tankdrop24
Tread First into Hell
- Location
- The Center of the Universe: Toronto, Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X]- Ms. Agarwal: Positution is the oldest job. Start with her, bring her onboard, back into the fold.
Hustle Baby: A Dieselpunk Crime Quest
- Thread starter Laplace
- Start date
- Original
StarSerpent
Upjumped Peasant
- Location
- Cowtown, AB
[X]- Ms. Agarwal: Positution is the oldest job. Start with her, bring her onboard, back into the fold.
Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X]- Ms. Agarwal: Positution is the oldest job. Start with her, bring her onboard, back into the fold.
Would this get us a rent discount?
Would this get us a rent discount?
- Location
- St. Petersburg
"prostitution"
[x]- Batzorig Monkhbat: Gambling is a victimless crime. There must be hundreds dropped in his games.
There is a lot of money to be made there.
KnownParadox
Not a sphere
- Location
- Canada
[X]- Ms. Agarwal: Positution is the oldest job. Start with her, bring her onboard, back into the fold.
Y1034 M03 W1 (Turn 1)
- Location
- boundless optimism
The city of Panau has nine docks in total. Three of them are well maintained, the state of the art. Automated cranes dip their beaks over ships and collect cargo almost instantaneously. Four are remnants of older days, for the ships that hadn't kept up with Panau's breakneck developments. The last two are the oldest of the old, broken down, shoved politely into the recesses of the city's history. The Horseheads are one of them, where Sanarran refugees, runners from the last great horselord khaganate, fled to.
The district was never meant to handle so many. Within a year, the almost dead district, home to drunks and dissolutes, exploded in population. Ramshackle buildings were brought at usurious rates by speculators and then rented out at cutthroat prices to the migrants. It was a cauldron of human misery, generously seasoned with disease and crime by absentee landlords stirring up the pot with insane rents.
So you had to hustle or drown. Even if what you're doing is flagrantly illegal.
Okay, You Pay Me How Much?
"Is this a shakedown? Is that it? This is a shakedown, Ms. Khatri."
"I don't know how you got that impression," Ariel insisted, despite Kuban and his boys coming along for that express reason. The doorway was crowded with girls (is that the word? Girls? It feels off because Ariel saw a couple of finely featured men. Highly improper. Her mother would be having fits) trying their best to look inconspicuous. "We're just-"
Taking our money. What is this? Fifty percent? Be fucked." Ms. Agarwal spat, rapping her fingernails on the table. She was working up a good head of steam, smoke billowing from her jaws like a dragon. "Ungrateful brat. I should have known that this would happen. My grandmother was run broke running an inn for you soldiers and my mother was left by a soldier and now a soldier is fucking me."
"Look, can we just get this over with? What can I do to make this worth it for you?"
"You can take this," she picked up the paper with the terms on them and threw them at Ariel. "And fuck off. Fuck off. You should be ashamed! Thieves and robbers, all of you."
Kuban spoke up from his position by the door. Good. Ariel was contemplating violence, calmly rubbing her knuckles under the table. "Sister of the same s-"
"Are you an Azerady? You sound like an Azerady. A liar on top of a thug."
She doesn't seem like she'll stop. But can she be blamed? It sat poorly with Ariel, reclining in her chair as Kuban and Agarwal continued arguing. There was a mural behind Agarwal, on the wall. A skeleton in a dark shroud, holding a scythe and a globe. She saw it around a couple times on the street, in little shrines. Dark skinned Panauans would leave flowers and alcohol. Ariel always wondered why. What kind of god was she, to be worshipped in street corners and drunken back alleys?
They were still at it. It was getting nowhere and she had better things to do.
[]- Agarwal Decides: Agarwal might bluster, but in the end she is a seasoned madame in Panau. Give her the contract and let her decide how much she wants to pay you for security. This will net you a Racket immediately but with reduced profitability.
Ms. Agarwal's House (Funds 1 Heat 1 Manpower 2/2): There are thousands of such houses of pleasure in Panau.
Speciality: A Hero? (1): Word of your generous takeover of the House spreads. Some in the sex trade are eyeing their pimps and wondering if they can get a better deal from you.
[]- Let Kuban Work It Out: Kuban seems like a glib chap. Let him work his magnetic magic and come to a deal. (2d6- Tinker Dreamer + 1 Manpower)
[]- I Carry Swords: Threaten her, here and now. She don't like it? Tough shit. (3d6- Military Training + 1 Manpower)
Look At Me. I'm The Cop Now.
They had converted the attic of the tenant into an ersatz meeting room, the hundred or so ex-soldiers jawing off while Ariel and Kuban shuffled through the papers containing the itinerary. Some were hungover, others were drinking, but they were here, and honestly that was a feat in and of itself. "Okay," Ariel sighed. "First meeting of the Provisional Sanarran Milita of the Horsehead District in order."
"Can the first item on the list be changing the fuckin' name?" a joker yelled to wide acclaim. Kuban rubbed his cheeks, hiding a blush. He and Ariel were standing, which made her faintly nervous. "Provisional Sanarran Militia- nobody got time to say that shit!"
"Settle down, settle down. We have a couple of things to talk about. First," she squinted at the paper. It was hard to read in this shitty light. "Okay, this is the only thing. 'For too long have the Sanarran di-as-po-ra- '' was this even a word? "-been subject to poverty, destitution, and neglect. The industry of Panau is powered by our blood, sweat, and tears, and for this we receive a slice of the city so poor it is pornographic."
A hand was raised. "Did you write this?"
"Nah, it was Kuban. Should you want me to skip this?"
"Eh, keep going."
Kuban raised a thumbs up. Ariel shrugged. "Thus, politely ignored by the state, it falls on us to organize and police the Horseheads until it is as good as any other district, perhaps better."
"Five out of ten, the ending was weak!"
Goddamn joker. The script crumbled in her fists. "Right. Suggestions?" She ordered brusquely. "And good ones too. If someone jokes I'm throwing hands."
[]- Solder Boys: Get a uniform, march around, look official. Kiss some babies too, and hope no-one remembers how the Republican Army confiscated their cow or something.
[]- And if I See You Again: Crack down on some local petty thieves and return their stolen goods (with a cut for yourself, of course!)
[]- I'm a Concerned Citizen: Go up to Sanarran merchants and offer your services as security. If they don't, too bad, so sad, I don't have to care about your shit.
Like A Fish In The Ocean.
After that was over, the topic drifted until someone raised the question of money. "The great motivator," Kuban sighed. "Yes, we have some ah, fiduciary deficits. We don't know how much funds we can scrounge up just from the protection. And Ms. Agarwal is still mulling it over."
"You know," Ariel mused, "the warehouses hire us. The ships hire us. And it's not like we see a cent of it anyway, so who cares about the Panauans?"
A wide, knowing grin passed from face to face. It was electric how much they planned. They argued over which companies to hit, how much they should steal, and how to distribute it. In the end it came down to a small, one time hit. A probing heist, to get them used to all of this and to generate funds from one of these three companies.
[]- Goldthread Sewing Co.: One of the old mainstays of Panau, back when water and not coal powered factories. Shirts, dresses, tunics, rugs, and couches fly off at record rates, and everyone needs garments. Who cares if some are misplaced.
[]- Dulcador Tobacco Trust: Dulcador cigars are the best in the world, and it's true. They're in short demand, and people would pay an arm and a leg to smoke a Dulcador. It seems risky, but it's not. Black market Dulcadors are as common as grass, and even the cops don't care about them.
[]- JP & Sons Pharmaceuticals: Morphine, quinine, and other 'ines roll out of the laboratories of JP & Sons. All of them have their uses, medical or recreational, but the stolen goods would be a hot commodity, both from private detectives and on the black market.
The district was never meant to handle so many. Within a year, the almost dead district, home to drunks and dissolutes, exploded in population. Ramshackle buildings were brought at usurious rates by speculators and then rented out at cutthroat prices to the migrants. It was a cauldron of human misery, generously seasoned with disease and crime by absentee landlords stirring up the pot with insane rents.
So you had to hustle or drown. Even if what you're doing is flagrantly illegal.
ARIEL KHATRI
Description: You. A Sanarran soldier from General Temur's Army of the Free, which was crushed months before she washed up on Panau.
Traits
Military Training(2): Panau's finest military officers came to train Khagan Temur's men. You learned from the best, the tactics used to clean jungles and mountains of aborigines turned to clear the port cities room by room. You excelled, aggressive, bold, and nearly fearless. Good traits for a soldier. Not a civilian.
KUBAN BAQRI
Description: Him. An ex-soldier, possible intellectual and filthy boho. Runs a group of veterans in Panau.
Traits
Military Training (1): Panau's finest military officers came to train Khagan Temur's men. You learned from the best, the tactics used to clean jungles and mountains of aborigines turned to clear the port cities room by room. You excelled, aggressive, bold, and nearly fearless. Good traits for a soldier. Not a civilian.
Tinker Dreamer (1): A dream is best when you can feel it. The force of your belief, beyond hope, pulls people into your orbit. Even when the dream is dead.
The Gang: (As of Yet Unnamed)
Manpower: 10
Rackets: N/A
Description: You. A Sanarran soldier from General Temur's Army of the Free, which was crushed months before she washed up on Panau.
Traits
Military Training(2): Panau's finest military officers came to train Khagan Temur's men. You learned from the best, the tactics used to clean jungles and mountains of aborigines turned to clear the port cities room by room. You excelled, aggressive, bold, and nearly fearless. Good traits for a soldier. Not a civilian.
KUBAN BAQRI
Description: Him. An ex-soldier, possible intellectual and filthy boho. Runs a group of veterans in Panau.
Traits
Military Training (1): Panau's finest military officers came to train Khagan Temur's men. You learned from the best, the tactics used to clean jungles and mountains of aborigines turned to clear the port cities room by room. You excelled, aggressive, bold, and nearly fearless. Good traits for a soldier. Not a civilian.
Tinker Dreamer (1): A dream is best when you can feel it. The force of your belief, beyond hope, pulls people into your orbit. Even when the dream is dead.
The Gang: (As of Yet Unnamed)
Manpower: 10
Rackets: N/A
Okay, You Pay Me How Much?
"Is this a shakedown? Is that it? This is a shakedown, Ms. Khatri."
"I don't know how you got that impression," Ariel insisted, despite Kuban and his boys coming along for that express reason. The doorway was crowded with girls (is that the word? Girls? It feels off because Ariel saw a couple of finely featured men. Highly improper. Her mother would be having fits) trying their best to look inconspicuous. "We're just-"
Taking our money. What is this? Fifty percent? Be fucked." Ms. Agarwal spat, rapping her fingernails on the table. She was working up a good head of steam, smoke billowing from her jaws like a dragon. "Ungrateful brat. I should have known that this would happen. My grandmother was run broke running an inn for you soldiers and my mother was left by a soldier and now a soldier is fucking me."
"Look, can we just get this over with? What can I do to make this worth it for you?"
"You can take this," she picked up the paper with the terms on them and threw them at Ariel. "And fuck off. Fuck off. You should be ashamed! Thieves and robbers, all of you."
Kuban spoke up from his position by the door. Good. Ariel was contemplating violence, calmly rubbing her knuckles under the table. "Sister of the same s-"
"Are you an Azerady? You sound like an Azerady. A liar on top of a thug."
She doesn't seem like she'll stop. But can she be blamed? It sat poorly with Ariel, reclining in her chair as Kuban and Agarwal continued arguing. There was a mural behind Agarwal, on the wall. A skeleton in a dark shroud, holding a scythe and a globe. She saw it around a couple times on the street, in little shrines. Dark skinned Panauans would leave flowers and alcohol. Ariel always wondered why. What kind of god was she, to be worshipped in street corners and drunken back alleys?
They were still at it. It was getting nowhere and she had better things to do.
[]- Agarwal Decides: Agarwal might bluster, but in the end she is a seasoned madame in Panau. Give her the contract and let her decide how much she wants to pay you for security. This will net you a Racket immediately but with reduced profitability.
Ms. Agarwal's House (Funds 1 Heat 1 Manpower 2/2): There are thousands of such houses of pleasure in Panau.
Speciality: A Hero? (1): Word of your generous takeover of the House spreads. Some in the sex trade are eyeing their pimps and wondering if they can get a better deal from you.
[]- Let Kuban Work It Out: Kuban seems like a glib chap. Let him work his magnetic magic and come to a deal. (2d6- Tinker Dreamer + 1 Manpower)
[]- I Carry Swords: Threaten her, here and now. She don't like it? Tough shit. (3d6- Military Training + 1 Manpower)
Look At Me. I'm The Cop Now.
They had converted the attic of the tenant into an ersatz meeting room, the hundred or so ex-soldiers jawing off while Ariel and Kuban shuffled through the papers containing the itinerary. Some were hungover, others were drinking, but they were here, and honestly that was a feat in and of itself. "Okay," Ariel sighed. "First meeting of the Provisional Sanarran Milita of the Horsehead District in order."
"Can the first item on the list be changing the fuckin' name?" a joker yelled to wide acclaim. Kuban rubbed his cheeks, hiding a blush. He and Ariel were standing, which made her faintly nervous. "Provisional Sanarran Militia- nobody got time to say that shit!"
"Settle down, settle down. We have a couple of things to talk about. First," she squinted at the paper. It was hard to read in this shitty light. "Okay, this is the only thing. 'For too long have the Sanarran di-as-po-ra- '' was this even a word? "-been subject to poverty, destitution, and neglect. The industry of Panau is powered by our blood, sweat, and tears, and for this we receive a slice of the city so poor it is pornographic."
A hand was raised. "Did you write this?"
"Nah, it was Kuban. Should you want me to skip this?"
"Eh, keep going."
Kuban raised a thumbs up. Ariel shrugged. "Thus, politely ignored by the state, it falls on us to organize and police the Horseheads until it is as good as any other district, perhaps better."
"Five out of ten, the ending was weak!"
Goddamn joker. The script crumbled in her fists. "Right. Suggestions?" She ordered brusquely. "And good ones too. If someone jokes I'm throwing hands."
[]- Solder Boys: Get a uniform, march around, look official. Kiss some babies too, and hope no-one remembers how the Republican Army confiscated their cow or something.
[]- And if I See You Again: Crack down on some local petty thieves and return their stolen goods (with a cut for yourself, of course!)
[]- I'm a Concerned Citizen: Go up to Sanarran merchants and offer your services as security. If they don't, too bad, so sad, I don't have to care about your shit.
Like A Fish In The Ocean.
After that was over, the topic drifted until someone raised the question of money. "The great motivator," Kuban sighed. "Yes, we have some ah, fiduciary deficits. We don't know how much funds we can scrounge up just from the protection. And Ms. Agarwal is still mulling it over."
"You know," Ariel mused, "the warehouses hire us. The ships hire us. And it's not like we see a cent of it anyway, so who cares about the Panauans?"
A wide, knowing grin passed from face to face. It was electric how much they planned. They argued over which companies to hit, how much they should steal, and how to distribute it. In the end it came down to a small, one time hit. A probing heist, to get them used to all of this and to generate funds from one of these three companies.
[]- Goldthread Sewing Co.: One of the old mainstays of Panau, back when water and not coal powered factories. Shirts, dresses, tunics, rugs, and couches fly off at record rates, and everyone needs garments. Who cares if some are misplaced.
[]- Dulcador Tobacco Trust: Dulcador cigars are the best in the world, and it's true. They're in short demand, and people would pay an arm and a leg to smoke a Dulcador. It seems risky, but it's not. Black market Dulcadors are as common as grass, and even the cops don't care about them.
[]- JP & Sons Pharmaceuticals: Morphine, quinine, and other 'ines roll out of the laboratories of JP & Sons. All of them have their uses, medical or recreational, but the stolen goods would be a hot commodity, both from private detectives and on the black market.
- Location
- Somewhere in the area
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
[X]- Agarwal Decides: Agarwal might bluster, but in the end she is a seasoned madame in Panau. Give her the contract and let her decide how much she wants to pay you for security. This will net you a Racket immediately but with reduced profitability.
Let's see if we can get the sex trade under our sphere by not squeezing them for every coin.
[X]- And if I See You Again: Crack down on some local petty thieves and return their stolen goods (with a cut for yourself, of course!)
[X]- Goldthread Sewing Co.: One of the old mainstays of Panau, back when water and not coal powered factories. Shirts, dresses, tunics, rugs, and couches fly off at record rates, and everyone needs garments. Who cares if some are misplaced.
Not as sure with the other ones, but I think having concrete results will establish us as actually able to give protection to those we offer it to. The clothing and furniture should give little to no heat, which is good for what's basically a training heist. And if we can't sell it for too much we can use the stuff ourselves.
Let's see if we can get the sex trade under our sphere by not squeezing them for every coin.
[X]- And if I See You Again: Crack down on some local petty thieves and return their stolen goods (with a cut for yourself, of course!)
[X]- Goldthread Sewing Co.: One of the old mainstays of Panau, back when water and not coal powered factories. Shirts, dresses, tunics, rugs, and couches fly off at record rates, and everyone needs garments. Who cares if some are misplaced.
Not as sure with the other ones, but I think having concrete results will establish us as actually able to give protection to those we offer it to. The clothing and furniture should give little to no heat, which is good for what's basically a training heist. And if we can't sell it for too much we can use the stuff ourselves.
[X]- Agarwal Decides: Agarwal might bluster, but in the end she is a seasoned madame in Panau. Give her the contract and let her decide how much she wants to pay you for security. This will net you a Racket immediately but with reduced profitability.
[X]- And if I See You Again: Crack down on some local petty thieves and return their stolen goods (with a cut for yourself, of course!)
[X]- Goldthread Sewing Co.: One of the old mainstays of Panau, back when water and not coal powered factories. Shirts, dresses, tunics, rugs, and couches fly off at record rates, and everyone needs garments. Who cares if some are misplaced.
If we're reasonable with how hard we squeeze it should allow us to embed ourselves much more effectively in the community.
[X]- And if I See You Again: Crack down on some local petty thieves and return their stolen goods (with a cut for yourself, of course!)
[X]- Goldthread Sewing Co.: One of the old mainstays of Panau, back when water and not coal powered factories. Shirts, dresses, tunics, rugs, and couches fly off at record rates, and everyone needs garments. Who cares if some are misplaced.
If we're reasonable with how hard we squeeze it should allow us to embed ourselves much more effectively in the community.
- Location
- alphen aan den rijn
[X]- Agarwal Decides: Agarwal might bluster, but in the end she is a seasoned madame in Panau. Give her the contract and let her decide how much she wants to pay you for security. This will net you a Racket immediately but with reduced profitability.
[X]- And if I See You Again: Crack down on some local petty thieves and return their stolen goods (with a cut for yourself, of course!)
[X]- Goldthread Sewing Co.: One of the old mainstays of Panau, back when water and not coal powered factories. Shirts, dresses, tunics, rugs, and couches fly off at record rates, and everyone needs garments. Who cares if some are misplaced
[X]- And if I See You Again: Crack down on some local petty thieves and return their stolen goods (with a cut for yourself, of course!)
[X]- Goldthread Sewing Co.: One of the old mainstays of Panau, back when water and not coal powered factories. Shirts, dresses, tunics, rugs, and couches fly off at record rates, and everyone needs garments. Who cares if some are misplaced
Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X]- Agarwal Decides: Agarwal might bluster, but in the end she is a seasoned madame in Panau. Give her the contract and let her decide how much she wants to pay you for security. This will net you a Racket immediately but with reduced profitability.
[X]- And if I See You Again: Crack down on some local petty thieves and return their stolen goods (with a cut for yourself, of course!)
[X]- Goldthread Sewing Co.: One of the old mainstays of Panau, back when water and not coal powered factories. Shirts, dresses, tunics, rugs, and couches fly off at record rates, and everyone needs garments. Who cares if some are misplaced.
[X]- And if I See You Again: Crack down on some local petty thieves and return their stolen goods (with a cut for yourself, of course!)
[X]- Goldthread Sewing Co.: One of the old mainstays of Panau, back when water and not coal powered factories. Shirts, dresses, tunics, rugs, and couches fly off at record rates, and everyone needs garments. Who cares if some are misplaced.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
The opening quotation marks are missing.
[x]- Let Kuban Work It Out: Kuban seems like a glib chap. Let him work his magnetic magic and come to a deal. (2d6- Tinker Dreamer + 1 Manpower)
[x]- And if I See You Again: Crack down on some local petty thieves and return their stolen goods (with a cut for yourself, of course!)
[x]- Dulcador Tobacco Trust: Dulcador cigars are the best in the world, and it's true. They're in short demand, and people would pay an arm and a leg to smoke a Dulcador. It seems risky, but it's not. Black market Dulcadors are as common as grass, and even the cops don't care about them.
Last edited:
KnownParadox
Not a sphere
- Location
- Canada
[X]- Agarwal Decides: Agarwal might bluster, but in the end she is a seasoned madame in Panau. Give her the contract and let her decide how much she wants to pay you for security. This will net you a Racket immediately but with reduced profitability.
[X]- And if I See You Again: Crack down on some local petty thieves and return their stolen goods (with a cut for yourself, of course!)
[X]- Goldthread Sewing Co.: One of the old mainstays of Panau, back when water and not coal powered factories. Shirts, dresses, tunics, rugs, and couches fly off at record rates, and everyone needs garments. Who cares if some are misplaced.
Personally I want more money fast by rushing the money making options and risking the dice gods, you know, let Kuban handle it, concerned citizen, and morphine, but may as well go with this.
Mighty tempted though.
[X]- And if I See You Again: Crack down on some local petty thieves and return their stolen goods (with a cut for yourself, of course!)
[X]- Goldthread Sewing Co.: One of the old mainstays of Panau, back when water and not coal powered factories. Shirts, dresses, tunics, rugs, and couches fly off at record rates, and everyone needs garments. Who cares if some are misplaced.
Personally I want more money fast by rushing the money making options and risking the dice gods, you know, let Kuban handle it, concerned citizen, and morphine, but may as well go with this.
Mighty tempted though.