Female, but temporarily male due to Loki being Loki.
We're perfectly okay with it apparently.
(Gun)Swords and Sorcery III
- Thread starter 7734
- Start date
We're perfectly okay with it apparently.
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
Yeah...
You're ok with it...
Nail, head here. The original Gunswords was supposed to be a lot more adventure and armies and SCIENCE! but everyone wanted to play the long game. This time around I have more practice, so I'm not worried about Quest Drift. Good catch on the Duchess/Princess thing, by the way. That's going to be important- think Ruthenia.
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
Oops.
Alright guys, quick question: I miscounted votes, and am 1400~ words through the update. The problem? I miscounted in favor of Castile. Now, either you guys can have me re-write the whole shebang the right way, ooooor get a fairly good sized Bonus Trait or Bonus Item to make up for the screwup.
And now to make sure this pops up in your alerts, let me provide some word counter padding. This is all just some loreum ipsum, so don't bother trying to read it.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse blandit ex id elit consectetur, et porttitor mi aliquam. Donec blandit eget nisl vel imperdiet. Nunc egestas, justo quis tincidunt ultrices, magna neque condimentum ligula, eu tempus diam velit at metus. Sed bibendum finibus purus. Nam tempus nulla in laoreet dapibus. Duis dictum, odio a venenatis lacinia, erat velit dignissim felis, vel pellentesque ipsum eros eget quam. Morbi pellentesque justo at dolor gravida, a egestas est euismod. Etiam tellus mi, pellentesque vitae vulputate non, porttitor sit amet leo. Nullam nec magna ac eros vestibulum tristique ac ac nisi. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Curabitur pretium non urna quis consequat. Suspendisse finibus mauris ut efficitur posuere. Fusce viverra velit tristique nibh finibus iaculis. Duis ut viverra tortor, at vehicula est. Mauris condimentum luctus mollis.
Nam feugiat nibh vel odio blandit, vitae auctor augue imperdiet. Nullam tempor sollicitudin felis, eu faucibus justo lobortis non. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Nam varius bibendum semper. Phasellus lacus dui, varius scelerisque sagittis in, tristique eu diam. Maecenas congue sodales auctor. Ut lorem augue, pretium sed finibus vel, vehicula id odio. Nullam quis nisl pellentesque dolor pretium elementum ac eu enim. Aliquam aliquet et enim sit amet interdum.
Donec vehicula tristique ligula eget elementum. Donec sapien ex, pharetra a metus id, ultricies feugiat dui. Nunc rhoncus cursus facilisis. Sed maximus dignissim ante, nec luctus felis ullamcorper quis. Pellentesque sit amet enim et lacus pulvinar consectetur et sit amet elit. Sed faucibus erat nulla, non aliquet metus ullamcorper a. Nulla ultrices eros aliquet, auctor mauris sed, dictum lorem. Nulla eget nisi at nulla blandit congue. Pellentesque non est interdum, varius nulla sit amet, facilisis augue. Donec ac eleifend odio.
Integer in libero eu metus iaculis suscipit eu gravida augue. Sed viverra iaculis elit id maximus. Praesent in quam ac dolor commodo malesuada. Duis velit lectus, finibus a lorem in, placerat consectetur magna. Vivamus dapibus sodales orci, nec mattis leo. Mauris consequat eros blandit mi eleifend volutpat. Pellentesque aliquam posuere risus. Curabitur consequat suscipit porta. Nam ut laoreet est.
Donec justo tortor, dictum at enim a, mattis tempus orci. Aliquam erat volutpat. Quisque posuere erat id tortor dignissim placerat. Mauris dapibus consectetur quam sit amet bibendum. Suspendisse at enim ex. Nullam sodales tincidunt mi sit amet pellentesque. Nullam rutrum semper turpis aliquam aliquet. Vestibulum id elit ornare, volutpat erat quis, laoreet turpis. Nullam congue commodo purus, eget egestas mauris posuere vitae. Praesent tempor ac libero eu aliquam. Praesent eget quam erat. Fusce rutrum nunc id interdum malesuada. Praesent consectetur purus id augue pellentesque, non pretium nibh porttitor. Fusce varius sodales mi, et vestibulum turpis interdum a. Sed vehicula vestibulum porttitor. Cras pulvinar vitae odio placerat luctus.
Cras lorem augue, sollicitudin ut lobortis scelerisque, lobortis vel ante. Donec lobortis scelerisque tortor, quis dictum nisi lacinia id. Pellentesque ultricies justo non nunc iaculis, et rutrum nunc aliquam. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Phasellus ut suscipit nisl. Duis varius mi nec bibendum dignissim. Fusce est tellus, suscipit sed euismod non, viverra et ipsum. Maecenas porta lectus ut ante pharetra, a lobortis tellus viverra. Aliquam ut neque bibendum, laoreet dui in, cursus purus. Sed quis consequat leo. Integer interdum nec justo a congue. Pellentesque nec ex et ex varius lacinia. Vestibulum molestie vel nibh quis rutrum. Morbi gravida placerat erat, ut lobortis metus bibendum at. Fusce suscipit gravida leo, at malesuada ligula facilisis in.
Fusce varius, purus quis sollicitudin scelerisque, leo ipsum efficitur tellus, a efficitur dolor odio quis libero. Maecenas pellentesque dapibus rhoncus. Donec vel dui nec eros consequat molestie eget sit amet sapien. Mauris molestie dolor sit amet sem faucibus auctor. Duis nisl felis, volutpat non fringilla a, mollis sed enim. Nulla vel sem fringilla, cursus erat id, tempus tellus. In consequat nibh sagittis, fringilla urna at, laoreet metus. Sed mattis viverra ligula at posuere. Ut bibendum efficitur urna fringilla ultrices. Nulla lobortis justo urna, vel vestibulum tellus venenatis ut.
Nam id euismod leo. Integer auctor ornare pellentesque. Nunc malesuada tincidunt volutpat. Quisque ut purus commodo metus efficitur pharetra non quis nibh. Donec ac venenatis turpis. Pellentesque fermentum dignissim orci, quis porttitor dolor pharetra ac. Nulla tortor nulla, rutrum et condimentum non, lobortis a mi. Mauris eget turpis nisl. Vestibulum id nibh ultricies, molestie ex vel, volutpat eros. Nulla nec efficitur elit, vitae varius nibh. Integer luctus lacinia leo vitae efficitur.
Nunc at est ut velit suscipit vulputate. Nunc sit amet risus ac dui pharetra hendrerit id in orci. Curabitur magna nunc, rhoncus eu cursus a, hendrerit nec diam. Fusce commodo pharetra sapien eu commodo. Nam blandit mauris eu lacus posuere gravida. Donec ut nulla pharetra, ullamcorper sapien non, eleifend augue. Aliquam erat volutpat. Sed vulputate nulla elit, non consectetur.
Alright guys, quick question: I miscounted votes, and am 1400~ words through the update. The problem? I miscounted in favor of Castile. Now, either you guys can have me re-write the whole shebang the right way, ooooor get a fairly good sized Bonus Trait or Bonus Item to make up for the screwup.
And now to make sure this pops up in your alerts, let me provide some word counter padding. This is all just some loreum ipsum, so don't bother trying to read it.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse blandit ex id elit consectetur, et porttitor mi aliquam. Donec blandit eget nisl vel imperdiet. Nunc egestas, justo quis tincidunt ultrices, magna neque condimentum ligula, eu tempus diam velit at metus. Sed bibendum finibus purus. Nam tempus nulla in laoreet dapibus. Duis dictum, odio a venenatis lacinia, erat velit dignissim felis, vel pellentesque ipsum eros eget quam. Morbi pellentesque justo at dolor gravida, a egestas est euismod. Etiam tellus mi, pellentesque vitae vulputate non, porttitor sit amet leo. Nullam nec magna ac eros vestibulum tristique ac ac nisi. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Curabitur pretium non urna quis consequat. Suspendisse finibus mauris ut efficitur posuere. Fusce viverra velit tristique nibh finibus iaculis. Duis ut viverra tortor, at vehicula est. Mauris condimentum luctus mollis.
Nam feugiat nibh vel odio blandit, vitae auctor augue imperdiet. Nullam tempor sollicitudin felis, eu faucibus justo lobortis non. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Nam varius bibendum semper. Phasellus lacus dui, varius scelerisque sagittis in, tristique eu diam. Maecenas congue sodales auctor. Ut lorem augue, pretium sed finibus vel, vehicula id odio. Nullam quis nisl pellentesque dolor pretium elementum ac eu enim. Aliquam aliquet et enim sit amet interdum.
Donec vehicula tristique ligula eget elementum. Donec sapien ex, pharetra a metus id, ultricies feugiat dui. Nunc rhoncus cursus facilisis. Sed maximus dignissim ante, nec luctus felis ullamcorper quis. Pellentesque sit amet enim et lacus pulvinar consectetur et sit amet elit. Sed faucibus erat nulla, non aliquet metus ullamcorper a. Nulla ultrices eros aliquet, auctor mauris sed, dictum lorem. Nulla eget nisi at nulla blandit congue. Pellentesque non est interdum, varius nulla sit amet, facilisis augue. Donec ac eleifend odio.
Integer in libero eu metus iaculis suscipit eu gravida augue. Sed viverra iaculis elit id maximus. Praesent in quam ac dolor commodo malesuada. Duis velit lectus, finibus a lorem in, placerat consectetur magna. Vivamus dapibus sodales orci, nec mattis leo. Mauris consequat eros blandit mi eleifend volutpat. Pellentesque aliquam posuere risus. Curabitur consequat suscipit porta. Nam ut laoreet est.
Donec justo tortor, dictum at enim a, mattis tempus orci. Aliquam erat volutpat. Quisque posuere erat id tortor dignissim placerat. Mauris dapibus consectetur quam sit amet bibendum. Suspendisse at enim ex. Nullam sodales tincidunt mi sit amet pellentesque. Nullam rutrum semper turpis aliquam aliquet. Vestibulum id elit ornare, volutpat erat quis, laoreet turpis. Nullam congue commodo purus, eget egestas mauris posuere vitae. Praesent tempor ac libero eu aliquam. Praesent eget quam erat. Fusce rutrum nunc id interdum malesuada. Praesent consectetur purus id augue pellentesque, non pretium nibh porttitor. Fusce varius sodales mi, et vestibulum turpis interdum a. Sed vehicula vestibulum porttitor. Cras pulvinar vitae odio placerat luctus.
Cras lorem augue, sollicitudin ut lobortis scelerisque, lobortis vel ante. Donec lobortis scelerisque tortor, quis dictum nisi lacinia id. Pellentesque ultricies justo non nunc iaculis, et rutrum nunc aliquam. Interdum et malesuada fames ac ante ipsum primis in faucibus. Phasellus ut suscipit nisl. Duis varius mi nec bibendum dignissim. Fusce est tellus, suscipit sed euismod non, viverra et ipsum. Maecenas porta lectus ut ante pharetra, a lobortis tellus viverra. Aliquam ut neque bibendum, laoreet dui in, cursus purus. Sed quis consequat leo. Integer interdum nec justo a congue. Pellentesque nec ex et ex varius lacinia. Vestibulum molestie vel nibh quis rutrum. Morbi gravida placerat erat, ut lobortis metus bibendum at. Fusce suscipit gravida leo, at malesuada ligula facilisis in.
Fusce varius, purus quis sollicitudin scelerisque, leo ipsum efficitur tellus, a efficitur dolor odio quis libero. Maecenas pellentesque dapibus rhoncus. Donec vel dui nec eros consequat molestie eget sit amet sapien. Mauris molestie dolor sit amet sem faucibus auctor. Duis nisl felis, volutpat non fringilla a, mollis sed enim. Nulla vel sem fringilla, cursus erat id, tempus tellus. In consequat nibh sagittis, fringilla urna at, laoreet metus. Sed mattis viverra ligula at posuere. Ut bibendum efficitur urna fringilla ultrices. Nulla lobortis justo urna, vel vestibulum tellus venenatis ut.
Nam id euismod leo. Integer auctor ornare pellentesque. Nunc malesuada tincidunt volutpat. Quisque ut purus commodo metus efficitur pharetra non quis nibh. Donec ac venenatis turpis. Pellentesque fermentum dignissim orci, quis porttitor dolor pharetra ac. Nulla tortor nulla, rutrum et condimentum non, lobortis a mi. Mauris eget turpis nisl. Vestibulum id nibh ultricies, molestie ex vel, volutpat eros. Nulla nec efficitur elit, vitae varius nibh. Integer luctus lacinia leo vitae efficitur.
Nunc at est ut velit suscipit vulputate. Nunc sit amet risus ac dui pharetra hendrerit id in orci. Curabitur magna nunc, rhoncus eu cursus a, hendrerit nec diam. Fusce commodo pharetra sapien eu commodo. Nam blandit mauris eu lacus posuere gravida. Donec ut nulla pharetra, ullamcorper sapien non, eleifend augue. Aliquam erat volutpat. Sed vulputate nulla elit, non consectetur.
- Location
- My house
I'll take the bonus trait. We can do a mission Castile next time.
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
The vote went to Alscepi's mission, and I wrote Castile. That's the whole point of this little PTSA moment.
- Location
- My house
I'm sorry I got my names mixed up. But yes, I'll take the bonus since Castile was my vote anyway.
Last edited:
[X] Bonus Trait
[X] Bonus Trait
Not that I really feel like I should get a vote, since the error went my way, but still...
Not that I really feel like I should get a vote, since the error went my way, but still...
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
Alrighty then, trait added, votes called, update should be tommorow.
GAIN TRAIT: Friends in Low Places: Due to having common decency and apros mannerisms for the situation, Cass can frequently acquire better information and common gear than normally available.
GAIN TRAIT: Friends in Low Places: Due to having common decency and apros mannerisms for the situation, Cass can frequently acquire better information and common gear than normally available.
Part Five: The Cusp of Knowledge
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
[X] Learn Magic
[X] Accept Castile's mission
[X] Gear List: Pistol, Ammo, Big Map, Rope, Food
After your meeting with who you had privately decided to call The Matriarch as there were waaaaaaaay too many Princesses running around, you got to thinking on the important stuff. While the note in your chest-o-stuff might have offered you reasonable employment, Castile's visit in person spoke volumes that a slip of paper with a few neat lines didn't. Back in Europe at home, a duchess or duke was fairly high up the totem pole- the little nursery rhyme about the Duke of York marching ten thousand men up and down hills wasn't much of an exaggeration.
Practically, though, the Duchess Castile coming to meet you in person meant that by extension you were pretty high up the totem pole too. A little deduction lent itself to think that the note meant that either Alscepi thought you were lower down than you were, or that she wanted you to think you weren't as high up as you could be. Either conclusion was mildly damning.
As you walked and thought, you almost bumped into a rather large man standing next to the stairs. Excusing yourself, you tried to pass by, but the man shook his head. Holding up a finger carefully, he pointed down another cordor and you had to wince. With a thunk and a clunk, a poor girl with more metal showing than skin was making her way down the hall. Each step was preceded with a clink of her cane on the stone, while her good foot stayed silent as the metal one rattled and clanked. It was disquieting, especially when she turned to smile at you.
"Good morning!" she said, cheerful. "Haven't seen you here before."
"Good morning, miss." You said politely, trying not to focus on the battered mess of a face the girl had. You could tell it had been cute once, but not anymore.
"Well, another quiet one! Tell me, are you working with Castile, or Alspeci?"
You paused a moment at that, a confused look on your face. "Duchess Castile, miss."
She laughed for a moment, stamping her metal foot. "Ha! At least you have the good taste to work for one of my sisters who isn't a tease! Just be careful- she's a firecracker, and if you go with her she'll never let you go!" Now whispering, she smiled a distorted smile, scars hauling the left half of her mouth in to a jester's grin with teeth showing through an odd set of slotted scars. "Just between you and me, her Grand Duchy isn't all you'd think it is at first glance. Look harder, though- the hussars know their business well."
Now you were really confused. Turning to face the large man, you noticed he was gone. Turning back, the girl? woman? Whatever she was, she was gone too. Shaking your head, you went down the stairs.
On what you presumed was the ground floor, you decided your best bet for getting some god-blessed information was finding the food. Thankfully, all you had to do was follow your nose to the kitchens, and from there to a giant meatloaf sandwich. Finding a seat in the common room next door, you ate the sandwich cheerfully, trying to think of a way to let your newest employer know you had accepted her offer. When you went to bite your sandwich and a blue light glinted off the tomatoes, though, you figured you might have company. Turning around, you saw Castile there, grinning like a cat that had caught a canary.
"I talked to my sister earlier. So you're picking up the job?"
Nodding, you took a bite out of the sandwhich.
"Good! First thing I need you to do is head down to the Quartermaster's Store and pick up some stuff. I'll write you a note, but don't get greedy. I'm thinking you're going to want some basic kit- coat, hat, backpack, that kind of stuff. After that, maybe a gun or a sword if you know how to use them. Definitely a map of the Princedom, maybe one of the area around us. Advanced warning, the only decent maps we're printing right now is of Tamer proper."
As Castile took a bite out of the other half of your sandwich, she pulled out a notepad and slid around to a chair to face you.
"Next, information. You're going to be working in the Pisar region, which is mostly rolling plains and a few small forests. Expect some swamps and small streams, nothing huge. Right now it's mostly herding country, with a decent number of farms and villiges. Don't expect a lot of friendly people until you get to Haunus, the biggest city in the area. Once you're there, I need you to head to the Blackwatch tavern and get connected. Mention that you're there on the Duchess' tab, and they can handle meals and lodging."
Finished with half of your sandwich, Castile made a move for your other half, but you scarfed it down before she could. Shooting you a look, she waved over a serving maid and asked her to bring out a light coffee service with another sandwich.
"Last up, the mission. Due to some tragic fuckups by my last agent in the area and a comedy of errors from the opposition, I am currently third in line for the position of Count of Zerchnow, which once I aquire I can then set in motion a well-planed plan to get the rest of the Grand Duchy of Pisar under control. The current Count Zerchnow is currently ailing of gout and a severe case of dementia, so as soon as the succession is locked down he's going to quietly abdicate."
"Number one in the succession is the current Count's son. A carouser and womanizer, he's popular with the majority of Haunus, but the countryside barons hate him with a passion and most of the area's military commanders think he's an absolute fop who can't fight his way out of a wet paper sack. My personal recommendation is to set up some sort of accident in the city or a hunting incident, but if you're not in the mood to kill him then you might be able to get him into one of the half-dozen militant orders nearby. It worked to get rid of his son, it might work on him."
You nodded, and took a sip of the coffee. The thick flavor and hint of spices made you quietly nudge it from the category of coffee into the new category of estraz coffee. It wasn't bad, per say, but it wasn't anywhere near what you were used to.
"Number Two is much more problematic. She's the granddaughter of the current Count, and the gem of the countryside's eye." Castile said, pausing to let you get out of your aborted chortle when she said that. "Anyway, she's eight, and if something happens to her then most of the barons and a few of the other counts will be up in arms within the week. Haunus proper doesn't care too much for her, though- she hates the city with a passion, ever since her older brother was killed in a bread riot, and has said as much in front of some very important people. She's supposed to be going to a foster family soon to learn the noble and ladylike arts, though, and if she fosters with Jenne I can get myself made Countess in absentia for her with her willing. Barring her going to Jenne, I'm going to need you to set up a kidnapping so we can get this over with and her in our hands. The assorted counts and barons are not strangers to this sort of thing, and as long as you don't accidently burn down a castle or kill anyone important in the attempt you'll probably get off scot-free. If that happens, you're going to need to get her back here with all haste- if she's not demonstrably safe, I may need to crack heads."
As she tore off a summary sheet and handed it to you, you nodded.
"I'll let you get moving, Cass. You can spend the night in my apartments, but I want you on the road tomorrow promptly. If you need to learn anything else, just talk to some of the staff."
As Castile exited, you finished the erstazcoffee and got ready to find the quartemaster's store.
----
About two hours and several wrong turns later, you found the store. Outside the castle proper, it was more a bunker than anything else, with a connected range and small drill field with a sparring yard. Inside was an utter mess- dozens of pallets on small rolling platforms with rope and netting holding the contents on, huge crates stacking the walls, and at the back a young-ish man with a jaunty hat and a large smile.
"You the one coming from Ol' Crystals?" he called out, smiling.
"Ol' Crystals?" you replied, befuddled.
"The Duchess Castile." He said, flat. "I'll take that as a yes. Whatcha need, son?"
You brindled at that for a short second, but got on with it. "I need a pistol and a god number of rounds, one of the big maps of everything, some rope, and travel rations."
Nodding, the quartermaster dipped behind his counter and pulled out a long rack of handguns. "Pistol's fairly generic, buddy. Pick a model, I'll see what I got."
Looking at the rack, you had to whistle. There were single barrel designs, flintlocks, caplocks, two and three barrel guns, a revolver, a pepperbox, long pistols and short ones. You were totally lost.
"Got any recommendations?" you asked, chuckling. The quartermaster grinned, and unlocked the display rack, handing the leftmost one to you.
"Here's the classic- Type 1 Mod 1 pistol. Flintlock, shoots Standard Ammo Three, and you can pound in tent stakes with it all day, no problem."
As you handled it gently, the man grinned. "Of course, you're working with Crystals, so I'm not going to pawn off garbage on you. We stopped making these five years ago, and they've got serious issues with the damp. Considering Pisar's a fucking swamp, you're going to want at least a Type 19 Mod 3."
The new pistol you were presented was long and heavy, the double barrels and long-draw trigger offset by an odd lever on the side, near where your thumb would rest. "Type 19 Mod 3; every cavalryman's wet dream. Two barrels, quartzlock, Standard Ammo Three, only sin is you need to charge the hammer twice to empty the gun."
As you picked it up and brought it to bear, you winced at the weight. The amount of iron you were swinging was not insignificant. "Got anything lighter?"
Shaking his head, the Quartermaster pulled out a much shorter piece of steel than you had last used with an odd grip, a cross between a saw-but and the curving handles of the other pistols. "Last one, buddy. Type 22 Mod 6. Three barrels, quartzlock, single action trigger. A bit finicky, but once you get used to not having to recharge the action for every shot it's worth it."
Picking it up, you had to smile. The weight on this one was better, and more importantly it didn't drag your aim around. "I'll take it."
"Good choice! I'll get the paperwork ready, and the rest of your supplies."
-----
After things were finished in the quartermaster's store, you huffed and sighed your way back into the castle with your field pack. All you needed to do now was find a place to sleep, grab tommorow's breakfast, and get moving. You think.
VOTES
Where to sleep?
[] Castiel's Apartment
[] Outside
[] The Mess
[] The Medical Bay
[] (Write-in)
(Not a terribly important vote, just for flavor stuff)
Plans for tomorrow?
[] Go straight to Hausus, no stops. You have a map.
[] Commandeer a horse and travel in company.
[] There's probably a caravan heading that way, take it.
[] (Write-in)
Speculation for plans on arrival
[] (Write-in, no penalties for bad ideas. Anything here on any of the votes will be taken so that the narrative gives some information you guys are looking for.)
(2k words with attached vote. Whelp.)
[X] Accept Castile's mission
[X] Gear List: Pistol, Ammo, Big Map, Rope, Food
After your meeting with who you had privately decided to call The Matriarch as there were waaaaaaaay too many Princesses running around, you got to thinking on the important stuff. While the note in your chest-o-stuff might have offered you reasonable employment, Castile's visit in person spoke volumes that a slip of paper with a few neat lines didn't. Back in Europe at home, a duchess or duke was fairly high up the totem pole- the little nursery rhyme about the Duke of York marching ten thousand men up and down hills wasn't much of an exaggeration.
Practically, though, the Duchess Castile coming to meet you in person meant that by extension you were pretty high up the totem pole too. A little deduction lent itself to think that the note meant that either Alscepi thought you were lower down than you were, or that she wanted you to think you weren't as high up as you could be. Either conclusion was mildly damning.
As you walked and thought, you almost bumped into a rather large man standing next to the stairs. Excusing yourself, you tried to pass by, but the man shook his head. Holding up a finger carefully, he pointed down another cordor and you had to wince. With a thunk and a clunk, a poor girl with more metal showing than skin was making her way down the hall. Each step was preceded with a clink of her cane on the stone, while her good foot stayed silent as the metal one rattled and clanked. It was disquieting, especially when she turned to smile at you.
"Good morning!" she said, cheerful. "Haven't seen you here before."
"Good morning, miss." You said politely, trying not to focus on the battered mess of a face the girl had. You could tell it had been cute once, but not anymore.
"Well, another quiet one! Tell me, are you working with Castile, or Alspeci?"
You paused a moment at that, a confused look on your face. "Duchess Castile, miss."
She laughed for a moment, stamping her metal foot. "Ha! At least you have the good taste to work for one of my sisters who isn't a tease! Just be careful- she's a firecracker, and if you go with her she'll never let you go!" Now whispering, she smiled a distorted smile, scars hauling the left half of her mouth in to a jester's grin with teeth showing through an odd set of slotted scars. "Just between you and me, her Grand Duchy isn't all you'd think it is at first glance. Look harder, though- the hussars know their business well."
Now you were really confused. Turning to face the large man, you noticed he was gone. Turning back, the girl? woman? Whatever she was, she was gone too. Shaking your head, you went down the stairs.
On what you presumed was the ground floor, you decided your best bet for getting some god-blessed information was finding the food. Thankfully, all you had to do was follow your nose to the kitchens, and from there to a giant meatloaf sandwich. Finding a seat in the common room next door, you ate the sandwich cheerfully, trying to think of a way to let your newest employer know you had accepted her offer. When you went to bite your sandwich and a blue light glinted off the tomatoes, though, you figured you might have company. Turning around, you saw Castile there, grinning like a cat that had caught a canary.
"I talked to my sister earlier. So you're picking up the job?"
Nodding, you took a bite out of the sandwhich.
"Good! First thing I need you to do is head down to the Quartermaster's Store and pick up some stuff. I'll write you a note, but don't get greedy. I'm thinking you're going to want some basic kit- coat, hat, backpack, that kind of stuff. After that, maybe a gun or a sword if you know how to use them. Definitely a map of the Princedom, maybe one of the area around us. Advanced warning, the only decent maps we're printing right now is of Tamer proper."
As Castile took a bite out of the other half of your sandwich, she pulled out a notepad and slid around to a chair to face you.
"Next, information. You're going to be working in the Pisar region, which is mostly rolling plains and a few small forests. Expect some swamps and small streams, nothing huge. Right now it's mostly herding country, with a decent number of farms and villiges. Don't expect a lot of friendly people until you get to Haunus, the biggest city in the area. Once you're there, I need you to head to the Blackwatch tavern and get connected. Mention that you're there on the Duchess' tab, and they can handle meals and lodging."
Finished with half of your sandwich, Castile made a move for your other half, but you scarfed it down before she could. Shooting you a look, she waved over a serving maid and asked her to bring out a light coffee service with another sandwich.
"Last up, the mission. Due to some tragic fuckups by my last agent in the area and a comedy of errors from the opposition, I am currently third in line for the position of Count of Zerchnow, which once I aquire I can then set in motion a well-planed plan to get the rest of the Grand Duchy of Pisar under control. The current Count Zerchnow is currently ailing of gout and a severe case of dementia, so as soon as the succession is locked down he's going to quietly abdicate."
"Number one in the succession is the current Count's son. A carouser and womanizer, he's popular with the majority of Haunus, but the countryside barons hate him with a passion and most of the area's military commanders think he's an absolute fop who can't fight his way out of a wet paper sack. My personal recommendation is to set up some sort of accident in the city or a hunting incident, but if you're not in the mood to kill him then you might be able to get him into one of the half-dozen militant orders nearby. It worked to get rid of his son, it might work on him."
You nodded, and took a sip of the coffee. The thick flavor and hint of spices made you quietly nudge it from the category of coffee into the new category of estraz coffee. It wasn't bad, per say, but it wasn't anywhere near what you were used to.
"Number Two is much more problematic. She's the granddaughter of the current Count, and the gem of the countryside's eye." Castile said, pausing to let you get out of your aborted chortle when she said that. "Anyway, she's eight, and if something happens to her then most of the barons and a few of the other counts will be up in arms within the week. Haunus proper doesn't care too much for her, though- she hates the city with a passion, ever since her older brother was killed in a bread riot, and has said as much in front of some very important people. She's supposed to be going to a foster family soon to learn the noble and ladylike arts, though, and if she fosters with Jenne I can get myself made Countess in absentia for her with her willing. Barring her going to Jenne, I'm going to need you to set up a kidnapping so we can get this over with and her in our hands. The assorted counts and barons are not strangers to this sort of thing, and as long as you don't accidently burn down a castle or kill anyone important in the attempt you'll probably get off scot-free. If that happens, you're going to need to get her back here with all haste- if she's not demonstrably safe, I may need to crack heads."
As she tore off a summary sheet and handed it to you, you nodded.
"I'll let you get moving, Cass. You can spend the night in my apartments, but I want you on the road tomorrow promptly. If you need to learn anything else, just talk to some of the staff."
As Castile exited, you finished the erstazcoffee and got ready to find the quartemaster's store.
----
About two hours and several wrong turns later, you found the store. Outside the castle proper, it was more a bunker than anything else, with a connected range and small drill field with a sparring yard. Inside was an utter mess- dozens of pallets on small rolling platforms with rope and netting holding the contents on, huge crates stacking the walls, and at the back a young-ish man with a jaunty hat and a large smile.
"You the one coming from Ol' Crystals?" he called out, smiling.
"Ol' Crystals?" you replied, befuddled.
"The Duchess Castile." He said, flat. "I'll take that as a yes. Whatcha need, son?"
You brindled at that for a short second, but got on with it. "I need a pistol and a god number of rounds, one of the big maps of everything, some rope, and travel rations."
Nodding, the quartermaster dipped behind his counter and pulled out a long rack of handguns. "Pistol's fairly generic, buddy. Pick a model, I'll see what I got."
Looking at the rack, you had to whistle. There were single barrel designs, flintlocks, caplocks, two and three barrel guns, a revolver, a pepperbox, long pistols and short ones. You were totally lost.
"Got any recommendations?" you asked, chuckling. The quartermaster grinned, and unlocked the display rack, handing the leftmost one to you.
"Here's the classic- Type 1 Mod 1 pistol. Flintlock, shoots Standard Ammo Three, and you can pound in tent stakes with it all day, no problem."
As you handled it gently, the man grinned. "Of course, you're working with Crystals, so I'm not going to pawn off garbage on you. We stopped making these five years ago, and they've got serious issues with the damp. Considering Pisar's a fucking swamp, you're going to want at least a Type 19 Mod 3."
The new pistol you were presented was long and heavy, the double barrels and long-draw trigger offset by an odd lever on the side, near where your thumb would rest. "Type 19 Mod 3; every cavalryman's wet dream. Two barrels, quartzlock, Standard Ammo Three, only sin is you need to charge the hammer twice to empty the gun."
As you picked it up and brought it to bear, you winced at the weight. The amount of iron you were swinging was not insignificant. "Got anything lighter?"
Shaking his head, the Quartermaster pulled out a much shorter piece of steel than you had last used with an odd grip, a cross between a saw-but and the curving handles of the other pistols. "Last one, buddy. Type 22 Mod 6. Three barrels, quartzlock, single action trigger. A bit finicky, but once you get used to not having to recharge the action for every shot it's worth it."
Picking it up, you had to smile. The weight on this one was better, and more importantly it didn't drag your aim around. "I'll take it."
"Good choice! I'll get the paperwork ready, and the rest of your supplies."
-----
After things were finished in the quartermaster's store, you huffed and sighed your way back into the castle with your field pack. All you needed to do now was find a place to sleep, grab tommorow's breakfast, and get moving. You think.
VOTES
Where to sleep?
[] Castiel's Apartment
[] Outside
[] The Mess
[] The Medical Bay
[] (Write-in)
(Not a terribly important vote, just for flavor stuff)
Plans for tomorrow?
[] Go straight to Hausus, no stops. You have a map.
[] Commandeer a horse and travel in company.
[] There's probably a caravan heading that way, take it.
[] (Write-in)
Speculation for plans on arrival
[] (Write-in, no penalties for bad ideas. Anything here on any of the votes will be taken so that the narrative gives some information you guys are looking for.)
(2k words with attached vote. Whelp.)
- Location
- his hidden lair
I can safely say ignorance in this case was not bliss.
Thanks for pinging me so that I could find this and sorry for the total lack of contribution.
[X] The Medical Bay
[X] Commandeer a horse and travel in company.
[X] Get a feel for the way of the land on the way here- if we need to hightail it out with a noble brat as a hostage we need to have a damn good idea of the route we want to take. Coming in alone would be more suspicious, and a travelling companion allows us to ask questions that would oust us as an outsider with relative security. Get an understanding of what exact sort of game the local nobility hunts, who hosts the parties, when and how often- try and set the grounds for establishing ourselves as someone interested in joining if it at all feasible. If we want to get involved in hunting, then we have to learn to ride.
Other than that, I figure we should check in on Ryan tonight or tomorrow. We don't want to leave him alone necessarily, and he's damn good in a fight. He's got potential as an accomplice at the very least.
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
@Ferretshock @Hannz? Fucking anyone? I can't write a complex update on two votes here!
LucidProp
Pocky Eating MafiaDoka
[X] Outside
[X] There's probably a caravan heading that way, take it.
[X] Learn what foster family the granddaughter is going to, and when she will leave for it, the best time would be to intercept her as she's leaving. Find out the hobbies and interests of the son.
[X] There's probably a caravan heading that way, take it.
[X] Learn what foster family the granddaughter is going to, and when she will leave for it, the best time would be to intercept her as she's leaving. Find out the hobbies and interests of the son.
Mostly I'm just drawing a blank on planning, and trying desperately to think about what kind of tack we're likely to try and use, because that changes what means of travel would be most beneficial.
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
Seriously? There's options- several options!- for all the important stuff, and the only pure write-in is basically a suggestions box so I don't bindside you guys.
Considering the fact you guys voted to work on magic as one of your cornerstones last vote? I'm going to say right now that in an "oh shit" moment your solution's going to be magical. One of the things I'm working on here is making character traits something the Questors can influence, and last vote said magic. My personal suggestion is going to be going it solo, though. Mostly because I've been looking at an assload of [PLACE IN EUROPE BETWEEN THE VOLGA AND RHINE RIVERS] scenery to get the atmosphere of Haunus, Thorn, and a couple of the other locations in this neck of the woods right, and I kinda want to do a prosaic scene of beautiful emptiness before moving on to the inevitable magic practice.
A little hint from one creativly-bankrupt QM to an audience: the best way to avoid a bland and generic area is to rip off an area that actually exists wholesale. Three guesses as to where this area is, and the winner gets a cookie.
- Location
- his hidden lair
Given we're heading to a border region- you've described it as between Volga and Rhine it's Eastern Europe- Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, etc. If you are actually pulling from historical nations then we're probably looking at something like the Poland-Lithuania Commonwealth or possibly The Kingdom of Bohemia. Alternatively, your use of 'Princess' might imply it's organized as Principalities which is basically the various pre-unification Russian nations as examples, but that doesn't really fit given that the ruling monarch we've seen was a Queen.
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
You're pretty on the ball here, but a few things. For starters, I never specifically mentioned the title of the ruling female in Part 4. Second, good job on guessing the local area's rough characteristics, but you've yet to name a single place you think you're going. The principalities thing, though, is a little off- remember the Princedom of Tamer? Yeah, that's a hint.
Last thing, remember what time frame the rest of the world is in. Donner fought levies backed by small cadres of men-at-arms. Things haven't changed much in twenty years for the rest of the world.
- Location
- his hidden lair
Wait, we're going to the Southern Border, in No!Eastern Europe where we have unsatisfactory allies. Please tell me we're not heading to Not!Moldavia or Not!Wallachia? It's also possible that Tamer is Not!Hungary and we're being sent to deal with the equivalent of Serbia (or Wallachia) but that doesn't quite seem right either.
I'm assuming approximate 15th century here, basically Late Medieval, and as far as I'm aware the difference between a Princedom and a Principality is semantics.
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
A little off on the time there, but right ballpark. Think for the most part of the early end of High Medieval, and you'll be on track. Likewise with the princedom/principality thing.
That said, though, Gand is the western tip of the Not!Balkans region, and frequently has had to get used to euntrapanuer Theosian offshoots trying to pillage the area and the stability collapse brought on by the invasion of the Osriasan tribes.