I'd say any one who goes for a hit on a royal based on nameless advertisement found in a random catacomb is terminally dumb. Why would they pay you? Not only it is cheaper to pay people to kill you off, who would you even go to to get paid? Acknowledging any kind of connection in regards to such a hit would be extremely unwise.
But then, anyone who bites is unlikely to succeed anyway.
You find most of your henchmen under bridges and in the catacombs late at night, after any temporary jobs they might've found doing day labor have ended. Walking them this season, you see a fair few less than the last. It's not a problem for recruitment, at least not yet, but you don't think it's just a natural fluctuation in the vagrant population. Certainly, a lot of students are moving in and out, as they do every year, but the number of porters they use don't correspond with the drop in people you're seeing. Your mind flicks back to the poster on the catacomb walls, the kind of job no one in their right mind would even bother to try. But get people desperate enough, and anything could happen, right? If you presented a plan like that to Charles, he'd have cuffed you by the ears and left you on the doorstep on a winter night. But Charles excelled in making 100 gold into 150. If you had nothing, and wanted to make 50 gold, you had to turn to more drastic measures. And if you stood to make 1500, what gamble wouldn't you take?
Ten more mooks hired.
After your usual rounds of the lower class hangouts, gathering enough strongmen to bolster your force to an average person guard, you turned to seeking more exotic hires. Just like last season, the pickings are slim. The early washouts must have already left by now, you think. At the very least, the halls of the Academy you could walk without suspicion were quiet as the grave. You had your hopes up when you found 'Ubel was here' literally carved into the stone walls of one of the side halls, but the named delinquent was long gone by the time you saw the message. Instead, all you could do was hang your head in failure. And yet, once again you are rewarded for departing empty-handed.
A man, thick with corded muscle and an age to his features that didn't come from growing old, but from being beaten down by the world. Thick sideburns and unkempt facial hair made him look almost feral. That and the bottle he'd drowned himself in. You had half a mind to take him as an extra henchman, calling over a few of your mooks to carry him off. He fought them off, drunk and practically blind to the world. It wasn't a true fight, and certainly not one of the martial arts epics that would be recorded by scribes and watched by experts, but his skill was quite apparent despite his condition. It was enough to get you interested.
It took Jackson Reynes half a day to recover from his alcoholic stupor, and half a minute to try to down the bottle you had in front of him. Of course, you left it empty. It takes him nearly a minute to realize the glass bottle is completely dry, not just drained, and when he does he glares at you balefully. The skeleton he's seated next to does nothing to him, and neither is the muscled mook you have pouring your own tea. After all, he could manhandle your man, quite easily even.
"You've certainly fallen quite a way, haven't you," you comment, eyes wandering idly around your base.
"Fuck off, unless you're gonna refill this," he says, shaking the bottle in your face.
You left yourself frown. "Where I come from, we pay our own way."
"Like what, killing a prince? God, imagine being that stupid."
"We're not killing a prince yet," you shrug. "But we'll see what the tide brings in."
He looks askance at you, ridicule on his lips, and it dies before he spits it out when he looks at your face. "Oh god, you're serious."
"You want that bottle filled?" You ask.
He groans, but passes you the empty glass.
Jackson Reynes was an enforcer. He suffered misfortune. Much of the studentry is nobility. But they aren't major noble heirs, most of the time. The crown prince, or any inheriting child, is far too important to risk half a country away at the Academy, regardless of the gains they might make under the superior tutelage. Instead, second and third sons and daughters are sent so that they might return able stewards for the next generation. Charles considered it prime grounds for wars over inheritance, which was why none of his orphans have ever been sent out. Until you, perhaps. In any case, Jackson was tasked with guarding one of the more rare VIPs. How his story ended is self-evident. In the empire, such a failing of duty might have been grounds for execution. In the Academy, he was simply cast out and forgotten. Jackson Reynes was once an enforcer, but he was among the strongest of them, bordering on the level of a master of martial arts.
But years under the tyranny of the bottle have cut quite deep.
Jackson Reynes
Lethality: 9 Quite a bit above the average enforcer.
Vitality: 6 Even abusing his body as he has hasn't made him weak.
Stealth: 4 The stench of alcohol will give him away faster than most.
Awareness: 6 Enforcers are trained to spot miscreants.
Traits:
Deep in the Bottle: He's good, when he's not drunk. At the start of an operation, or if he requires a stat check outside of the mission phase, roll a D100. On 50 or lower, his Lethality and Awareness are reduced by 2 for that mission/event.
Price: 6 gold/season Alcohol is expensive.
Personal Action Restrictions: None He'll do anything you ask, so long as you pay.
Mission Restrictions: None He'll do ANYTHING you ask, so long as you pay.
Percentage cut of mission payouts: 0% It's a stable living, right?
[]Hire
[]Skip
As before, during the interview phase I will answer questions in character. I may not be as responsive this time, so I may extend this Q and A through to the next update if necessary.
He's almost as good as John Wick when sober and since he knows the ground and the Enforcers patrolling it, he can be a good asset.
Question time (if applicable):
- He has spent quite some time guarding the rich and powerful brats at the Academy. Does he know anything interesting from his time eavesdropping and sneak peeking them?
I'm hoping we can change that Trait by improving his life somehow .
I'm noticing a flaw in the character sheets. While the stats speak of someone's abilities, there's nothing to gauge their mindset. A weaker but vicious person is more dangerous that someone who is strong but unable or unwilling to fully use it
I'm skeptical on the benefits with that 50% chance of dropping 2 Lethality/Awareness. And it's at the start of am operation, which makes me really worried about a bad roll crippling his effectiveness when we're most reliant on that 9 Lethality.
Though if we can help him kick that alcohol problem, he would be amazing.
Hmm. Q&A:
-Does he know anything about "Boss Kong", the current Lord of Enforcers? Was he in charge back when Jackson was an Enforcer?
"Haven't had a visitor since..." He gazes into the lip of the wine bottle, squinting as if the truth was written on the inside rim. "It's been a while."
- He has spent quite some time guarding the rich and powerful brats at the Academy. Does he know anything interesting from his time eavesdropping and sneak peeking them?
I'm noticing a flaw in the character sheets. While the stats speak of someone's abilities, there's nothing to gauge their mindset. A weaker but vicious person is more dangerous that someone who is strong but unable or unwilling to fully use it
Some of that is captured in lethality. For example, Alexa will hesitate more than a mook would, which is why she's two levels below average, and not one. Some of it may be encapsulated by traits as well. The rest is just in situational roll modifiers, e.g. someone trying to hold back will take lethality maluses in the roll-off.
Depends on the person. I am going to be adding developing a personal hit during the personal phase, for when you want to kill someone for no money.
On the whole, though, expect more consequences from firing someone who's driven. If you kicked a layabout like Jackson to the curb you don't expect him to do much.
You didn't set a time or place for a future meeting the last time you spoke with Seth. That was an initiation of sorts, an open invitation to back out at any time. The kinds of things you'd discuss, from here on out, were extremely dangerous and highly secretive, the kinds of secrets you'd kill to protect. When you hired assassins, there was also this implicit promise that any way you parted wouldn't be clean. But the difference came down to drive. Someone who retired wouldn't talk and wouldn't do anything worth talking about. They weren't necessary for you to silence. It was a tenuous peace, one easily undermined by paranoia or unlucky coincidence, but it was the back door to the trade you dealt in.
The deal you wanted into today, climbing the steps back up to the terrace cafe, was not the same. If you did not walk away allies, you walked away a liability. For a merchant, it was a thorn in your side that you couldn't ignore. For a merchant of death, the consequences were a step more severe. You had options, in either case: Seth did not know where you operated from, who you had under your command. And he was only one person who couldn't be everywhere at once. Even outside of that, you could always betray him later, if it proved necessary. Looking for ways out this early on was more Charles' thing than your own style.
It was too early for the cafe to have any real patrons, but Seth was there anyways, in his signature fur-rimmed coat. You idly wondered if he'd spent every morning up here watching the city wake up. Or perhaps it was one of those quirks of martial artists, an instinct that pushed him to ascend the High Towers on this day alone. In either case, his eyes home in on you the second your head pokes into view, a focus more pointed than he gave you the last time you spoke. He expected you, but perhaps not here, outside of your own domain.
"Katarin," he greets you in that stoic manner of his.
"It's good to see you too," you return the greeting. "Did you have a hand in the… disturbances we've been seeing lately?"
His eyes drift to the side, disgusted by the proposition. "No." He says, but not with finality. There was more he could have said, but discretion meant more to him than distaste. Which likely meant only one thing: Seth wanted to kill the third prince.
It wasn't inherently unusual. Seth had the bearings of a martial artist. The term, and the class of people who adopted the moniker had levels of baggage to them, but first and foremost was this: to be a martial artist was to live outside the laws of civilization. A martial artist had little respect for the common man, though they may have pity, and far less respect for the bureaucrats and paper pushers that made the world turn. The martial artists' chivalry was paramount, their codes of honor to their Sects, masters, and brothers meaning far more to them than any law passed by governments. Such was the way of those who lived in the Wilderness.
Like the Academy, the Wilderness was a tenuously accepted state of affairs, allowed to exist because kings and emperors could not subjugate all the undeveloped lands under their auspices. Many a ruler has tried to burn down the forested mountains that made up the Wilderness. Most have failed. But perhaps, in the heart of every sect that carved a hovel out in the Wilderness, there was the fear that another Hero would rise who could bring down the anarchy of the wilds. And, perhaps, those fears would push them to sending their own agents into the world of men.
"Not yours, then, but assisting you," you muse aloud. "Another prince, perhaps. The crown prince?"
You didn't think Seth could manage more disdain, but he does. "'Assistance' of that level is worth less than nothing. Appropriate, for that dog."
The scathing insults are funny from a man with such a boyish face. But perhaps judgements based on appearance are different among martial artists. But they are no less true for it. An army of your henchmen were unlikely to make any ground against the mass of well-trained enforcers that guarded the third prince at all times, not to mention his more unique allies. Attacking him with fodder was just liable to put him on high alert, rather than make any real ground. Though perhaps with some good timing you could make it into an opportunity.
"It's a big job, though," you hum, calculating what you could expect to make for what you'd pay. "What can you offer me?"
He tugs on his collar slightly, and his eyes turn deep red. You feel your blood freeze.
"The Demon sect doesn't forget their debts."
Seth
Lethality: 10
A martial artist, through and through.
Vitality: 7
Tempered like iron.
Stealth: 9
Like a shadow with feather-light steps.
Awareness: 10
He can hear your heart.
Traits:
Descendant of the Demon Sect: The way of the Yaksha is simple: kill at any cost. For one roll, Seth can increase his Lethality by 5, if he does, he loses 2 Vitality permanently and 2 Lethality for the rest of combat.
Master Assassin: The reason people fear the night. After winning a stealth vs awareness roll, Seth's first attack against that target gains lethality equal to the degrees of success.
Price: 10 gold/season
You're a bit surprised he knows the value of money, to be honest.
Personal Action Restrictions: Seth chooses his own personal actions.
Mission Restrictions: Seth will take the Chaoxiang Yong mission before it expires.
Percentage cut of mission payouts: 50%
Pricy, but not unreasonable.
[]"Let's get down to business."
Voids price until after the Chaoxiang Yong mission. You must advance the Chaoxiang Yong mission in some form every turn. You must commit at least 50% of your forces to that mission and any mission against one of his allies.
[]"I'll see what I can do."
Takes deal as is.
[]"Sweeten the pot."
Don't hire Seth.
I'm on vacation, so updates may be delayed, and formatting may suffer. Consider the length of time between this post and the next to be an interview phase for Seth.
Can't say I find the offer very attractive. Seth has a amazing statline, sure, but we're talking about making an enemy out of royalty here.
[X]"Let's get down to business."
But then again, I like a little excitement, and what better way to make our guild known than to have a prince's blood at our hands? Should make for a fun time!
EDIT:
Questions:
- How confident is he in his ability to kill a prince and his guards?
- What information can he offer us regarding the prince's security?
"I'll see what I can do" is the less committal vote. In any choice, not killing the prince loses Seth, and killing the prince allows you to keep him on. The difference between the votes is that you save money but have to commit heavily to the hit, versus just keeping his services until the window for opportunity has passed for the hit.
His lip curls, dissatisfied with admitting he can't do everything alone. "But there are three of concern: The Strategist, the Bull, and the Astrologer."
"But most importantly is the Lord of Enforcers. No one can stand up to him in this place."
He snorts. "A merchant wouldn't understand the way of things. The Empire is the empire. The Wilderness is the Wilderness. They are not meant to mingle."
He snorts. "A merchant wouldn't understand the way of things. The Empire is the empire. The Wilderness is the Wilderness. They are not meant to mingle."
Assuming we successfully perform the hit, what gurantees can the Demon Sect give that they won't abandon us to the inevitable retaliation by the prince's supporters? While the Demon Sect certainly values their words highly, the Wilderness is the Wilderness and the Empire is the Empire, and outside the Wilderness, words alone won't suffice.
Assuming we successfully perform the hit, what gurantees can the Demon Sect give that they won't abandon us to the inevitable retaliation by the prince's supporters? While the Demon Sect certainly values their words highly, the Wilderness is the Wilderness and the Empire is the Empire, and outside the Wilderness, words alone won't suffice.
Besides Seth himself, is the Demon Sect willing to offer other forms of assistance to us in performing the hit, or would they rather distance themselves from the affair as much as possible?
Besides Seth himself, is the Demon Sect willing to offer other forms of assistance to us in performing the hit, or would they rather distance themselves from the affair as much as possible?
"That I am here is more than enough," he grunts. You don't believe that his sect is willing to invest much into things here, or perhaps they are unable to. The Wilderness is quite a violent place, after all.
