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A book cipher is actually a really good way to encrypt messages without anyone having to carry around an incriminating codebook.
Oh I know, I just think it would be funny if someone assumed we were using one when in reality we are simply a fan of those types of books. Although now that I think about it having information ciphered within some "adult" books, because those have plausible deniability for someone to hide which is an extra layer of security for us.
 
[X] Pragmatic advice
[x] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
-[x] The Wurtbad Watch already has their ear to the ground. Make their information flow to you.
-[x] Personally vet everyone that works in the castle, and replace everyone you're not sure of the loyalties of
--[x] Coordinate with Kasmir on this one

beyond that i`ll leave it too others
 
I can't remember where I was going with my responses to Van Hal, so I might as well go with veekie's.

[X] Answers Reasoned To Bits

Still no plans that I like, though, so I guess I have to do that myself.

[X] Plan Networking, Enchanting, and a Road Trip
-[X] Diggy Diggy Hole, Outsourced: Pay someone to do the digging, then Mindhole them on their way out. (no action required, -personal gold)
-[X] The Wurtbad Watch already has their ear to the ground. Make their information flow to you.
-[X] Wurtbad, like all major cities, is home to a number of guilds. Reach out to them and enforce your will. (EXTRA)
-[X] You're naturally talented at enchantment; so far, this just amounts to being able to make your desk meow for about an hour. See if you can improve on that, or at least figure out a way to make that useful.
-[X] A large number of Shyish-stained weapons were uncovered from the Barrow. Perhaps you should:
--[X] Examine them yourself and see if they're useful, or dangerous, or both.
---[X] Bring an example or two to show your master while you are in Altdorf. In a lead-lined steel case. With a magic lock on top of a mundane one. Carried on your person. Can't be too careful
-[X] Go to Altdorf:
--[X] Van Hal is considering candidates for the post of Marshal, and he has asked you to vet them. Investigate them in person.
--[X] That damn Asp has still been quiet, but maybe it's just biding its time. Finally admit its existence to your contacts back in the College and see if they know anything that can help.
---[X] Ranald's Blessing
--[X] Who Needs Letters Home: You might be able to wring more information out of your Master, or you might just be able to get news, information and guidance in general from the Grey Order. Either way, a visit is in order.
 
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If your plan has more than six actions, mark which ones will be the 'extras' - those are the ones that will have an additional chance of going terribly wrong.
 
If your plan has more than six actions, mark which ones will be the 'extras' - those are the ones that will have an additional chance of going terribly wrong.
Done. Thanks for the tip.

Although it would have been funnier if I'd put Ranald's Blessing and EXTRA on the Asp action.

EDIT: Wait, should I do that? The bonus should cancel out the worst of the 'going terribly wrong'
 
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I'm seriously considering putting it to a vote regarding whether or not you're trying to husbando Van Hal.
I figure if it happens it happens naturally. Its not like we set out to romance him. I suspect we(IC) would be very surprised if/when it comes up.

Not the best political decision for him to marry a common born witch though, even if the spymaster being your wife is one of the most secure combinations, a new Count usually wants the alliances more.

If he can trust them.
Since it's born of your own subconscious during the mishandling of shadow magic, technically waifuing the demon snake would be incest.
That sounds like something in her trashy novels!
 
[X] Answers Reasoned To Bits

[X] Plan Networking, Enchanting, and a Road Trip
-[X] Diggy Diggy Hole, Outsourced: Pay someone to do the digging, then Mindhole them on their way out. (no action required, -personal gold)
-[X] The Wurtbad Watch already has their ear to the ground. Make their information flow to you.
-[X] Wurtbad, like all major cities, is home to a number of guilds. Reach out to them and enforce your will. (EXTRA)
-[X] You're naturally talented at enchantment; so far, this just amounts to being able to make your desk meow for about an hour. See if you can improve on that, or at least figure out a way to make that useful.
-[X] A large number of Shyish-stained weapons were uncovered from the Barrow. Perhaps you should:
--[X] Examine them yourself and see if they're useful, or dangerous, or both.
---[X] Bring an example or two to show your master while you are in Altdorf. In a lead-lined steel case. With a magic lock on top of a mundane one. Carried on your person. Can't be too careful
-[X] Go to Altdorf:
--[X] Van Hal is considering candidates for the post of Marshal, and he has asked you to vet them. Investigate them in person.
--[X] That damn Asp has still been quiet, but maybe it's just biding its time. Finally admit its existence to your contacts back in the College and see if they know anything that can help.
---[X] Ranald's Blessing
--[X] Who Needs Letters Home: You might be able to wring more information out of your Master, or you might just be able to get news, information and guidance in general from the Grey Order. Either way, a visit is in order.
 
ICly it would happen naturally, but I'd sound out the thread OOCly before I start thinking about mixing romance in.
Ahh, when he asks us to vet the list of marriage candidates Anton has drawn up... and we catch him looking at us oddly.

He turns his head sharply, to stare at the fireplace "You know, it's rare for a man like me to be able to trust someone... anyone." And his brooding eyes fix on us, once more.
 
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EDIT: Wait, should I do that? The bonus should cancel out the worst of the 'going terribly wrong'

Ranald's Blessing makes success more likely, Overwork makes failure more severe. You could use the Blessing to make the drawback of Overwork less likely. Alternatively, you could put the Blessing on something you really need to succeed on, and use Overwork on something that wouldn't be too bad if it goes completely off the rails.
 
Edit: Actually, no dice penalty for Overwork, but failure becomes more severe and there'll be a separate, hidden roll to see if you pick up negatraits from stress or exhaustion or injury.

Negatraits can be fixed, though they'll take actions to do so.
 
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See this, stirland is POOR. why? because the league is choking it.
All trade is going through a tax exempt monopoly that stifles competition to retain their monopoly status using murder. They prevent more efficient trade routes, they keep the people too poor to invest and expand.
And on top of all the harm they do, they also don't pay taxes

Also, doesn't help that Stirland ain't the most prosperous. They had lots of farmland and such. Then it became The Moot.

They had Slyvania, which well, Slyvania.

Herr Schultz hasn't suggested a single course of action that takes him outside the safety of Wurtbad's walls. Van Hal is tired of it, and wrote in an order.

Hey, with something stirring in Drakenwald, the fact he's actually outside the Sigmarite chapel is a miracle.
 
I'm seriously considering putting it to a vote regarding whether or not you're trying to husbando Van Hal.
I have no strong opinion on this matter, although I don't really see it... yet, at least. We simply haven't spent enough time working closely with him for me to feel like there's a growing relationship; sure, we have our onscreen interactions but as far as I can tell we have few to no offscreen meetings because we're reporting to him every six months with the implication that we aren't talking to him outside those every-six-months reports. That said, if we do end up spending more time with him I can see an argument that there's chemistry.

Though, marrying him feels like it would be a spectacularly bad idea for Stirland, so if they do enter a relationship it would have to be of the "tell no one, admit nothing, pretend you're not pregnant and have any children raised by trusted colleagues in the Grey College and don't reveal their existence until they've come of age as journeymen if even then" sort of flavor. Which would be an interesting plotline and perspective on its own, so I guess I wouldn't mind that either. At the very least it would be different than the usual way these things go in quests.

"Theres a demon snake trying to eat her brains for the past few years and she thinks she's too busy to spare the time to deal with it." *shakes head* "Maybe she needs a vacation?"
I can almost hear Van Hal's players facepalming and going "that Brave trait really isn't just for show, is it?" Blithely disregarding the absurd level of danger inherent in being pursued by an Asp for years on end because she's got other stuff to do, and possibly learning swords so that she can stab it when it crawls out of mirrors to murder her, are almost certainly giving the impression that Mathilde has serious guts... if not necessarily the greatest of judgement when it comes to personal safety.
 
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Personally, I want to know how Van Hal's players reacted when Mathilde showed up at the Mound with a greatsword and used it to cut down skeletons almost as well as the PC and the Warrior-Priest.
 
Personally, I want to know how Van Hal's players reacted when Mathilde showed up at the Mound with a greatsword and used it to cut down skeletons almost as well as the PC and the Warrior-Priest.
Probably accused the QM of writing in a Mary Sue waifu favourite.

"What, she's got a Piety score almost as high as our Faith advisor, is a Shadow Wizard, and apparently wields a Greatsword taller than her? Yeah, right."

Then we go Ninja and kidnap a Count without trace.

"
So now she's a Ninja Secret Priestess ShadowMage Bladesinger or something?"
 
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Personally, I want to know how Van Hal's players reacted when Mathilde showed up at the Mound with a greatsword and used it to cut down skeletons almost as well as the PC and the Warrior-Priest.
I dunno about husbando-ing Van Hal, but I bet the Van Hal are waifuing Weber as hard as they can

Except for those deviants working the childhood friend angle for the Steward lady
 
On the whole shipping thing, I'm in favor if it happens, but let it happen naturally so long as the playerbase isn't actually AGAINST it(waifu/husbando wars pls go and stay go).

So maybe a simpler vote would be whether we object to such a thing rather than whether such a thing should happen.
Edit: Actually, no dice penalty for Overwork, but failure becomes more severe and there'll be a separate, hidden roll to see if you pick up negatraits from stress or exhaustion or injury.

Negatraits can be fixed, though they'll take actions to do so.
So theoretically we could just consistently take 7 actions, and slap Ranald's blessing on the 7th so we probably never trigger a crit.
We should waifu the diplo advisor. He's a puppy!
He treats us like a little sister though.
I have no strong opinion on this matter, although I don't really see it... yet, at least. We simply haven't spent enough time working closely with him for me to feel like there's a growing relationship; sure, we have our onscreen interactions but as far as I can tell we have few to no offscreen meetings because we're reporting to him every six months with the implication that we aren't talking to him outside those every-six-months reports. That said, if we do end up spending more time with him I can see an argument that there's chemistry.

Though, marrying him feels like it would be a spectacularly bad idea for Stirland, so if they do enter a relationship it would have to be of the "tell no one, admit nothing, pretend you're not pregnant and have any children raised by trusted colleagues in the Grey College and don't reveal their existence until they've come of age as journeymen if even then" sort of flavor. Which would be an interesting plotline and perspective on its own, so I guess I wouldn't mind that either. At the very least it would be different than the usual way these things go in quests.
Not necessarily as bad as advertised. Consider the main points:
-Marrying a Wizard is unusual, but his Witch Hunter background offsets that, as well...they're the experts?
-Marrying a Commoner is unusual, but the main cost is opportunity cost.
-Magic touched children can be iffier, but theres no question of them being secretly raised, rather than being sent off to the Colleges immediately. It does mean having more kids though, because a magic touched elector bloodline would have a higher risk of heirs not being able to inherit.
I can almost hear Van Hal's players facepalming and going "that Brave trait really isn't just for show, is it?" Blithely disregarding the absurd level of danger inherent in being pursued by an Asp for years on end because she's got other stuff to do, and possibly learning swords so that she can stab it when it crawls out of mirrors to murder her, are almost certainly giving the impression that Mathilde has serious guts... if not necessarily the greatest of judgement when it comes to personal safety.
They hadn't learned she wound up living in a hole in the ground without any reflective surfaces yet. She was literally living in a hole in the ground for the entire first year.

Never got sick either.
Personally, I want to know how Van Hal's players reacted when Mathilde showed up at the Mound with a greatsword and used it to cut down skeletons almost as well as the PC and the Warrior-Priest.

Well...I think he has better Intrigue than she does right?
 
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