moment, till we clear out the ones we have. Once that happens, I think it will be fairly easy to stay on track.

[Erasmas]

The Murder of Tiso Nomitus

The plan engages, and things seem to go beautifully (at least thus far). Lepidus enters the window and finds himself atop a barrel in the corner of the room. Through the gap in the curtains, Livak unleashes her sleep magics and it does the trick, Tiso immediately slumping forward onto his desk in a snoring slumber. Digitus' attempt to cause fear, however, seems to be ignored... possibly because the poor fellow is already asleep!


Tiso:
[roll0] (Will save - versus sleep@DC=13)
[roll1] (Will save - versus cause fear@DC=14)
Boatman:
[roll2] (Listen check, to hear the ruckus)

1

Other Plots
I don't know if you noticed or not, but I added all of the important stuff from the old OOC into the initial post here in this thread. That way it won't go away and you can access everything you should need here.

Commuted Sentence- Nope, I think we're all set for this. However, I am going to wait until we finish up the Tiso stuff to fully reveal how this one plays out.

Herminia's Reinvention- You got it. Also pending Tiso stuff.

Vegella Party- You go ahead and run those fights (since they are between your gladiators anyways) and let me know the rankings afterwards. You can even do so in here (if you would like)... but maybe also after Tiso stuff (to not confuse rolls)?

Gladiator Bouts- Just the one on the table right now - the one in celebration for the Spring Festival (two will fight in one bout there).

Receipts- Pending both Tiso stuff and Commuted Sentence stuff.

[pife]

Awesome, thanks for moving that stuff from OOC. And, I agree on waiting for Tiso first and then the Jailbreak before muddying the water with the rest.. BTW, wasn't positive.. Is it my turn (starting at top of initiative after surprise round) or is it the Boatman and the Slave's turns?

[Erasmas]

Yup. That was the surprise round and now we go through the order!

[pife]

Here we go!

Lepidus- Crosses the room quickly and bars the door to the drydock, turning to put his back to the door, facing Tiso's slave.

Livak Casts Sleep in such a manner as to hit Tiso's slave but nobody else. (If this is not feasible for any reason, her action changes to picking up the shutter that Arcius/Linus ripped down, and, without getting in the way, casts Mending to reattach it to the window frame (leaving it open and not impeding those climbing in)

Technically it's Tiso's turn after this, but I'm going to assume that I'm safe to move on since he's asleep...

Linus holds his action to allow Vitus to enter the window. As soon as Vitus is through, Linus will also crawl through (should be able to get both through in one round, you think)?

Vitus- clambers through the window quickly. His focus is two-fold.. First and foremost, block the door to the street, and second, silence Tiso's slave. (This will start with the finger over the lips "Shhhh", with a big toothy hobgoblin grin.. )

And at this point it's Tiso's Slave's turn..

[Erasmas]

As everyone begins to clamor into the room, Tiso's slave spins around with a look of confusion and near terror. As the realization as to what is going on dawns upon his face, he opens his mouth as if to call out - only to emit a loud snore himself before collapsing to the ground on the spot!


Okay, so...
Lepidus:
(Double move to A6)
Livak:
sleep centered at intersection C/D,5/6 should do the trick.

You did not mention Longinus, so I am assuming that he is still outside (@ "-A"8) and is holding his turn to distract, if needed.

Vitus:
(Moves to A3)
Sounds like an Intimidate check may be in order!
:smallwink:

Linus:
(Moves to A2 - first available space)
Now goes immediately after Vitus in the order.


Slave:
[roll0] (Will save - versus sleep@DC=13)

[pife]

Quietly, so as to barely be heard at the window

Both, Livak? Impressive. See me when we return to the ludus.

Not sure if the Boatman heard anything or not, but.. if it's "free for all" time,

Linus directs traffic in the center of the room, overseeing Tiso and his slave being tied up ridiculously well, and gagged. Everyone (but Longinus and Noc-Noc) are to come into the office, the shutter is to be mended quietly, the curtains are to be drawn shut, voices are to be kept to a minimum, the key to the front door located.

Let me know if the Boatman is coming, or if I can keep going from there.

[Erasmas]

I need Rope Use checks from whomever is doing the tying. And after a couple of seconds, you do hear a gruff voice from outside the door as someone tries the latch.

"Dominus? Ever-ting right?"

[pife]

very quietly, almost a whisper,Lepidus, when I give the word, unbar the door, then move over here (A2). Arcius and Vitus, there, and Vitus, quietly count out loud to 30. . (pointing to A5 and B5). Digitus, Livak, Lepidus, when the door opens, let him have it.

For myself, I reposition my hood to better hide my face , and move to Tiso's body, producing a dagger and holding it to his throat. If Vitus gets to 30 in his count, I plunge the dagger through Tiso's throat. If the Boatman attacks or sounds the alarm in any way, I plunge the dagger through Tiso's throat.

[Erasmas]

Okay, I still need Rope Use checks, please!
Also, check the Battle Map and let me know if that is where you want everyone before Act II begins.

[pife]

Tying up was halted when the knock came. Now, I'll be trusting Vitus' count and will kill Tiso if he reaches 30. Please move Arcius and Vitus to A and B 4 please. Lepidus to unbar the door and run to C5. I figure that at best, we'll have about 3-4 rounds to talk/fight/negotiate before Tiso starts to wake up.

[Erasmas]

Vitus counts out, "1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6..." as everyone prepares for opening the door. You hear the orc call from the outside, "Dominus? You count? You voice-sound no right. Why you lock door?"

Once everyone was in position, they all turn and look at you.

[pife]

Now Lepidus!

[Erasmas]

Lepidus unlatches the door and hurriedly moves away. The wooden portal then swings open and in steps a very large orc, with an equally large mallet resting upon his shoulder and a look of angered confusion on his face.

He seems surprised to find the scene laid out before him. Luckily, you had your people prepare.


The Boatman opened the door and stepped into A6.

Lepidus has taken his readied action (opening & moving to C5).
Livak, Vitus, Digitus, and Arcius may take their Readied Actions now.

[pife]

Before I give the signal to attack, I try diplomacy.

Oh good, you're here. I need your hammer. Give it to me, NOW, or your master dies now I gesture with my free hand to the knife point at Tiso's throat and you'll only survive him by moments. Put down the hammer, and go back where you were, quietly. This will all be over in a moment. Good boy.

[roll0]
(Added my reputation to this diplo roll. If I shouldn't have, please reduce my roll by 2)

[Erasmas]

The orc looks like he might be considering your offer... at first. However, in hindsight, you think that the condescending tone and demeaning wording may have overdone it a bit - and that he caught on to more of it than you would've expected out of an orc. You hear him grind his teeth and his knuckles pale around the haft of his hammer.

And taking an offensive stance, he raised the weapon off of his shoulder.

[pife]

Kill. Tiso. Now.


Disappointed, I tell my slaves Take him!!

[Erasmas]

Okay, so Readied Actions.
I need:
Rolls for those that are attacking
Spell choices for those that are... spelling :smallconfused:
Linus' coup de grace damage against Tiso

[pife]

Okay, the attackers hold actions until after the spellcasters do their thing.

Livak- Sleep
Lepidus- Truestrike (on himself, obviously)
Digitus- pudding! Colorspray

Linus' Coupe de Ville- Dagger+Sneak Attack.. [roll0] and [roll1]

[roll2]

And after the spellcasters have done their thing, Vitus and Arcius join the fray.

Vitus' Net (Ranged Touch) [roll3] (orc is Flat-footed, right?)
don't know if a crit roll is necessary for nets but.. hey, why not, lol. [roll4]

Arcius Rages and attacks with his Greataxe [roll5]
Damage roll [roll]1d12+4
Crit [roll6]

By the way, for the record, if the boatman goes down (either with sleep, or is either knocked out (unlikely) or stunned by color spray, Arcius does not attack (but Vitus throws the net regardless). If Boatman is asleep, Arcius moves to tie him. If Boatman is stunned, I'd like Arcius to place himself in position to knock him out or something similar..

[pife]

formatted the damage for Arcius wrong, my bad.

[roll0]

[Erasmas]

The orc readies himself for battle. Livak's spell seems to hit him, but has no affect! However, Digitus' spell sprays a fountain of color at the Boatman and he gasps in surprise and drops his mallet (stunned for 1 rd). Vitus hurls his net, ensnaring the stunned orc. Arcius, seeing that the spell worked, stays his hands but steps into position to attempt to strike him with the pommel of his greataxe.

You drag your blade across Tiso's throat and he opens his mouth as if to cry out in pain, but emits nothing more than a wet gurgle as his crimson life-force pours out of the gashing wound in his neck. Soon, he lies motionless upon the floor.


The Boatman:
The sleep spell seems to have no effect on him.
[roll0] (Will save - versus color spray@DC=14)

Tiso:
Since we are using a different criticals system, the coup de grace will not do automatic double damage (which does lower the DC of his save). However, you do get to land on the nifty chart automatically! Your result (17) was something that didn't make much sense, so I chose one nearby on the chart that did!
[roll1] (Fortitude save - versus coup de grace@DC=17)
Throat Slash: Normal damage & [roll2] bleed; target cannot talk or breathe while bleeding

The net actually hits. We'll see what his save up there comes out as first.
The roll for Arcius still didn't work (he hit), so... [roll3]

[pife]

Awesome! And, if I'm interpreting this correctly, I'm assuming that means that everyone gets to go again, as the Boatman was last on the initiative and is stunned.

Lepidus casts Daze (Will DC 13) at the Boatman
Livak ties a gag around the slaves mouth Untrained Rope Use [roll]1d20+2)
Vitus drops his trident and grapples the Boatman [roll0]
Arcius drops his greataxe and grapples the Boatman [roll1]
Digitus casts Cause Fear Will Partial DC 14 at the Boatman
Linus searches Tiso thoroughly

Woot, a 20 for Vitus!! And I screwed up Livak's Rope Use roll, will try again, sorry about that, don't know what's wrong with me, lol.

[pife]

Livak's rope use [roll0]

[Erasmas]

Your men leap on the orc, who is now caught in the net as well as grappled by Vitus. When the two spells hit him, he staggers even further than he was before, and then begins to tremble and shake. Urine freely runs down his leg and puddles upon the ground at his feet.

Livak moves over to you and gags Tiso's slave while he still slumbers. Meanwhile, you rummage through Tiso's pockets and find a keyring (with four keys upon it) and his coin purse (containing 8 gold, 14 silver, and 28 copper).


Boatman:
[roll0] (Will save - versus daze@DC=13)
(Vitus successfully grapples him.)
(Arcius fails to initiate a grapple.)
[roll1] (Will save - versus cause fear@DC=14)

Slave:
(Gagged with no problems, he is still under the sleep spell.)

It just dawned on me that Lepidus should technically be rolling for spell failure as well (he is wearing chainshirt)!

[pife]

Quickly, secure him and drag him down into the boatslip, he'll be harder to hear there! Wrap him in the rope tight, and don't take your hands off of him. I want him SECURE. Arcius, Vitus, Lepidus, keep him quiet and still. Digitus, can your weasel smell any alcohol here? I need it all, quickly man! I would like to find Tiso's files, and find an appropriate place to stick the false slave-sale receipt and documentation (detailing Herminia as his illegitimate daughter). I don't think I had rolled for that forgery yet, but I had intended to make it appear to be aged properly, as well as be irrefutable "proof" that Herminia is the natural born illegitimate child of Tiso Nomitus, and thus, his heir. (I assume this will be two documents, the sale receipt and the document that proves/admits that she is his blood. I also would place both documents separately, as in not together) Anyway, let me know how you want me to handle that.

The plan going forward (barring problems) is this.

The boys carry the Boatman down to the ship, putting him INSIDE it. The slave and Tiso's body will also be carried to the ship. All of the alcohol that I can locate will be taken down there, and force fed to the Boatman until he passes out and eventually dies of alcohol poisoning. Many of the bottles will be smashed to make it seem that the Boatman was down here for a while. Then, Arcius is to take the Boatman's hammer, while Vitus holds Tiso's body up to a wall/pole. Arcius is to smash Tiso's head with the hammer (I'm trying to establish the boat as the site of the murder, hence, the need for blood spatter on the wall), then Vitus lets the body fall naturally. Arcius is then to so viciously smash Tiso's head with the hammer that it will be impossible to tell that his throat was cut, and will appear to have been killed by the Boatman in a drunken rage. Vitus will then stand Tiso's slave up, and Arcius will use the Boatman's hammer to smash him, first in the small of the back (as though he clipped the slave as the slave was trying to escape), then the shoulder, and finally, one good shot to the head, killing him. (I want it to appear that an altercation started, the Boatman smashes Tiso's head, then the slave, then goes back to Tiso and works out his "rage" at his Dominus, then passes out and/or dies. Livak is to use Cantrips to remove all traces of blood from the office, and all of us are to make certain that there is no trace of our entrance or activities. (I even want them to put the ropes back, which have also been cleaned of any blood).

Also, Arcius/Vitus/Longinus is to draw some kind of graffiti in Tiso's blood on the bulkhead of the ship. Something orcish (Arcius is a BBN, prolly can't read, wonder if Vitus/Longinus can read orcish. I would assume Longinus can read (cleric), but in what language? along the lines of "Tiso is sucky dominus" "Tiso has big mouth and small dingaling", stuff like that. If nobody can write orcish, I just want it to be "hate graffiti", some visual representation of the Boatman's anger and rage.

I want to take Tiso's keys and find what they go to, being very careful about traps/alarms. I don't plan to rob him, unless there is something valuable that I don't think can be traced to him. But the coins in his purse must remain, he was murdered by a drunk employee, not robbed! Livak should have already mended the shutter by now.

To sum up, I'm framing the Boatman for the murder of Tiso and his slave, then arranging for the Boatman to pass away from overindulgence. I'm planting the documents referring to Herminia. We're checking to see if anything is just too good to pass up (but not taking any real extra time for this), and MAKING SURE WE DON"T LEAVE TRACES!! Then we're going to verify with Noc-Noc that we're still clear, and get the hell out of Dodge, get into the smelly wagon and get our butts home (hopefully in time to find out how the jailbreak went, lol).

By the way, if there is not enough liquor in the office/boatyard to put the Boatman in an early grave, I will also be looking for drugs/poison that could do the trick.

[Erasmas]

Okay, roll me two separate Forgery rolls (indicating which roll is for which document), please! And then roll me a Hide or Sleight of Hand (whichever is higher) to determine the believability of their 'placements'.

You find that one of the keys locks the front door to the shipyard and another unlocks a small chest he kept in the bedroom here. It contains a good amount of coins, a potion, and a ring.

Your casters are able to use Prestidigitation enough to clean up the blood within the office, but not off of yourselves. Luckily, this matters little, since you are hiding under the nasty-@$$ fish anyways. Needless to say... you all desperately need a bath when you arrive back at the villa/ludus.

[pife]

Alrighty then!

Forgery Rolls:

"Herminia is my daughter" [roll]1d20+9

"and then I sold her" [roll0]

As far as where I'm going to "place" them.. (Angling for possible circumstance bonuses here, lol)..

Presumably, most of Tiso's business documents will be stored in one area, sorted by type or some other quickly notable method. So, sales receipts, purchase orders, bills of lading/sale, etc is what I'm looking for.

The document that proves that she is his daughter is a much more personal (and shameful) document. I will see if we can find any hidden recesses (where the "dirty" books are (from what you tell me about Tiso, he's crooked as a politician). This is also something that he could keep in his private strongbox.

[roll1]

Digitus, come here. Is that ring magical? Come to think of it. Digitus, check for magic throughout the entire building here, including the bedroom. Stopping himself and holding a hand up to ward off the likely approaching Digitus. No, Digitus, nevermind. Let every one of Tiso's belongings be found exactly where they belong.

[pife]

Dang it. First Forgery roll again. [roll0]

[pife]

Lol, I'm apparently not rolling enough dice in this roller. I keep leaving off the [/roll] end brackets..

Third time's a charm, for the 1st Forgery roll.

[roll0]

[Erasmas]

Okay. You forged the documents earlier in the day, and plant them now where it seems fitting. You tidy up after yourselves and then steal away into the night.
Everything seems to have gone precisely to plan.

[pife]

Oh hell, I'm scared, lol. "seems" is a scary word.

Alrighty then, what's next? BTW, is it illegal to sell your child into slavery? If it isn't, then will I have to "arrange" for word to get out (to me) that I am holding the child of a Davenian citizen in bondage? In righteous dismay, I would manumit her immediately, because "Davenian citizens are not slaves unless they are convicted criminals, this is wrong"!

I need to keep a close eye on proceedings (finding the body, the investigation, and then the disposition of his assets).

I want Noc-Noc to be back here at Tiso's just before dawn. He needs to attempt (without being noticed) to overhear what's going on when the bodies are discovered, which should happen shortly after the workers arrive for work.

BTW, the original plan was for me to remove Tiso's face. I have chosen not to do that, in case Arcius couldn't beat him badly enough to hide the fact that "there's no skin here at all!". And I specifically only wanted his head beaten, so that he can be identified by his clothing, jewelry.

And in case you're being literal.. They UNTIED the Boatman before leaving, placing his body near the remaining liquor bottles,. lol. I know that it was implied, but I realize that I didn't say it and wanted to be certain. (though I did say the ropes needed to be cleaned and put back).

[Erasmas]

I'm not sure if it is strictly "illegal", but it certainly is frowned upon and thought of as being pretty lowly. Especially for a man of means, as Tiso definitely was (even if of the lower kind, he was not destitute). But yes, you will probably have to come up with a way for the information to wind up in your lap... as no one is likely to actively search for this girl that he sold so long ago - most would assume that she is dead or so far from the city that there would be little point.

The next morning goes about like you had hoped it would down at the docks. There is a big ruckus and lots of activity, but it seems as though your ruse is working. The city guards appear to be all too happy to believe that the orc did it and be done with the whole ordeal. Word does reach you, however, about the execution of Tiso's entire household's worth of slaves - in accordance with the law.

[pife]

haha, fine by me.. Linus is a nice guy, but those slaves were definitely out of his monkeysphere. (If you want a laugh, look up the article on monkeyspheres on cracked.com)

Okay, I need a bailiff, a jurist, a barrister, whatever they are called here. An attorney-type that goes in to settle all of his debts with his creditors, they'll want to be paid, I assume. I need to determine which official was assigned to this case, and I will need to "prevail" upon him to make sure that this information is acted upon.

A) Can I exert any control over who "gets" the case?
B) Do I personally know any individuals who do this for a living, or their supervisors or extended chain of command?
C) Alternately, one of his creditors/competitors themselves (whom you have implied hated him) could arrange for an Tiso's documents to be searched, and this "honest citizen" could "accidentally" locate both documents and bring them to the attention of the authorities. All I need is 1) the fact that Herminia is his daughter and 2) the fact that she was sold into slavery, and 3) coincidentally, Linus Spurius owns the Nomitus heir, to be made public, and that should be all I need to manumit her and arrange for her to come into her "inheritance"
D) if an actual "audit" of his business interests was requested, due to his shadowy dealings, this information should be captured. How hard would it be to arrange? (And was he so crooked that an actual audit would have the effect of draining the "estate"?).
E) Any involved party whom Tiso owed service, coin, or goods to would likely be allowed to claim what can be proven as "theirs".
F) Would the Justicars (those are the Davenian "police, right)? be of any use here?
G) When I was searching his files for a place to put my two documents, did I see anything useful? People he did a lot of business with, people whom he owed money, people who owed him money, merchants who would have a claim on his possessions?

What I'm asking is, not "what's my next move", but more "what are my options for getting there"?

BTW, OMG I'm dying to know what's happening with the jailbreak, lol. Thaphos and the Tiernan and the whatever-she-is are still hanging in the balance, as well as Herminia's freedom, potential inheritance, potential marriage, lol. There's a lot ridin' on this man!! ROFL. (plus, if I pull both of these off, my reputation with Tololano should be SPAAAAAARKLY!)

[Erasmas]

That article is pretty hilarious (and true)!

A) No. Especially not without drawing considerable attention to the "why in the hells would a lanista care" department.
B) Well, you don't know him personally, but Gowan MacMillan is the Registrar of Property... so there would be people that work under him that do this type of thing.
C) This is very possible. Who would this "honest citizen" be? If it is Linus, then again... will that not draw the attention to the "why would a shipping rival of Tiso's have a lanista look through his documents" department?
D) It probably wouldn't be hard to have someone investigate deeper. But again, who in your house is going to be able to arrange it without raising any flags? It would possibly pull some from his estate, yes... but most likely it wouldn't be even most of it.
E) Yes, this is true. And part of becoming the heir is also inheriting the debts owed.
F) The City Guard are the "police" really. The Justicars are more like bounty hunters/SWAT/Investigators that take over when the City Guard doesn't have to resources/manpower/will/"jurisdiction" to go further than they choose to. These are the guys that you should potentially be worried about finding out the truth.
G) You did see a lot of information about the people that he did business with. It definitely seemed like he owed more coin than was owed him (sound familiar?).

By the way... Linus hears through his 'grapevine' that the Davenian Shipping Guild is trying to ascertain what is to become of Tiso's assets.

We will get to the Jailbreak once we resolve the Tiso stuff.
:smalltongue:

[pife]

Proving the Unprovable



Okay. Linus needs to do some quick brainstorming as he dictates a note as it's being written by Digitus. (I'm having him do it so that the handwriting can't be traced to me. I don't need the writing to look like anyone in particular, just NOT me! I'll need a little bit of info though. I am considering anonymously approaching the following six churches... I can see potential for each of them, but, using Linus' knowledge of Davenshad, it's government and it's policies, along with it's relationships with different churches, which of these is the most likely to get involved?

The letter just succinctly explains the situation that Tiso fathered a daughter in (add whatever nation/city/area that Herminia's from originally). Because the child was born out of wedlock to a common whore, he sold the child into slavery. Documents proving both the admission of paternity and the sale into the slave trade exist and are likely hidden within Tiso's files. The letter claims to be from a "member of the crew" of a ship that Tiso owned or was on at the time of Herminia's birth, and claims to have been confided in by Tiso on several rum-soaked occasions.

Aldar- As God of Knowledge, this "hidden" fact is harmful. The truth is lying dormant!

Brandol- As the God of Law, should want a) the correct person to inherit, and b) the injustice of condemning your child to slavery rectified

Destonia- As the Goddess of Fate, Herminia's fate was unfairly tampered with by her "father", preventing her from reaching her potential.

Evandel- As the Goddess of Justice, condemning ones own daughter to slavery should infuriate them, and they should also be interested in seeing her "rewarded" with her proper inheritance.

Korun- As the God of Mischief/Tricks, hell, telling them the TRUTH might get them on board. Although, I don't know how helpful they would be unless they were pretending to be someone else too, lol.

Vegella- Goddess of Chance and Luck.. This one is just more of my "go to when the chips are down", and I'm not sure if she would be relevant in this case.

Btw, I'm thinking Evandel or Brandol would be my best bet, pending any additional information that Linus might have, but let ... Wait. Who was TISO'S deity? Was he pious in the least, or at least not known to NOT be?

Another option would be for the letter to purport to be written by an itinerant priest of Poseidon, who happened to be present when Tiso admitted his actions. (Tiso shouldn't have drunk so much, made his tongue loose, lol) Not being "strictly" illegal, the priest did nothing but say a prayer for the child. Now though, upon hearing of Tiso's untimely demise ("may the Lord of the Waves accept misguided Tiso into his watery realm and let him find peace from his wicked deed"), the priest was compelled to act, to ensure that this unfortunate child be spared at least some of the indignity of being abandoned and sold like a chattel, that she might discover some of the happiness she had missed out on.

Yet another option would be: The letter comes from the clerk/scribe that handled the transaction in xyz city/time at the slave auction. He was drawing up the receipt of sale, when he heard the auctionmaster and Tiso discussing. Again, since it's not illegal (just personally abhorrent), the man did nothing. Now, in his retirement, he has heard of the death of Tiso Nomitus (and none too soon too, dagnab it!), and wants to put right something that he has been ashamed of ever since.

Rewarding the Victors

First, upon our return to the ludus, and even before people could wash off the blood, dirt and fishguts.. I want to gather them alone in a room (all that went with me). I tell them that they have rewards coming to them, but first, a warning. I forbid them from ever speaking about tonight, it's intent or outcome, not even with each other. And, though Linus is reluctant to say it, he says that he will sell, maim or kill any slave that breaks this edict.

After that, it's Miller Time!! Each of them will be granted a boon, similar to what Karsus/Monstrum and Digitus enjoyed. Second, the entire ludus will be granted modest amounts of wine for several days (to fortify the blood, you see, for upcoming games and the Vegella Party). Thirdly, though I feel I may have shorted myself.. In front of all of my assembled slaves, I manumit Longinus for his (non-existent) aid in Tiso's murder. Damn, shouldn't have made that deal, lol. (stand by, going back to read "exactly" what I offered him..

And I'm seriously considering, instead of a letter, getting myself all disguised up AS the clerk/scribe at the slave auction in xyz distant port. That way, I could "be" the honest citizen with nothing to gain except getting something off my conscience. Perhaps I, the scribe, retired to Davenshad, but never forgot the despicable conversation I overheard between Tiso and the Auctioneer. I don't want anything but that sweet young girl to be freed, as she was "cryin' somethin' awful for her momma"

[Erasmas]

Proving the Unprovable

As always, the churches are reluctant to act unless there is an appropriate donation to their coffers; they have people to provide for, after all. Alright, here we go:
Aldarr- They might possibly be interested, but even if this "knowledge" was learned, these guys are not really the ones to get any gears turning.
Brandol- This, is a strong angle. These guys very well may be the best bet.
Destonia- Or perhaps her fate was to be sold into slavery and never to become a part of her father's business. Fate can be tricky like that (you get the feeling that these people probably won't be of much help).
Evandel- This is also a good possibility. However, Linus would be reluctant to involve these guys (just so you know). They tend to be a bit 'snoopy' and single-mindedly zealous.
Korun- Yeah, they might appreciate the elaborate ruse that you've concocted, but there is very little chance that they could/would do anything to aid you in its completion. Plus, most of them are a little dodgy and possibly marginally insane.
Vegella- Not necessarily relevant, but she certainly seems to be shaping up as your patron deity. And who knows, maybe she is working some magic in the background for you already. :smallwink:


Tiso's patron deity was Poseidon, so you gather; which is not unusual at all for a seafaring merchant/shipwright. So, your little play on the confessional priest could be a possibility as well.

Option C... 4... whatever we're on... the clerk/scribe thing. This is also possible, though potentially could quickly become problematic - since there is much more a paper trail that would likely go along with this scheme.


Rewarding the Victors

The point seems to sink home with them, seemingly so before you even said the words. Most of them do not appear to mind overly much, but you can tell that the deed has not sat 100% right with a couple of them.

The wine flows and seems to be greatly appreciated by all. Herminia even informs you that she overheard Thonah and Sabine talking about how kind of a Dominus that you were.

As for the boons, let's see:
Arcius - he requests a half-orc whore who likes to give/receive it "rough".
Digitus - he requests a cup of that Moondrop he's seen floating around the villa.
Lepidus - he requests a new spellbook and a vial of kobold's blood to ink in it with.
Livak - she requests a night with a 'strong Davenian man' and a 'pretty foreign woman' (whores who fit these descriptions, not anyone in particular). Yes, she apparently swings that way.
Longinus - awaiting your judgement on your promise.
Vitus - he requests both an upgrade to his armor and something unexpected - he asks to be included in all of your tactical dealings from here on out. He explains that he misses the opportunity to plan strategy on the battlefield and that the things you do are the closes he is likely to get.



Again, the disguise thing is viable... though see above for my assessment of that option!

[pife]

Very well. (Where's a vial of Felix Felicis when you need it?)
Proving the Unprovable
Relevant or not, you're right. Vegella it is! Fortune favors the bold, they say, so.. An old man (so to speak, at least with my Disguise roll (taking 10, using disguise kit, for a total of 21, plus assistance from Sabine's profession: Stylist [roll0]. An old man, as I was saying, enters the church of Vegella, asking to speak to a priest. (A clinky sack might abbreviate any wait time). When faced with this priest, the old man will convince him (via Bluff [roll1]) that he is seeking to repay a kindness done him long ago. It just so happens that he knows of a grave injustice that was done. A young girl was cast down into slavery (completely true) unjustly (probably true). And now the opportunity exists to completely change that girls life for the better. Documents exist that prove that the girl is in fact the eldest child of one Tiso Nomitus, sold into slavery for the crime of being born a bastard child. The authorities, though they mean well, may not connect the dots unless led to them. Perhaps upon the contemplation of his "gift" (the sack contains 300 gold pieces), the priesthood would be able to justify the "miracle" of truth that Vegella's proud priesthood has uncovered, and in so advocating for the girl, they fulfill Vegella's ancient mandate to work acts of fortune and beneficence.

My intent is, to inform the Church of Vegella of the opportunity to do good, sharing good fortune and saving a life from inappropriate servitude, a concept that should be anathema to their cheerful and adventurous souls. If an agent of their church were to present themselves to the authorities, claiming knowledge of an injustice. That agent would know the who/what/when etc. Once pointed out, the city should be overjoyed to soothe and uplift the hearts of slaves the empire over. "See our generosity", this gesture can say to all slaves. "Kindness can be your reward for faithful service. And justice can be given to those patient enough to await the truth". Sniffle.. Brings a tear to the old man's eye just thinking how this change of fortune will affect that young woman.

Of course, if this doesn't work as planned, there's still Brandol..

Rewarding the victors

Being a man of my word, I share a cup of wine with Longinus. I chuckle that while I expected him to have to do more for it, I do not regret my offer, nor do I back away from it. Come see the generosity of House Spurius! In a quiet ceremony in front of all of my assembled slaves, I manumit Longinus. I give him a pouch with 20 gold pieces, and clothing (worth another 10) that fits him. Whatever documents are required, I arrange for. If reason for manumission is required, my response will be service to House Spurius that exceeded expectation or reward. (And Linus thinks to himself that this may have been expensive, but it may also bear fruit. He just offloaded one of his least talented gladiators, and in so doing has shown his other gladiators that a) their Dominus keeps his word, and b) freedom might be theirs in exchange for faithful service. )

As for the others..

I would like to arrange for some women (or men) for all of my champions. (Say an even dozen of the lower class ladies of the night, including any wearing or requesting my amulets (if they either have or take one of my amulets, I pay them double, and allow them to bathe in my chambers (well guarded and watched, but not molested) afterwards. I would like Marcus to take Livak with him while arranging this, so that she can pick out two that suit her as well. Make sure that several are.. ahem.. willing to accomodate the Monstrums, and Arcius' and Karsus' of my ludus.

To Vitus, I say that my armorer (Iron Back) is away for the moment, but that I will ensure that he gets better armor before he fights in the arena next. As to the other.. I tentatively agree. He still trains and fights with the gladiators (at least for now), but in addition, he will join me after supper of evenings, and I'll see what advice he offers. It will be probationary, and I will want to alert my guards that he is not to be molested, but he is to be watched.

Digitus.. I need to purchase another bottle of Moondrop. I can't have too much left in the original bottle, and a glass for Digitus.. I send Marcus to acquire another bottle on his way to purchase entertainment with Livak (and two guards, just to be safe, though they are escorting Marcus and Livak, not "watching" them). All told, Marcus will be leaving the ludus with 400 gold, to procure entertainment and my Moondrop. (I expect change, lol). He will also carry plenty of medallions, in case they become useful.

Lepidus too, shall have his request. (as long as after he transcribes all of his spells from his old book, the old book becomes mine). Since he's going shopping anyway, Marcus is to take Lepidus with him. Lepidus can choose the book ( PHB says 15gp for a blank book), I'm sending Marcus with another 50, and Lepidus can purchase his ink, and choose the book he wants.

[Erasmas]

Proving the Unprovable

The old man's most generous confession (along with his likewise generous donation), seems to put things in motion. The clergy informs the old man that they will most definitely look into the matter and bring the truth to light.

And within days, a missive arrives at the villa with good news! The constables in charge of investigating the murder have "found evidence pertaining to one of [your] slaves" and have given the matter over to the office of Gowan MacMillan!


Rewarding the Victors

All is procured and merriment and revelry ensues. Longinus takes his leave and the atmosphere around the ludus and the villa is quite glorious!


And tomorrow... I should be able to kick off the next batch of games finally!

[pife]

First things first.. Adontus is MARRIED?? Lol, I went to look at the picture of Registrar MacMillan, and noticed what a good job you did with the "library" of names/faces. (For another thing, FIRRA IS HOT!! Can I change my mind about Herminia, lol? J/k).

So, from whence came this missive? (I have to play this off as though I don't know what the hell they're talking about, right?). Assuming the note came from the Church of Vegella, my first question is.. how did they find me or know it was me, lol? If the note is from the constables, I will of course make myself available at the good Registrars convenience, as I always wish to settle any affairs with the City and Empire quickly and cleanly. If the law says that I must give up this extremely valuable possession, I will of course do so posthaste, with only a reasonable amount of hand-wringing and lament. I would also like to be present when Herminia is informed, if such a thing is possible. (Does Linus think that ANYONE could connect the dots on me freeing Herminia? Marcus? Sabine? Thonah? Authorities? )

Were there any costs associated with the ludus' entertainment, and/or Longinus Manumission? Some of the expenses I have put on my ledger as potential charges. Over the next few days, Linus would like to try to gauge the morale of his slaves/employees.

Is there anything else I need to "do" at the moment concerning Tiso, Herminia, or the Jailbreak (why can't I remember that dude's name without hunting it down, lol)?

[Erasmas]

LOL... yes, he has been for some time now (in terms of when it was posted). A lot of Roman men who engaged in 'fun with boys' were married; perhaps not happily so, but there you have it. And thank you for the library compliment. And yes, Firra is hot (it's Gemma Arterton from Prince of Persia... the same one that SkorpionKing is using for his character in the Tantharra portion of the Arrath game).
It was from the constables, not from the church. And yes, when you do meet with the Registrar's officer... they do inform you that one of your slaves appears to have been sold (and subsequently bought) wrongfully. You are informed that she must be released immediately and are given a sealed scroll that you are to present to her upon your prompt return. And no, Linus does not suspect that anyone (outside of maybe those that were there that night) would be able to put the dots together.
Yes, we'll call it even with what you put down as wanting to spend on each individual item, plus 50 gold. And morale is generally pretty favorable amongst your "people"... but especially so after the rewards are doled out!
The morning after you met with Tololano, you go to attend the public execution of his man (his name was never given OOC) only to see the entire crowd being turned away in disappointment! The city guard says that the execution has been stayed and moves you all on about your business. It would appear, perhaps, that the ruse worked!
And no, nothing more on your end (for the moment)!

[pife]

No way..

<looks around for the candid camera>

So, Linus will definitely ask the "appropriate" questions at the constable.. "What do you mean "wrongfully" purchased? How is that even possible"? "She's a Davenian citizen? Oh, good gods yes I'll free her immediately!" That sort of thing..

Wait one.. Umm. Okay, so... how much does HERMINIA know about her birth, youth and childhood? (Let me know if we don't need to go down this path, but I just realized.. If I play this out, and Herminia gets "told" who her father was.. but she may not have "actually" become a slave till she was 10, for example, and have perfect recollection of mother and father... So, if she has any real recollection about her youth, I'm going to have to bring her in on it. If she doesn't, then I will just let it play out..

Of course, I will rush right home, and "command" Herminia to strip naked and.. wait, that comes later, lol. I will "command" Herminia to don the fine dress I recently bought her, and "command" her to accompany me. I will also "command" her to hold the scroll I'm carrying while I'm hiring a litter for us, and while we're in the litter/palanquin/sedanchair on the way to the constable, I will "ask" her to please read it.

Lol, ohh to be a fly on the wall when Tololano realizes I managed both of his crazy requests..

Anyway, I'm not sure which things you were going to narrate vs which we were going to RP. I'm good with either for any of it.

[Erasmas]

Herminia didn't become a slave until she was already a woman, so she remembers much of her birth and her youth. She will definitely have to be brought in on this charade. She seems confused by the suddenness and the severity of the situation, but she does as is commanded of her. On the way to the Registrar's office, she opens the scroll and reads it. She then reads it again and furrows her brow towards you and says that she doesn't understand.


As for what we are narrating and what we aren't... it's just kinda on-the-fly.

[pife]

Herminia


Bouncing slightly with the footfalls of their bearers, Linus looks fondly at Herminia. An explanation, then. This story has two chapters, and I pray you let me tell them both before you speak.

You have been with me for years. I never used to give much more than lip service to the gods, but my recent endeavors with the Church of Vegella has really struck a chord in my heart. I was led to you, Herminia, or you led to me, it matters not which. You know me better than any other, know my strengths, as well as my many weaknesses, as I know yours. It has always been you that I turned to for solace when circumstances were grim. I think you have seen the way I gaze at you, and know my interest in you as a woman, though I have never pressed my advantage. Nor have you ever seen me enter into a dalliance with another woman. Did you never find that strange? It has always been you, Herminia.

But there was a problem. I had purchased you.. You were mine, not because you wanted to be, but because you had no choice. I could never, in good conscience, have pressed to advance our relationship beyond master and servant, or perhaps friend and confidante.. I could never force another choice on you, one that you would not be able to consider without weighing the price of your servitude. I have found.. a solution. For both of us.

The second part of this tale, is the "how". You go now to be freed, my lady, to take up your place among the free citizens of Davenshad. Before this day ends, you will find your purse filled with coin, and the path ahead of you open to your wildest whim. Your service, your friendship, your loyalty, they are all about to be repaid.

A man died. Fear not that he died to make this happen, his death was inevitable anyway. I, through various means, have contrived to make it appear that this man was your father. A father that made you with a common wench, and later sold you, his bastard child, into slavery. Trust me when I say that he was a generally despicable man, and if this particular crime cannot be laid at his feet, there are many that can, and some worse! Suffice it to say that noone is needlessly being harmed. You stand to inherit, how much I cannot say. The man had many assets, but many debts as well. What is certain though, is that you will receive his name, I hope only briefly. You will become a woman of means, of opportunity, and I wish for you to make the most of it. I cannot give you back the terrors of your youth, nor blind you to the path that led to your being made a slave. I cannot even provide a salve against the hot yoke of servitude that you have labored under since I found you. But I can make certain that you never feel that yoke again.

I could have freed you at any time. My feelings for you tore me apart, for I wished to free you years since. My selfishness prevented it, for I could not bear to see you leave me. I also had not the means to provide you with a better opportunity. I could free you, yes, but I could not provide for you. Now, I find myself able to do both. You will have a choice. You can claim that the constable is wrong, and that you are not, in fact, the daughter of Tiso Nomitus. You will then return to my ludus, still my property. I will, of course, free you upon the instant when we set foot on my property. Either choice you make today, you will make as a free woman. Alternately, you can play along. You can inherit the ill-gotten goods of a wretched man, and do good things with them. You can travel, you can build, you can marry.

I would be a part of this journey, if you'll have me. I cannot promise heaven, but I do promise you my heart Herminia. You have been my vilica for years. It isn't enough. I want you to be Domina, instead.


Diplomacy roll to get my point across, and explain it well: [roll0] (using my +2 Reputation, please disregard if I shouldn't).


Wow. rolled a 1. Ironic, isn't it, since I was just saying how "Vegella led me", and.. splat..


I would like to send Marcus to quietly set a meeting with Tololano, to exchange "pleasantries". (I would prefer it if nobody knew that we had met, in case a trail can ever be traced to Tololano). If there is not a "very" safe option, I will utilize my disguises again.

Not that it's terribly important, but I'm curious for the future. I had sent Marcus out with a number of pendants for the "entertainers". Did any already have one (and get paid double)? Did anyone take one, (and get paid double)? I am planning to mobilize these "assets" in the near future, and want to get an idea about if the concept is gaining traction. (I had already given out 6, I believe, 3 to some low-rent types after Monstrum, the high-end chick that Marcus scored with as part of my alibi, and I think there were two others (I'll go back and check).