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I'm a High Fantasy Tax Collector, So What? A CKII Tax Collector Quest
- Thread starter hYGP
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
-
- Tags
- death ck2 quest all proceeds go to real spiders are we revolutionaries or reactionaries today criminal justice discussion makes the gm fuzzy don't count your boats before they sail granary management if i lose my meows get me likes to replace them justice spider knock knock it's the finance ministry meows for discussion while supplies last taxation taxes this is not an empire quest
- Location
- New York
Attempting to roll now.
- Location
- Attached to a wall
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Rolling the 7th dice
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
More rolls!
I think that there is room for one more?
Solarstream
It's all in the cards
- Location
- Zombie World
- Pronouns
- He/Him
roll #10 is this one
- Location
- Attached to a wall
- Pronouns
- She/Her
That is one heck of a gamer moment.
Random Roll #11
EDIT: ...oh no.
Random Roll #11
EDIT: ...oh no.
INTERREGNUM MONTH 8.1
- Location
- Somewhere over the rainbow
Random Event Roll: 4
Cold Winter, Fast Winter, Long Winter
Martial
The Warrior Monks Hospitaller
DC: 25. Roll: 22 + 5 (Tax Cut) + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 1.8 - 5 (The Second Winter) = 24.8
It should be the last days of autumn.
It should only be in the range of comfortably chilly.
The snowflakes begin falling at the beginning of the month. At first, it's a light dusting, a freak accident.
Then the second snow comes, two days after the first. That night, the third, now up to the ankles and the doors. In the afternoon of the third day, the fourth, and now boots and winter coats are coming out. By the time of the fifth snow in the first week, everyone realizes this winter will be long, cold, and brutal like the winter two years ago.
In the second week, a miracle seems to occur; the clouds clear, the weather warms up, and a brief period of warmth shines down on the region. Warmth sufficient to remind everyone that winter was coming, and warmth enough to churn the dirt roads into a muddy quagmire.
It is at this point that everyone very abruptly realizes there is an enormous lumber shortage.
Panic. Confusion. Madness that you are not present for.
Then the snow starts falling again.
Practically all travel grinds to a halt. How can anyone move through such high snowdrift and the biting winds?
You scrap your plans to reach out to the warrior monks. You don't think that they're going to be able or willing to dig themselves out of the castle they're wintering in until spring comes around.
Learning
Old Palmira II
DC: 10. Roll: 23 + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 3.2 - 5 (The Second Winter)
Piety
Spiritual Baseline
DC: 20. Roll: 22 + 5.1
The Commonwealth
"Ah," Palmira says, opening the door to her cottage. You notice that the snow stays firmly piled up against the threshold and the dry floorboards - whatever it is she has bounding the house, it must be very good at keeping the warmth in. "Come in, come in. I was hoping you'd come. I'll make some warm tea for you all."
"Many thanks for your hospitality," you reply sincerely. Everyone except Ophelia knows better than to react to the exaggeration, but Ophelia-Oskaria is always able to simply substitute raw shock and awe for misdirection and subterfuge.
Palmira even seems to smile at the byplay. Actually, if anything she probably finds it hilarious, especially when layered on top of how she seems comfortably warm under her layers and near the warm fireplace, in contrast to your blue-faced and snow covered group.
Hm. How is she keeping her fireplace fed, considering the lumber shortage?
You try to distract yourself with thoughts like these while you all get settled down and warmed up - but of course, old Palmira is absolutely not interested in letting you avoid thinking about the trivialities like that.
"So, what brings you here? Are you here because Thevenet bit off more than he could chew? Someone poke their nose in where it didn't belong? Or are you just here to spend time with an old lady?" she says, grinning toothily.
"Well, I can't say either of those aren't reasons for coming here," you say, "but I must confess we're looking for answers for a more spiritual question."
"If that question is the question I think it is, then I can reassure you that these things are not so unrelated as they appear," Palmira says, sipping her tea. You crabbily file away that what she just said is practically the opposite of reassuring, and signal Cormag to explain.
"We're specifically wondering where the local spirits of the Melusine Commonwealth are - surely it should've been immediately obvious where the local spirits were, but all we could really tell was that there was some sort of unbelievably huge seal by the castle, and the greater Compact nearby - no city spirits, no river spirits, not even a household spirit!" Cormag animatedly asks, obviously desperately confused.
"That's just because you weren't looking in the right places - or should I say, the right persons. The Melusine is a bit of a special case because their people and spirits have directly merged; they could not have survived all these centuries otherwise," she says, taking another loud sip of her tea.
You're convinced the slurping is intentional. It can't be that obnoxious purely by accident. You're also trying not to think too hard about the implications of that seal being insufficient to hold back whatever was on the other side without it, and you've just failed quick think about the slurping.
"Even that is not nearly enough, but fortunately for the Commonwealth, the Divine Gathering has taken a rather extensive interest in their survival. That seal you saw is in large part the work of the Divine, not merely mortal hands.
"And in one last note; if you were wondering why the fae might have had a particularly bad reaction to you in particular, Agueda, I will reassure you that their fear is not unfounded."
Oh no.
No pure spirit or fleshly body can survive in the area over the long term, the Compact takes an overriding interest and designed the seal, and they react with fear to arachnoid body types?
"Indeed," Palmira smiles, and now her wrinkles make her age look dangerous rather than endearing. "The entirety of the Melusine Commonwealth is meant to seal away one Calamity Armor.
"So as a good woman of the Church, I hope you understand my dismay when about a year and change ago, we suddenly realized we lost track of a Calamity Key that we thought for sure we had tracked down, within only one day's hard travel of a known Calamity Armor."
You do not react. Tekla does not react. Kerrie does not react. Cormag at least knows to remain neutral.
Ophelia-Oskaria is never particularly subtle.
"Ah," Old Palmira says, and now the circlet around her neck begins to pulse. "So you do know something. In the name of Order, I do hope you'll share what you know. Rest assured, the Divine Gathering is not unreasonable - you will be compensated fairly."
[] Personally Agree
Hand over the Box of Frames, get one Favor from the Divine Gathering, get Palmira to sort out Thevenet and this whole business in the Commonwealth.
[] Yield to Ophelia-Oskaria
Ophelia-Oskaria is never particularly subtle.
Cold Winter, Fast Winter, Long Winter
Martial
The Warrior Monks Hospitaller
DC: 25. Roll: 22 + 5 (Tax Cut) + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 1.8 - 5 (The Second Winter) = 24.8
It should be the last days of autumn.
It should only be in the range of comfortably chilly.
The snowflakes begin falling at the beginning of the month. At first, it's a light dusting, a freak accident.
Then the second snow comes, two days after the first. That night, the third, now up to the ankles and the doors. In the afternoon of the third day, the fourth, and now boots and winter coats are coming out. By the time of the fifth snow in the first week, everyone realizes this winter will be long, cold, and brutal like the winter two years ago.
In the second week, a miracle seems to occur; the clouds clear, the weather warms up, and a brief period of warmth shines down on the region. Warmth sufficient to remind everyone that winter was coming, and warmth enough to churn the dirt roads into a muddy quagmire.
It is at this point that everyone very abruptly realizes there is an enormous lumber shortage.
Panic. Confusion. Madness that you are not present for.
Then the snow starts falling again.
Practically all travel grinds to a halt. How can anyone move through such high snowdrift and the biting winds?
You scrap your plans to reach out to the warrior monks. You don't think that they're going to be able or willing to dig themselves out of the castle they're wintering in until spring comes around.
Learning
Old Palmira II
DC: 10. Roll: 23 + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 3.2 - 5 (The Second Winter)
Piety
Spiritual Baseline
DC: 20. Roll: 22 + 5.1
The Commonwealth
"Ah," Palmira says, opening the door to her cottage. You notice that the snow stays firmly piled up against the threshold and the dry floorboards - whatever it is she has bounding the house, it must be very good at keeping the warmth in. "Come in, come in. I was hoping you'd come. I'll make some warm tea for you all."
"Many thanks for your hospitality," you reply sincerely. Everyone except Ophelia knows better than to react to the exaggeration, but Ophelia-Oskaria is always able to simply substitute raw shock and awe for misdirection and subterfuge.
Palmira even seems to smile at the byplay. Actually, if anything she probably finds it hilarious, especially when layered on top of how she seems comfortably warm under her layers and near the warm fireplace, in contrast to your blue-faced and snow covered group.
Hm. How is she keeping her fireplace fed, considering the lumber shortage?
You try to distract yourself with thoughts like these while you all get settled down and warmed up - but of course, old Palmira is absolutely not interested in letting you avoid thinking about the trivialities like that.
"So, what brings you here? Are you here because Thevenet bit off more than he could chew? Someone poke their nose in where it didn't belong? Or are you just here to spend time with an old lady?" she says, grinning toothily.
"Well, I can't say either of those aren't reasons for coming here," you say, "but I must confess we're looking for answers for a more spiritual question."
"If that question is the question I think it is, then I can reassure you that these things are not so unrelated as they appear," Palmira says, sipping her tea. You crabbily file away that what she just said is practically the opposite of reassuring, and signal Cormag to explain.
"We're specifically wondering where the local spirits of the Melusine Commonwealth are - surely it should've been immediately obvious where the local spirits were, but all we could really tell was that there was some sort of unbelievably huge seal by the castle, and the greater Compact nearby - no city spirits, no river spirits, not even a household spirit!" Cormag animatedly asks, obviously desperately confused.
"That's just because you weren't looking in the right places - or should I say, the right persons. The Melusine is a bit of a special case because their people and spirits have directly merged; they could not have survived all these centuries otherwise," she says, taking another loud sip of her tea.
You're convinced the slurping is intentional. It can't be that obnoxious purely by accident. You're also trying not to think too hard about the implications of that seal being insufficient to hold back whatever was on the other side without it, and you've just failed quick think about the slurping.
"Even that is not nearly enough, but fortunately for the Commonwealth, the Divine Gathering has taken a rather extensive interest in their survival. That seal you saw is in large part the work of the Divine, not merely mortal hands.
"And in one last note; if you were wondering why the fae might have had a particularly bad reaction to you in particular, Agueda, I will reassure you that their fear is not unfounded."
Oh no.
No pure spirit or fleshly body can survive in the area over the long term, the Compact takes an overriding interest and designed the seal, and they react with fear to arachnoid body types?
"Indeed," Palmira smiles, and now her wrinkles make her age look dangerous rather than endearing. "The entirety of the Melusine Commonwealth is meant to seal away one Calamity Armor.
"So as a good woman of the Church, I hope you understand my dismay when about a year and change ago, we suddenly realized we lost track of a Calamity Key that we thought for sure we had tracked down, within only one day's hard travel of a known Calamity Armor."
You do not react. Tekla does not react. Kerrie does not react. Cormag at least knows to remain neutral.
Ophelia-Oskaria is never particularly subtle.
"Ah," Old Palmira says, and now the circlet around her neck begins to pulse. "So you do know something. In the name of Order, I do hope you'll share what you know. Rest assured, the Divine Gathering is not unreasonable - you will be compensated fairly."
[] Personally Agree
Hand over the Box of Frames, get one Favor from the Divine Gathering, get Palmira to sort out Thevenet and this whole business in the Commonwealth.
[] Yield to Ophelia-Oskaria
Ophelia-Oskaria is never particularly subtle.
- Location
- Attached to a wall
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Personally Agree
It doesn't matter what is good for the mother land, no tax collector should hold a WMD that has been forbidden by the UN (or something equivalent in this case).
We do not want a holy war against Oskaria.
It doesn't matter what is good for the mother land, no tax collector should hold a WMD that has been forbidden by the UN (or something equivalent in this case).
We do not want a holy war against Oskaria.
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
[X] Yield to Ophelia-Oskaria
With this weapon, we can vanquish the monarchists and spread the world revolution!
With this weapon, we can vanquish the monarchists and spread the world revolution!
[X] Yield to Ophelia-Oskaria
It's probably a terrible, terrible idea but of course I want to go take the old girl for a joyride. The Compact can have it back after we play around a little bit I wanna poke the doomsday device.
It's probably a terrible, terrible idea but of course I want to go take the old girl for a joyride. The Compact can have it back after we play around a little bit I wanna poke the doomsday device.
Last edited:
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Do we even have all the parts it would take to fire up the Calamity Frame?
- Location
- Somewhere over the rainbow
Try it and find out.
- Location
- USA
[x] Yield to Ophelia-Oskaria
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
[X] Personally Agree
...Can't help but notice the other doesn't state whatever her choice would be, just leaving the decision to her...
And this is an interesting, and possibly very relevant tidbit...
Could the local Divine Gathering be directly involved?
Solarstream
It's all in the cards
- Location
- Zombie World
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Yield to Ophelia-Oskaria
- Location
- Belgium
[X] Yield to Ophelia-Oskaria
Yeah, the two choices here are interesting. It looks like Personally Agree is what Agueda wants to do, and the decision is just 'do we pre-empt Ophelia-Oskaria or not?'
[X] Personally Agree
I'm going to go with what, as far as I can tell, is Agueda's judgment.
- Location
- Random place
[X] Personally Agree
INTERREGNUM MONTH 8.2
- Location
- Somewhere over the rainbow
[X] Yield to Ophelia-Oskaria
Ophelia-Oskaria is never particularly subtle.
It is only a moment of hesitation. A lapse where the smart thing would've been to agree.
The red glow shines. The selfishly correct decision is shoved down your throat.
"Yes, we do know something," Ophelia-Oskaria languidly says, power suffusing the air so thickly you feel like you are choking on dry land. "What of it?"
"Did you not hear me the first time?" Palmira rasps, necklace shimmering as she tries to keep her airways open. "If you know something, it is your duty to report that to the Compact - !"
A chill descends. A howling whisper roars over your spine. You shiver as if you were plunged outside, in the freezing cold.
"The Divine Gathering has been reasonable? Don't make me laugh," Ophelia-Oskaria says, softly heralding the apocalypse.
"That's - ghk!" She breaks out coughing, holding onto her armrests for dear life. She's miscalculated, and suddenly realizes it.
You've miscalculated too. Thevenet was sent by Old Palmira to investigate you. It could be coincidence, but against mages of this caliber, you doubt it would be a mistake. You don't know who else is part of their organization. It might be workable if all you have is leads on Calamity Frame data, but if they find out your trip to the Melusine Commonwealth ends there and then.
"Great spirit, I swear upon my life and my honor that I speak honestly for me and those I represent - if you think that there is gain from Calamity, I tell you there is not! If you think there is a motive for the Divine Gathering aside from genuine well-wishes of peace, I tell you there is not! The Calamity rendered Vinimrond to ashes under the shattered skies once - surely we must all agree that that can never happen again?!"
"On the scales that we discuss, your life and your honor is cheap," Ophelia-Oskaria dismissively says. "Power enough to make the Divine Gathering respect Oskaria, rather than merely occasionally permit Oskaria to beg, in exchange for one woman's honor? This is a ridiculous trade," she says.
She just revealed you had the Box of Frames.
You still. Your habits are not as broken as you think, not with the howling wind in your spine and the bone cold freezing, and the terrible conclusion roiling in your gut as your mind outlines the necessary steps.
If you are to complete your mission in the Melusine Commonwealth - if you are to win your case at all - Old Palmira has to die right here and now..
[Lost: Title the Just]
-2 Diplomacy
-2 Piety
-Virtue: Justice
Let no one say you are not decisive.
The Bell of Calamity
When you reenter the Melusine Commonwealth, there is a great ringing sound. It sets every hair on your body to shaking. The tension is so electrifying you feel yourself torn apart and reformed in its passing. Only the fact that the streetlamps remain completely still alerts you that this is a soul attack like no soul attack you have ever felt before, not even near the dread mires.
Then you look for the source - and you know with a soul-solid certainty where the source is, and see the whole sky glow with an incredible radiance, drowning out the facsimile of the Aurora.
Then the false sky shatters, the future decouples from the present, and all hell breaks loose.
ARE YOU THERE?
Title Gained: The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
+5 Learning
-???
???
Besim
[???]
For Whom the Bell Tolls
The morning after the bell of calamity rings, the queen breaks through your door and thrusts a crumpled sheet of paper at the Captain. The queen appears feverishly pale and visibly wasting away. Sheona glances down at the letter, sighs, and gets up. Her face is stormy as she sharply throws on her overcoat and adjusts her sword belt.
"Don't go anywhere," she warns you. "I'm being called to clean up some foolishness. Keep the doors locked and barred until I return."
The Captain marches out, holding her arm out so the queen can use it as a crutch. The queen takes her arm, limping along.
You stare at their backs long enough to determine they're gone - and then Ophelia-Oskaria grabs your leg.
You bow for the moment.
Even now, you can simply wait and see.
Half the day goes by. Commotion and a mob breaks out outside, but you don't move. They shout death threats with such force it nearly caves in the walls, but nearly is not the same thing as does.
When the Captain finally opens the door, half of her overcoat burned in powdersmoke to the close boom of cannonfire, you simply nod in understanding.
"Terrible guest, that Besim Rosenberg. We're kicking him out once we finish with our business here."
You nod in appreciation, while everyone else merely sits up in notice.
She grunts, shrugs off her overcoat, and then gently reopens the crumpled letter. She glances at it with unfocused eyes, reading the memories behind the paper rather than the paper itself. Then she folds it and tucks it into her breast pocket.
"Two things: the queen delivered a prophecy recently. It is short and mostly unambiguous, which is half the reason for that whole mess," she says, waving off what must be a riot outside. "Here's the prophecy," she says, sucking in a deep breath.
We swept in the widening gyre,
Foreign sparks stoke the fire,
Behold the shattered heavens!
Behold as apocalypse awakens!
Behold our ashes in the pyre.
You sit in contemplative silence.
So those were the terms of the Divine Gathering's future.
Blame "foreign elements" for the death everyone was about to inflict, with a little dash of self-preservation thrown in.
You know Captain Sheona caught that contemplative look in your eye.
"Second thing, and the thing that 'Istro wanted me to tell you: prophecies are shockingly limited for how much people like to make use of them. They can be fulfilled by the dumbest things, and there's a decent chance that by the end of this whatever comes out of the whole thing will be rewritten to fit the prophecy, no matter how poorly the shoes fit. Don't change who you are because of the prophecy; do what you do because of who you choose to be, got it?"
You nod.
You always understood this.
The question is: has the world understood this?
Diplomacy
Making Friends
DC: 10. Roll: 20 - 2 (Enchanted Vestments) + 7.0 - (???) = ???
Diplomacy
Cards on the Table
DC: ???. Roll: 20 + 2 (Enchanted Vestments) + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 4.1 + (???) - (???) = ???
Stewardship
Case Construction
DC: Scaling. Roll: 24 + 2 (Tekla's Divination Compass) + 6.7 - (???) = ???
Words words words. You know that it's important. You can even imitate the motions of your regular notions. But the words are so unimportant.
Yes, the Captain is proud to be both orc and fae. Yes, Thevenet is earnestly cooperating with you. It's a matter of pride for the Captain, and a matter of pride for Thevenet. Thevenet is genuinely interested in helping you out, though of course he'd like to be more than an attorney and client - friends, perhaps.
He cannot be allowed to know, but he does not know.
Captain Sheona is concerned for you, too; the worry is that you personally might set off some bad emotions among the lesser fae, but amongst the educated and the righteous you have nothing to fear.
(She worries too much; you were raised on the parable of the Tyrant, and you can hear - )
Thevenet, at least, picks up that you are anxious to be done with this whole business, and gladly cooperates with you in making the words correct on the page and the intent carried through.
Intrigue
Thevenet Watch
DC: ???. Roll: 22 + 2 (Tools of the Trade) + 8.3 - (???) = ???
Intrigue
Captain Watch
DC: 20. Roll: 22 + 2 (Tools of the Trade) + 8.9 - (???) = ???
Intrigue
More Shifts
DC: 10. Roll: 22 + 2 (Tools of the Trade) + 3.9 - (???) = ???
You and your dispirited band keep a healthy amount of vigilance, scrutinizing Thevenet and Sheona's every move. They do nothing especially harmful to your interests, as far as you can tell - mostly conventional guard duties and playboy diplomat things.
Nothing that would truly worry you.
Thevenet asks you once about the weather outside, and when you tell him that it's a freezing blizzard like the one two years ago, he shrugs and says New Years with the old granny might be a bit harder to get to. Then he goes right back to flirting with the fae.
Sheona, for her part, seems to take it as part of good fun and invites you to tromp around with the royal guard on patrol to make sure Thevenet does not get into trouble.
Your faculties are not so far gone that you do not recognize this for what it is - but frankly, this pettiness is ultimately irrelevant.
Service Revenue: 25 Budget
Fixed Assets: 4 Budget
Salaries and Wages Expense: 18 Budget
Spiritual Expense: 2 Budget
Facilitation Expense: 6 Budget
Net Income: 3 Budget
Remaining Budget: 112 Budget.
You must not touch the Box of Frames. You don't know why - no, you know why.
You may spend as much money as you have available.
You have three [Free] Actions that may be spent in any category.
You can cooperate with your teammates to add +3 Base Stat to an action you are cooperating on.
You have two more months to register evidence before you have to start tangling with the new Registrar of Evidence.
Ophelia carries a bright red glow in her role as Ophelia-Oskaria, but in foreign lands the influence is much diminished. Her mind is no lesser, and her presence is still awe inspiring - but only to those who call themselves Oskarian, it appears.
There is unfinished business here. You know what must be done.
Martial (Choose 1) {Ophelia-Oskaria}
[] [Martial] Hunkering Down
There are still roaming mobs around here, and for now you can still depend on the good word of the Captain Sheona. DC: ??? Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Martial] Exit Strategy
Right, as soon as you finish up here you're getting out. DC: ??? Cost: 0 Budget.
Diplomacy (Choose 1) {Tekla Action}
[] [Diplomacy] The High Seats
Currently, the high position is going unfilled. However, you may still be able to get somewhere if you get certain high ranking members to cooperate with you. DC: ??? Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Diplomacy] The Right to Exist
Captain Sheona right now is fighting fae society alone. Cormag believes he can help. DC: ??? Cost: 0 Budget.
Intrigue (Choose 0) {Agueda Action}
[] [Intrigue] Enhanced Cooperation
Given what you know of the current landscape, you, the Captain, and Thevenet have many...common interests. DC: ??? Cost: 0 Budget
[] [Intrigue] Heightened Vigilance
Right now is the absolute last moment any of you should be contemplating giving anything less than your absolute maximum vigilance. DC: ???. Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Intrigue] Package Removal {Kerrie Action}
Kerrie's just interested in some spring cleaning. DC: 25. Cost: 0 Budget.
Learning (Choose 0) {Agueda Action}
[] [Learning] Trade Goods
Everything is worth something, you say? Time for some profits, I say. DC: Scaling. Costs: 2 Budget.
[] [Learning] A Favor for the Mage-Smith
Thiemo has mentioned that he wants to get his hands on some specialty stones in a deeply magical place. This is probably pretty close. DC: 30. Cost: 20 Budget.
[] [Learning] Word Hunt
Some of those wordings are too specific to be accidental. Time to hit the books again. DC: ???. Costs: 2 Budget.
Stewardship (Choose 1) {Ophelia-Oskaria Action}
[] [Stewardship] Presentation
Whatever's come over the Queen, surely there must be someone you can present the case to in their stead? DC: ???. Cost: 4 Budget.
[] [Stewardship] Helping Hands
The law firm could always use more helping hands around here.
Spirits (Choose 0) {Cormag Action}
[] [Piety] Against Calamity
You stare against Calamity. You must ward against the Calamity. ??? DC: ??? Cost: 2 Budget. Repeatable.
[] [Piety] Interpreting the Prophecy
It may be worth asking for more clarification on this whole prophecy business. DC: ??? Cost: ???
Ophelia-Oskaria is never particularly subtle.
It is only a moment of hesitation. A lapse where the smart thing would've been to agree.
The red glow shines. The selfishly correct decision is shoved down your throat.
"Yes, we do know something," Ophelia-Oskaria languidly says, power suffusing the air so thickly you feel like you are choking on dry land. "What of it?"
"Did you not hear me the first time?" Palmira rasps, necklace shimmering as she tries to keep her airways open. "If you know something, it is your duty to report that to the Compact - !"
A chill descends. A howling whisper roars over your spine. You shiver as if you were plunged outside, in the freezing cold.
"The Divine Gathering has been reasonable? Don't make me laugh," Ophelia-Oskaria says, softly heralding the apocalypse.
"That's - ghk!" She breaks out coughing, holding onto her armrests for dear life. She's miscalculated, and suddenly realizes it.
You've miscalculated too. Thevenet was sent by Old Palmira to investigate you. It could be coincidence, but against mages of this caliber, you doubt it would be a mistake. You don't know who else is part of their organization. It might be workable if all you have is leads on Calamity Frame data, but if they find out your trip to the Melusine Commonwealth ends there and then.
"Great spirit, I swear upon my life and my honor that I speak honestly for me and those I represent - if you think that there is gain from Calamity, I tell you there is not! If you think there is a motive for the Divine Gathering aside from genuine well-wishes of peace, I tell you there is not! The Calamity rendered Vinimrond to ashes under the shattered skies once - surely we must all agree that that can never happen again?!"
"On the scales that we discuss, your life and your honor is cheap," Ophelia-Oskaria dismissively says. "Power enough to make the Divine Gathering respect Oskaria, rather than merely occasionally permit Oskaria to beg, in exchange for one woman's honor? This is a ridiculous trade," she says.
She just revealed you had the Box of Frames.
You still. Your habits are not as broken as you think, not with the howling wind in your spine and the bone cold freezing, and the terrible conclusion roiling in your gut as your mind outlines the necessary steps.
If you are to complete your mission in the Melusine Commonwealth - if you are to win your case at all - Old Palmira has to die right here and now..
[Lost: Title the Just]
-2 Diplomacy
-2 Piety
-Virtue: Justice
Let no one say you are not decisive.
The Bell of Calamity
When you reenter the Melusine Commonwealth, there is a great ringing sound. It sets every hair on your body to shaking. The tension is so electrifying you feel yourself torn apart and reformed in its passing. Only the fact that the streetlamps remain completely still alerts you that this is a soul attack like no soul attack you have ever felt before, not even near the dread mires.
Then you look for the source - and you know with a soul-solid certainty where the source is, and see the whole sky glow with an incredible radiance, drowning out the facsimile of the Aurora.
Then the false sky shatters, the future decouples from the present, and all hell breaks loose.
ARE YOU THERE?
Title Gained: The _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
+5 Learning
-???
???
Besim
[???]
For Whom the Bell Tolls
The morning after the bell of calamity rings, the queen breaks through your door and thrusts a crumpled sheet of paper at the Captain. The queen appears feverishly pale and visibly wasting away. Sheona glances down at the letter, sighs, and gets up. Her face is stormy as she sharply throws on her overcoat and adjusts her sword belt.
"Don't go anywhere," she warns you. "I'm being called to clean up some foolishness. Keep the doors locked and barred until I return."
The Captain marches out, holding her arm out so the queen can use it as a crutch. The queen takes her arm, limping along.
You stare at their backs long enough to determine they're gone - and then Ophelia-Oskaria grabs your leg.
You bow for the moment.
Even now, you can simply wait and see.
Half the day goes by. Commotion and a mob breaks out outside, but you don't move. They shout death threats with such force it nearly caves in the walls, but nearly is not the same thing as does.
When the Captain finally opens the door, half of her overcoat burned in powdersmoke to the close boom of cannonfire, you simply nod in understanding.
"Terrible guest, that Besim Rosenberg. We're kicking him out once we finish with our business here."
You nod in appreciation, while everyone else merely sits up in notice.
She grunts, shrugs off her overcoat, and then gently reopens the crumpled letter. She glances at it with unfocused eyes, reading the memories behind the paper rather than the paper itself. Then she folds it and tucks it into her breast pocket.
"Two things: the queen delivered a prophecy recently. It is short and mostly unambiguous, which is half the reason for that whole mess," she says, waving off what must be a riot outside. "Here's the prophecy," she says, sucking in a deep breath.
We swept in the widening gyre,
Foreign sparks stoke the fire,
Behold the shattered heavens!
Behold as apocalypse awakens!
Behold our ashes in the pyre.
You sit in contemplative silence.
So those were the terms of the Divine Gathering's future.
Blame "foreign elements" for the death everyone was about to inflict, with a little dash of self-preservation thrown in.
You know Captain Sheona caught that contemplative look in your eye.
"Second thing, and the thing that 'Istro wanted me to tell you: prophecies are shockingly limited for how much people like to make use of them. They can be fulfilled by the dumbest things, and there's a decent chance that by the end of this whatever comes out of the whole thing will be rewritten to fit the prophecy, no matter how poorly the shoes fit. Don't change who you are because of the prophecy; do what you do because of who you choose to be, got it?"
You nod.
You always understood this.
The question is: has the world understood this?
Diplomacy
Making Friends
DC: 10. Roll: 20 - 2 (Enchanted Vestments) + 7.0 - (???) = ???
Diplomacy
Cards on the Table
DC: ???. Roll: 20 + 2 (Enchanted Vestments) + 2 (Blessings of Oskaria) + 4.1 + (???) - (???) = ???
Stewardship
Case Construction
DC: Scaling. Roll: 24 + 2 (Tekla's Divination Compass) + 6.7 - (???) = ???
Words words words. You know that it's important. You can even imitate the motions of your regular notions. But the words are so unimportant.
Yes, the Captain is proud to be both orc and fae. Yes, Thevenet is earnestly cooperating with you. It's a matter of pride for the Captain, and a matter of pride for Thevenet. Thevenet is genuinely interested in helping you out, though of course he'd like to be more than an attorney and client - friends, perhaps.
He cannot be allowed to know, but he does not know.
Captain Sheona is concerned for you, too; the worry is that you personally might set off some bad emotions among the lesser fae, but amongst the educated and the righteous you have nothing to fear.
(She worries too much; you were raised on the parable of the Tyrant, and you can hear - )
Thevenet, at least, picks up that you are anxious to be done with this whole business, and gladly cooperates with you in making the words correct on the page and the intent carried through.
Intrigue
Thevenet Watch
DC: ???. Roll: 22 + 2 (Tools of the Trade) + 8.3 - (???) = ???
Intrigue
Captain Watch
DC: 20. Roll: 22 + 2 (Tools of the Trade) + 8.9 - (???) = ???
Intrigue
More Shifts
DC: 10. Roll: 22 + 2 (Tools of the Trade) + 3.9 - (???) = ???
You and your dispirited band keep a healthy amount of vigilance, scrutinizing Thevenet and Sheona's every move. They do nothing especially harmful to your interests, as far as you can tell - mostly conventional guard duties and playboy diplomat things.
Nothing that would truly worry you.
Thevenet asks you once about the weather outside, and when you tell him that it's a freezing blizzard like the one two years ago, he shrugs and says New Years with the old granny might be a bit harder to get to. Then he goes right back to flirting with the fae.
Sheona, for her part, seems to take it as part of good fun and invites you to tromp around with the royal guard on patrol to make sure Thevenet does not get into trouble.
Your faculties are not so far gone that you do not recognize this for what it is - but frankly, this pettiness is ultimately irrelevant.
Service Revenue: 25 Budget
Fixed Assets: 4 Budget
Salaries and Wages Expense: 18 Budget
Spiritual Expense: 2 Budget
Facilitation Expense: 6 Budget
Net Income: 3 Budget
Remaining Budget: 112 Budget.
You must not touch the Box of Frames. You don't know why - no, you know why.
You may spend as much money as you have available.
You have three [Free] Actions that may be spent in any category.
You can cooperate with your teammates to add +3 Base Stat to an action you are cooperating on.
You have two more months to register evidence before you have to start tangling with the new Registrar of Evidence.
Ophelia carries a bright red glow in her role as Ophelia-Oskaria, but in foreign lands the influence is much diminished. Her mind is no lesser, and her presence is still awe inspiring - but only to those who call themselves Oskarian, it appears.
There is unfinished business here. You know what must be done.
Martial (Choose 1) {Ophelia-Oskaria}
[] [Martial] Hunkering Down
There are still roaming mobs around here, and for now you can still depend on the good word of the Captain Sheona. DC: ??? Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Martial] Exit Strategy
Right, as soon as you finish up here you're getting out. DC: ??? Cost: 0 Budget.
Diplomacy (Choose 1) {Tekla Action}
[] [Diplomacy] The High Seats
Currently, the high position is going unfilled. However, you may still be able to get somewhere if you get certain high ranking members to cooperate with you. DC: ??? Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Diplomacy] The Right to Exist
Captain Sheona right now is fighting fae society alone. Cormag believes he can help. DC: ??? Cost: 0 Budget.
Intrigue (Choose 0) {Agueda Action}
[] [Intrigue] Enhanced Cooperation
Given what you know of the current landscape, you, the Captain, and Thevenet have many...common interests. DC: ??? Cost: 0 Budget
[] [Intrigue] Heightened Vigilance
Right now is the absolute last moment any of you should be contemplating giving anything less than your absolute maximum vigilance. DC: ???. Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Intrigue] Package Removal {Kerrie Action}
Kerrie's just interested in some spring cleaning. DC: 25. Cost: 0 Budget.
Learning (Choose 0) {Agueda Action}
[] [Learning] Trade Goods
Everything is worth something, you say? Time for some profits, I say. DC: Scaling. Costs: 2 Budget.
[] [Learning] A Favor for the Mage-Smith
Thiemo has mentioned that he wants to get his hands on some specialty stones in a deeply magical place. This is probably pretty close. DC: 30. Cost: 20 Budget.
[] [Learning] Word Hunt
Some of those wordings are too specific to be accidental. Time to hit the books again. DC: ???. Costs: 2 Budget.
Stewardship (Choose 1) {Ophelia-Oskaria Action}
[] [Stewardship] Presentation
Whatever's come over the Queen, surely there must be someone you can present the case to in their stead? DC: ???. Cost: 4 Budget.
[] [Stewardship] Helping Hands
The law firm could always use more helping hands around here.
Spirits (Choose 0) {Cormag Action}
[] [Piety] Against Calamity
You stare against Calamity. You must ward against the Calamity. ??? DC: ??? Cost: 2 Budget. Repeatable.
[] [Piety] Interpreting the Prophecy
It may be worth asking for more clarification on this whole prophecy business. DC: ??? Cost: ???
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