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BatQuest: A CK2 Batman Quest

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The world's wealthiest orphan decides to tackle the root causes of crime.
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Opening Post
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    • Etranger

    Etranger

    Councillor
    Location
    the Republic
    Pronouns
    He/They
    Today is November 9th, 1940. Your name is Bruce Wayne and you are eight years old. Last night, you went to the world premiere of The Mark of Zorro with your parents, Thomas and Martha Wayne. Last night, your father decided to take a shortcut back to the car, through a dimly-lit alley. Last night, your parents were gunned down by an armed robber for their money and jewelry.

    You wake up in your bedroom, having slept very little. The skies are cloudy. The great manor in which you live is almost completely silent. As you look over at the endtable, you see the ticket stub from the movie, left there when you emptied your pockets the night before. You stare at it for a long time.

    You are Bruce Wayne, orphan and heir to Gotham City's first family, and today is the first day of the rest of your life.

    [+100 Prestige, +100 Popularity (inheritance); +100 Popularity (public sympathy)]
    [Wealth held in trust until 1957]


    Welcome to BatQuest, a Crusader Kings 2 development quest about Batman. This quest will focus initially on Bruce Wayne, the wealthy orphan who saw his parents killed in front of him, forever altering the course of his life. In the comics and movies featuring Batman, as a result of this traumatic experience, he is convinced to wage a one-man crusade on crime. I've taken inspiration from Boney's Divided Loyalties and Lunaryon's Usagi Quest; much thanks and credit to them.

    I'm not going to strictly adhere to the fictional canon. I'm looking to write a quest about what might happen if the wealthiest person in the world had a formative traumatic experience that convinced him of the need to radically and permanently change both himself and society. The narrative will hopefully cover not just the development of Bruce Wayne into the iconic figure of Batman, but the development of the relationships and organizations that are just as, if not more crucial to the war on the root causes of crime.

    However, because this is still a Batman quest, it will definitely also include putting on a costume and beating up bad guys. I'm not totally heartless, and I unironically love Batman as a character and a media franchise. You'll get your cape stuff.

    Finally, if this goes long enough, we'll get into succession and generational change, but that's something for the distant future.


    Today is November 11th, 1940. Your name is Alfred Pennyworth, butler to the Waynes, and you are barely keeping it together. Your long-time employers, Thomas and Martha Wayne, were brutally murdered two nights ago while out in their city with their son, Bruce. You, with all your combat and bodyguard training, had been left at home with the flu. Master Thomas had reassured you that all was well, that the threats hadn't come for months now, and you believed him. Fool.

    Master Bruce is holding up remarkably well for a boy of his tender years. You suspect that he's constructed a calm facade to conceal his inner feelings, that his true pain is lurking somewhere beneath that emotional armor. Your instructors taught you that there is a certain distance between employer and employee that must be retained, no matter the cost. You've never been good at that, and when you hugged the boy the night his parents died, that last wall of reserve came crumbling down. He cried in your arms, and you wept with him.

    Now, two days later, there are matters to which you must attend. As only children and parents of an only child, the Waynes didn't have any other relatives to whom they might turn in the event of their demise, and so their will makes you sole executor and trustee. For a man who never went to college, this is a stupendous amount of responsibility. Nevertheless, you will manage.

    The most important thing to determine is the immediate future of your ward. Up until now, Master Bruce has been taught by tutors at home, but the intention of his parents had been to send him to school next year. Current events have rendered the fashionable European schools unavailable, and so he will need to be educated somewhere closer to home.

    No stipulations were made as to the exact method by which Master Bruce was to be educated, and so how he will spend the next few years is left entirely to your discretion. You must now ask yourself: what is best for him?

    [] Tutoring
    Given the shattering nature of the personal tragedy Master Bruce has just endured, perhaps it would be for the best if he was to continue being educated at home for the time being. This would allow you maximum input over his curriculum and incidentally keep a close eye on him. It might also lead to him being overly sheltered or to otherwise develop unevenly.
    [???]
    Note: Will trigger a sub-vote on curriculum and free time.

    [] Day School
    A day school splits the difference between home school and boarding school. A private institution in which children only attend during weekdays, as with public schools, a day school will expose Master Bruce to a wider social circle than tutoring would naturally allow while also guaranteeing you regular contact on nights and weekends.
    [+20 Prestige]
    Note: Will trigger a sub-vote on free time.

    [] Boarding School
    The up-state boarding school Master Bruce would attend is a thoroughly elite institution filled with the children of the most prominent and influential families. It would provide him with a top-flight education and an unparalleled opportunity to network with his fellow scions. It would also mean that you'd only see him at holidays.
    [+40 Prestige]


    This first of three prologue votes (and any subsequent sub-votes) will cover 1941 through 1946, or ages 9 through 14. The prologue will last until 1957 (age 25) and be largely from the perspective of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's butler and guardian.

    Prestige represents top-level and upper-class renown, and will provide a modifier when dealing with elites and major institutions. Popularity represents street-level and working-class appeal, and will provide a modifier when dealing with regular people.

    Once we get out of the prologue, we'll do six-month turns interspersed with character events.

    As a note: While Bruce Wayne will indeed become Batman, the method by which he dons that identity and the means and methods he uses in that role are entirely up in the air. You might end up with someone very different than who is portrayed in the comics, movies, games, etc.

    24 hours to vote.
     
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    Character Sheets
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    • Current Year: 1950

    Bruce Wayne
    Born April 7, 1932 (Age 18)

    Resources
    Prestige: 120
    Popularity: 200
    Wealth: In Trust

    Attributes
    Diplomacy 4 (12)
    Martial 1 (7)
    Stewardship 5 (9)
    Intrigue 7 (12)
    Learning 7 (12)

    Traits
    Attractive (+1 Diplomacy)
    Genius (+3 All)

    Personality
    Ambitious (+2 All)
    Brave (+2 Martial, -1 Stewardship)
    Merciful (+2 Diplomacy, -1 Martial)

    Allies
    Edward Nashton (mentor; out of contact)
    Harvey Dent (childhood friend; out of contact)
    Kathy Kane (childhood friend; out of contact)
    Tommy Elliott (childhood friend; out of contact)

    Equipment
    N/A

    Facilities
    Wayne Manor (Locked until 1957)

    Institutions
    Wayne Industries (Locked until 1957)

    ---

    Alfred Pennyworth
    Born August 16, 1898 (Age 52)

    Attributes
    Diplomacy 6 (10)
    Martial 5 (9)
    Stewardship 9 (11)
    Intrigue 7 (7)
    Learning 5 (5)

    Education
    Tough Soldier (+3 Martial, -1 Learning)

    Profession
    Butler (+1 Diplomacy, +2 Stewardship)

    Traits
    Diligent (+1 All)
    Kind (+2 Diplomacy, -1 Intrigue)
     
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    • Prologue Part 1.5
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    • The date is August 18th, 1941. Your name is Bruce Wayne and you're nine years old. It's your first day at Gotham Academy. Alfred just dropped you off in one of the Rolls-Royces, the one where the back seat still sort of smells like your mother's perfume. You choose to take strength from that scent memory rather than let it get you down.

    You've been doing more of that lately - not letting things get you down. Alfred had you talk to a very nice older doctor and he's been pretty helpful. He speaks with a strong accent and says he's from Europe, where he lived before all the bad stuff that started over there a few years ago. He's teaching you a little German and you're picking up on it quickly. You're also picking up a little Yiddish, mostly the swear words he mutters to himself when his pen runs out of ink, but you don't let on about that.

    You take a seat in the auditorium, as far back as you can, in a nice comfortable corner. Some of the kids point at you and whisper to each other. Some just stare. The rest pretend not to notice you, but they sneak a glance or two every so often when they think you're looking somewhere else. You notice all of it.

    One particularly egregious student is "accidentally" shouldered out of the way by a taller boy, maybe a year older than you, with a boy and girl your age in tow. The older boy offers an obviously insincere apology, then rolls his eyes once he's looking your way. The trio moves to take a seat one row directly in front of you. The older boy half-turns in his seat, with just the left side of his face looking in your direction.

    "Hey, you're Bruce Wayne, right? I'm Harvey, and this is Tommy and Kathy. You doing okay?"

    You silently assess the other boy. He seems sincere. After a moment, you venture a tentative smile.

    "That's me. And yeah. I'm okay."

    [+20 Prestige (primary school)]

    [+1 Diplomacy, +1 Stewardship, +1 Intrigue, +2 Learning (primary school)]

    [Trait Revealed: Lively (+1 Diplomacy; will evolve)]

    [Gained Allies: Harvey Dent (childhood friend), Tommy Elliott (childhood friend), Kathy Kane (childhood friend)]


    The date is August 23rd, 1941. Your name is Alfred Pennyworth, and you are cautiously optimistic. Master Bruce seems to be taking well to his new school; he even has friends, a prospect which fills you with a secret and fervent hope that he might actually be rounding the corner on his personal tragedy.

    Your daydreams of a perhaps unusually sober but ultimately normal child are dashed permanently when Master Bruce comes to you asking questions about your war service. About how it feels to fight other people, to be in combat. The intensity of his stare, the probing nature of his questions, all seem to strip away the cheerful mask he's been wearing and expose a hard core of something dark and dangerous lurking below.

    [Trait Revealed: Brooding (+1 Intrigue; will evolve)]

    Despite your initial shock, you come to accept that this dark turn of mind is perhaps inevitable given his particular experiences. As long as he's not left to stew in his own thoughts indefinitely, he may still have a relatively normal life. Well, as normal as the world's richest nine-year-old can be, anyway. And perhaps you're blowing it all out of proportion. Maybe this sort of thing is normal in victims of traumatic events.

    Activity, that's the ticket. If he's kept busy, then surely he won't get up to anything untoward. Right?


    How will Bruce Wayne spend his free time over the next few years?

    [] Physical Exercises
    Master Bruce will engage in activities largely of his own devising, with minimal input from you. His principal interests seem to be in unarmed combat, acrobatics, and other forms of physical development, along with the study of criminology and psychology. Your main form of participation will be in providing him with suitable equipment and instructors, as well as providing oversight to ensure that he doesn't go overboard.
    [Gain Trait: Active (+1 Martial; will evolve)] [+2 Martial, +1 Intrigue, +1 Learning]

    [] Social Development
    While you fully intend to allow Master Bruce to pursue his hobbies, you aren't going to let him take things to excess. As the heir to the Wayne family name and fortune, he is subject to certain social demands and will be eventually expected to run the company. Tutoring in etiquette and financial matters will allow him to meet his various obligations and keep his mind out of darker places.
    [Gain Trait: Conscientious (+1 Stewardship; will evolve)] [+2 Diplomacy, +1 Stewardship, +1 Martial]

    [] Educational Opportunities
    If Master Bruce is so intent on learning, then perhaps his energies can be redirected toward academic achievement and the broadening of his horizons. Foreign languages and cultures, the social sciences, and perhaps even drama and film are just a few of the fields that his active young mind might be prepared to absorb. He could be quite the scholar one day, if only he applied himself.
    [Gain Trait: Curious (+1 Learning; will evolve)] [+2 Learning, +1 Diplomacy, +1 Intrigue]


    24 hours to vote, as usual.
     
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    • A Brief Overview of the State of Gotham (ca. 1940)
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    • A Brief Overview of the State of Gotham (ca. 1940)

    The State of Gotham is a medium-sized state on the east coast of the United States of America. One of the original 13 colonies, Gotham was settled by waves of first Dutch and later British Europeans, displacing substantial local tribes of Native Americans, including the Miagani and the Miskatons, through a mixture of diplomacy, trade, and violence. Prominent local families who can trace their roots back to colonial times include the Arkhams, the Elliotts, the Waynes, the Cobblepots, and the Kanes.

    The capital of Gotham is Fingerton, a relatively small city in the north of the state that is dwarfed by Gotham City, the country's largest metropolitan area, and the state's other major city, Arkham, which is located further to the east. The state's geography is dominated by two rivers; the Gotham, which adjoins Fingerton and empties into the sea at Gotham City, and the Miskaton, which passes through Arkham and coastal Dunwich. Three interconnected mountain ranges pass through the state, with the southernmost terminating at Mount Gotham north of Gotham City. It is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, New Syracuse to the north, and Massachusetts and Rhode Island to the east.

    Besides Gotham City, Arkham, and Fingerton, much of the state of Gotham is rural, consisting either of river valleys, swamps, or limited stretches of arable land. Most of the population is concentrated in urban areas, a explosive trend that's continued steadily ever since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution; as a bustling, multi-cultural port city and vital trade linchpin for the entire nation, Gotham City is a prime example of this local and national trend. The relatively small number of residents of the so-called "upstate" region, especially those from Arkham, resent the stereotype that everyone from Gotham lives in Gotham City.

    Exports of the state include motor vehicles, industrial machines, textiles, and other finished products...
     
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    • On Power Levels and Crossover Material
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    • A disclaimer on crossovers and power levels: This is a Batman quest, not a DCU quest, so the principal focus is going to remain on Batman and Gotham City. In support of that focus, I'm aiming for a kind of street-level detective/horror/mystery heroic aesthetic, which necessarily excludes a lot of post-Golden Age material and cosmic-level superheroics, but also allows me to bring in, for instance, elements of the Lovecraft Mythos or other previously unrelated mystery stories.
     
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    • Prologue Part 2
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    • [X] Educational Opportunities

    The date is February 13th, 1944. Your name is Bruce Wayne, and you have a dilemma. One of the oldest dilemmas, in fact: choosing between two people you care about.

    It's like this. You, Harvey, Tommy, and Kathy are all best friends. You have been for years. They were the Three Musketeers in grammar school, and you've been dubbed their D'Artagnan, no matter how much you insist that you'd rather be Zorro. When one of you gets in trouble, it's only because that person stayed behind to take the heat while the others escaped. You are routinely dubbed "menaces" and "problem children," but in a fond, half-serious sort of way.

    Over the last year, the dynamic has begun to shift. Everyone is growing up and things are getting... a little fraught. Mostly, this is because Tommy and Kathy have been spending increasing amounts of time just sort of looking at you. Conversations are getting stilted. There's a lot of blushing and stammering.

    [Trait revealed: Attractive (+1 Diplomacy)]

    You've tried to keep everything casual and surface-level, but that only goes so far. Honestly, you like them both back. The problem is, you're not sure if you like them as much as they like you, or if you're really interested in doing anything... you know, serious. You've got a lot on your mind, all the time, and you're increasingly sure that romance is going to be a tricky subject given your long-term plans.

    Alfred has been very understanding about all this as you've explained it at length. You've sort of been talking his ear off about it, actually. He barely even raised an eyebrow when you suggested being with them both, which he said would be "received less than enthusiastically in a social context" in that precise British way of his. When he talks like that you know it's a no-go.

    So, anyway, a decision. Do you want to date Tommy or Kathy? Or do you want to date neither of them? Harvey suggested flipping a coin, of all things, but you're pretty sure he was joking. No, you're going to have to go over the pros and cons and really hash it out. That's the ticket.

    Who do you choose?

    [] [LOVE] Tommy Elliott
    Tommy's a great guy. He's cute and he's got a wicked sense of humor. You two look and sound enough alike that you can do a great double act on anyone who's not paying too much attention. You're sure you'd have a good time with him. It's just... well, he's a little clingy? Like he always wants to hang out or be doing something. If you ask him out, he may want to be around, you know, all the time. That might be... problematic.
    [Relationship Change: Tommy Elliott (boyfriend)]

    [] [LOVE] Kathy Kane
    Kathy's a great gal. She's super smart and pretty too. You'd think someone with such a tomboy streak, always getting into fights or wrestling or doing athletic stuff, would look boyish, but she's always really nicely dressed and put together. It's just... she's so serious. Almost everyone else in your life can be put off with a joke and a smile, but she always gives you this look like she sees right through you. If you ask her out, she might start... noticing things.
    [Relationship Change: Kathy Kane (girlfriend)]

    [] [LOVE] Neither
    Look, whether it's because you're not that into them, you're not ready for romance, or now's not the right time to be getting involved with anyone, you're just not feeling it. Things are good like they are and you don't want to change that. It'll put a damper on all the fun flirting you guys do, but having a serious talk may be the best way forward, if you're not interested in taking things to the next level.


    The date is November 8th, 1944. Your name is Bruce Wayne, and you're watching the light leave a man's eyes. You were present in the courtroom when they announced that Joe Chill, your parents' murderer, wouldn't be facing a judge or jury. You were sitting in the seats behind the prosecutor's table as the District Attorney announced that a plea had been reached, that Chill was going to cooperate with the authorities. You were on your feet, your shouting unheard in the eruption of noise as the judge adjourned the proceedings.

    You were in the crowd packed into the hallway as Chill was led out by uniformed officers. You were on the courthouse steps as the back of Chill's head exploded outward. You take a step toward the falling man, then another, before you're pushed back by an officer. You stare blankly at the human debris left behind.

    And as you stand there in the crisp autumn air, your mind races incoherently, before finally settling on a single thought:

    [] [EVENT] No one deserves that.
    Outlaw killing isn't acceptable, period. Doesn't matter if he deserved it or not; people shouldn't go around murdering each other. If you can put aside your desire for revenge, then everyone else should too.
    [Trait Evolution: Brooding (+1 Intrigue) becomes Merciful (+2 Diplomacy, -1 Martial)

    [] [EVENT] He had it coming.
    He deserves what he got for what he did, even if it's not the reason he died. People who murder should be prepared to be murdered in turn, and it's not your place to stop that. What's important is protecting the innocent, not preserving the guilty.
    [Trait Evolution: Brooding (+1 Intrigue) becomes Just (+2 Stewardship, -1 Intrigue)]

    [] [EVENT] It was over too quickly.
    Murder is nothing more than brute force, the act of a thug, without regard for consequence or true revenge. When you take down your enemies, it won't be through anything as straightforward or quick as a bullet to the brain. You want to destroy them, to make them watch it all crumble around them. That's your revenge.
    [Trait Evolution: Brooding (+1 Intrigue) becomes Deceitful (+2 Intrigue, -1 Diplomacy)

    [] [EVENT] It should have been me.
    You should have been the one to pull the trigger, not some mob assassin. If only you had thought to bring a gun, if only you had been faster, then you could have avenged your parents. That won't happen again.
    [Trait Evolution: Brooding (+1 Intrigue) becomes Vengeful (+2 Martial, -1 Stewardship)]


    The date is March 23rd, 1945. Your name is Alfred Pennyworth, and you are contemplating the inexorable progression of time. Master Bruce is about to turn 14 and begin secondary school. It seems like only yesterday you were comforting a crying little boy, and now you're saying good morning to a calm, composed, handsome young man every day. You've noticed yourself slowing down a little, relying more on the house staff for the daily chores, but that's just another way of time announcing itself.

    Your efforts over the last several years to encourage Master Bruce's scholarly tendencies have paid off substantially. He seemed receptive to your arguments that eight years old was perhaps too early to begin combat training and has instead focused his efforts on absorbing as much knowledge as humanly possible. His capacity for understanding is... prodigious, almost startling. He's already on his fourth spoken language, with the ability to read one or two more. He's devoured the American and British literary canons and has begun mounting an assault on European and Asian works as well.

    [Trait Revealed: Genius (+3 All)]

    Perhaps the most unexpected of his interests, and one that the two of you share, is his love for film and drama. As a trained Shakespearean actor yourself, before your war service, you have a unique perspective to provide the young master in his studies, and he looks to you for instruction in how to speak, how to walk, how to make an impression. You, of course, are delighted to oblige.

    A major source of your relief is that, no matter how polished his exterior becomes, no matter how mannerly he seems to the outside world, he still takes the time to confide honestly in you. More and more, he expresses his certainty that he has a great purpose ahead of him, that he feels the need to really do something about the problems of the world. That he is uniquely positioned to do so.

    Regardless of the exact urgency of the need for his personal involvement, he isn't wrong about the severity of the world's problems. In the past six years, the post-war boom has brought with it economic growth of the most unevenly distributed nature. The wealthy parts of the city have rebounded from the Depression completely, with clean streets and ever-growing towers, while the slums grow denser and filthier with each passing day. The response of the authorities, rather predictably, has been to recruit more police officers.

    However, that is a matter for another day. Master Bruce has established excellent study habits and you've successfully instilled a thirst for knowledge, that rarest and most-desired of qualities, in your young ward. Now, as he enters the second and final phase of his pre-university schooling, you must discuss with him these "plans" he keeps mentioning.

    For, you see, Master Bruce now wishes to embark upon a new course of study, one for which you are not especially qualified. To that end, you've sought out some... outside help.

    [] [FREE] Self-Defense Training
    He's repackaged the idea as "learning the tools to defend myself," but what he's really asking for is a thorough grounding in hand-to-hand and weapons combat, along with acrobatics, endurance training, and other methods of physical self-improvement. He has also continued to express an interest in criminology and tracking. To that end, you have retained Henri Ducard, an expert martial artist and thief-taker, as well as an old acquaintance.
    [+3 Martial, +2 Intrigue, -1 Learning]
    [Gain Ally: Henri Ducard (mentor)]

    [] [FREE] Forensic Accounting
    When you explained to him the quote "nervos belli, pecuniam infinitam," he seemed to take a lesson from it. His interest thereafter evolved into learning how to reach the source of the world's woes: its money. By mastering finance from an investigative angle, he believes that he can cut off crime at the root. As such, you have retained the services of one Edward Nashton, a forensic accountant from a prominent local firm, who will instruct the young master in the dark arts of finance.
    [+3 Intrigue, +2 Stewardship, -1 Diplomacy]
    [Gain Ally: Edward Nashton (mentor)]

    [] [FREE] Esoteric Knowledge
    You're pretty skeptical about this one, but he's not a little boy anymore, and you can't simply veto his requests. In his study of ancient history and languages, Master Bruce became convinced that there is more to this world than meets the eye, that there is a hidden world of... well, of magic, underlying it all. Fortunately, you've got an old friend from the stage, Giovanni Zatara, who's bound to dissuade Master Bruce from this particular course of action.
    [+3 Learning, +2 Martial, -1 Stewardship]
    [Gain Ally: Giovanni Zatara (mentor)]

    ---
    This vote will cover 1946 through 1949, or ages 14 through 18. The final vote will cover 1950 through 1956, or ages 19 through 24.

    24 hours to vote. Please vote for each issue separately.
     
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    • Scheduled vote count started by Etranger on Sep 21, 2023 at 7:13 PM, finished with 206 posts and 142 votes.
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    • Prologue Part 3
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    • [] [LOVE] Neither
    [] [EVENT] No one deserves that.
    [] [FREE] Forensic Accounting

    The date is June 18th, 1945. Your name is Bruce Wayne, and today you meet your new tutor. According to Alfred, he's quite brilliant, having risen to a senior auditor's position in his firm well before his 30th birthday after a star turn at the Bureau of Internal Revenue. A meteoric rise like that in such a staid and traditional field indicates a particular talent, so you're looking forward to what lies ahead.

    Edward Nashton is a tall, lanky gentleman in a sober wool suit, with square-framed reading glasses and a cane to compensate for the slight limp he got in Europe during the war. His one deviation from the standard image of the deadly dull accountant is the green tie he's wearing, and even that is a shade sufficiently dark that it might be mistaken for black. He is also, you notice but do not mention, going prematurely bald beneath his bowler hat.

    Edward seems quietly resigned to offering basic instruction to a spoiled rich boy who goes through money like water. When you blow through his insultingly easy initial test in minutes, he pauses for a moment before constructing something much more appropriate to your skill level. Then another, even more difficult. And another after that.

    You discover that Edward's uncanny skill with forensic accounting is due to a love of puzzles that borders on obsession, and a passionate hatred of the feeling that he's being tricked or hoodwinked. His desire to ferret out the faintest whiff of corruption in even the densest ledger is as much from being offended at the notion that someone could put one over on him as it is a function of duty or interest in a paycheck. The final piece of the puzzle comes when he lets slip his impoverished background, as well as his general resentment of and suspicion toward the ultra-wealthy, for which he seems to have generously extended you a rare exception.

    Soon, in between trading fiendishly complex logic problems with you, he's teaching you the ins and outs of the accounting world, including how to differentiate between a simple error and a malicious one, how to sniff out hidden streams of incoming and outgoing funds, and quite a lot of technical terminology.

    The day you untangle a particularly thorny problem that he later reveals is from his actual job, he pronounces your apprenticeship complete and issues a standing offer of employment when you finish school. He seems to have completely forgotten that you've already got a job waiting for you, but you decide not to remind him of the major industrial concern with your name on it. Instead, you promise to stay in touch.


    The date is July 12th, 1947. Your name is Bruce Wayne, and you're out on the town with your friends. While you'd much rather be applying yourself to one of your many fields of interest, or doing some kind of productive work, Alfred insists that socialization is itself a valuable quality to have, and that social skills are some of the most important, and so here you are. Everyone else is at least a little tipsy, cheerfully bantering back and forth with the exuberance of the young and carefree. You've had three ginger ales and desperately wish you'd taken the opportunity to use the bathroom two stops back.

    "So, Bruce," Kathy says to you, eyes sparkling, "what's your motto?" This knocks you out of your reverie, and you take a second to mentally review the conversation that was going on around you. Multi-track thinking is a useful trick that Edward taught you to keep multiple sets of books in your head at once, but you've since developed it into a useful social crutch. What were they talking about...? Oh, right. Personal mottos.

    Everyone else's motto was something frivolous and silly, so you struggle to come up with a suitably superficial saying that you can throw off in an exaggeratedly pompous tone, thus fulfilling your part in the game. If you had been paying better attention, it would have been a carefully crafted nothing that reinforced your desired image. Instead, it's actually a little more revealing than you'd otherwise prefer...

    What do you tell your friends?

    [] [MOTTO] "Fortune favors the bold."
    Sometimes, caution is overrated. If everyone did the safe, sensible thing every time, humanity would be centuries behind in its development. No, best to be bold and take your opportunities where they come.
    [Trait Evolution: Lively (+1 Diplomacy) becomes Brave (+2 Martial, -1 Stewardship)]

    [] [MOTTO] "The only way to have a friend is to be one."
    You've truly internalized the importance of having a social life, no matter how much a part of you may resent it. Your friends have been invaluable anchors, tethers to a sometimes precarious sanity, and you reciprocate their feelings in turn.
    [Trait Evolution: Lively (+1 Diplomacy) becomes Gregarious (+2 Diplomacy, -1 Learning)]

    [] [MOTTO] "Honesty is the best policy."
    Deception is inevitable in some things; you're at peace with that. What isn't necessary is weaving a complex web of lies to surround yourself from all angles. On the things that matter, the things that are important, you're committed to being as honest as possible.
    [Trait Evolution: Lively (+1 Diplomacy) becomes Honest (+2 Stewardship, -1 Intrigue)]

    [] [MOTTO] "One must be strict, even in little things."
    Details rule the world. So-called "big picture thinkers" are sloppy, uncoordinated, and doomed to failure when confronted with someone who has mastered the fine print. You hold yourself to a higher standard, and by extension everyone else, too.
    [Trait Evolution: Lively (+1 Diplomacy) becomes Stern (+2 Learning, -1 Diplomacy)]


    The date is April 7th, 1949. Your name is Bruce Wayne, and you've just turned 18. Normally, this is the time when Alfred would be pondering deeply over the next phase of your life in that heart-breakingly careful way of his. But you're an adult now, as far as the law is concerned, and you've got access to enough of your family trust to be able to make the decision for yourself. He might protest, but his caution can't win the day forever. Not with what you feel you have to do, what you've felt since that fateful day almost ten years ago.

    Of course, the degree to which you emancipate yourself from Alfred's fatherly concern does not have to be absolute, or even substantial. Even the most basic measures of personal autonomy will allow you to establish yourself as your own person and give you the space to breathe, both physically and mentally. Of course, if you were to take a more extreme course of action, you might find out things about yourself that you never even suspected...

    How far will you go?

    [] [VOYAGE] Nearby
    There are several prestigious centers of learning available in-state, as well as the opportunity to become more acquainted with your family's company, or the lay of the land in the city generally.
    [Unlocks a sub-vote for Gotham and near-Gotham opportunities]
    [Some chance to achieve substantial gains and unusual changes]
    [Will remain in contact with most Gotham allies and assets]
    [Trait Evolution: Curious (+1 Learning) becomes Content (+2 Stewardship, -1 Learning)]

    [] [VOYAGE] Far enough
    Leaving the state will give you the chance to explore more broadly and to learn more about yourself, but you'll have to leave certain things behind to do it.
    [Unlocks a sub-vote for moderate-risk domestic and foreign opportunities]
    [Good chance to achieve substantial gains and unusual changes]
    [Will lose contact with some Gotham allies and assets]
    [Trait Evolution: Curious (+1 Learning) becomes Diligent (+1 All)]

    [] [VOYAGE] Off the map
    You've always wanted to travel internationally, and this is your first opportunity to really do so. However, the world is a tempestuous place, and you'll be going far outside your safety net. Who knows what you might find?
    [Unlocks a sub-vote for dangerous foreign opportunities]
    [Best chance to achieve substantial gains and unusual changes]
    [Will lose contact with most Gotham allies and assets]
    [Trait Evolution: Curious (+1 Learning) becomes Ambitious (+2 All)]


    24 hours to vote.

    If you choose to leave the state, you will be able to re-establish contact with assets and allies upon your return to Gotham City, but it will take effort and they may have changed, grown, or declined unpredictably during your absence. Alfred will not need to have contact re-established, but he will have changed.

    Feel free to tag me with questions, but keep in mind that I won't reveal what opportunities may be available or go into specifics.
     
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    • Scheduled vote count started by Etranger on Sep 29, 2023 at 4:44 PM, finished with 132 posts and 111 votes.
    [motto] [voyage]
    Click to expand...
     
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    • Prologue Part 3.5
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    • [MOTTO] "Fortune favors the bold."
    [VOYAGE] Off the map

    You leave Alfred a note. It's short but comprehensive, even if it can never truly contain the depths of your gratitude and feeling for him. He doesn't find it until you're long gone. For your part, you carry only a backpack, a sizable cash withdrawal, and a vague notion of what happens next.

    Over the next seven years, you travel across the length and breadth of the world, meeting masters and geniuses in their fields, whether mundane or esoteric, and absorbing all they have to offer. You make a few friends and numerous enemies, learn ancient secrets and modern innovations, and grow explosively as both a person and a walking fount of knowledge.

    However, one experience toward the end of your journey leads you to climb a particular mountain, and when you descend its slopes again, you will never be the same.

    [] Omoto Dake
    While traveling incognito, you are recruited by the spy agency known as Checkmate. Over the next several years, you rise through the ranks to become its Black Bishop, representing the agency in clandestine meetings across the globe. On one particularly dangerous mission in Okinawa, you go rogue, earning a burn notice and the lasting enmity of the US intelligence community.
    [Gain Education: Grey Eminence (+6 Diplomacy, -1 Martial, +4 Intrigue, +2 Learning)]
    [Gain Trait: Paranoid (-2 Martial)]
    [Gain Ally: Tatsu Yamashiro (fellow fugitive)]
    [Gain Enemy: Checkmate (ex-employer)]

    [] Pena Dura
    A series of chance encounters leads to you falling in with a group of Santa Priscan freedom fighters led by the enigmatic narco-terrorist known only as Bane. What follows is a master class in guerrilla warfare and battlefield tactics, but your disagreement with Bane's brutal methods gets heated and you end up turning that knowledge against him, with explosive results and lingering grudges.
    [Gain Education: Brilliant Strategist (+6 Martial, +4 Stewardship, +2 Intrigue, -1 Learning)]
    [Gain Trait: Zealous (-2 Learning)]
    [Gain Ally: Bird (war buddy)]
    [Gain Enemy: Bane (furious ex-comrade)]

    [] The Schilthorn
    Traveling through Switzerland, you are abducted by a secretive offshoot of the Knights Templar known as the Order of St. Dumas. While in captivity, you are implanted with a comprehensive brainwashing program, The System, which violently expands your capacity to learn and retain knowledge while attempting to erode your individuality. You and another candidate eventually break free of the programming, but the mental scars and the Order remain.
    [Gain Education: Midas Touched (-1 Diplomacy, +2 Martial, +6 Stewardship, +4 Learning)]
    [Gain Trait: Cynical (-2 Diplomacy)]
    [Gain Ally: Ludovic Valley (fellow escapee)]
    [Gain Enemy: Order of St. Dumas (former captor)]

    [] Alamut
    A mysterious man and his beautiful daughter Talia take you on a journey across the Middle East, culminating in the ancient fortress of Alamut in the mountains of Iran. There, the man reveals himself as Ra's al Ghul, leader of the League of Assassins. You learn much about the arts of deception and concealment from the Demon's Head, but not even your love for Talia can overcome your unease at the Demon's obvious instability. With her aid, you flee into the night, but are forced to leave her behind.
    [Gain Education: Elusive Shadow (+2 Diplomacy, +4 Martial, -1 Stewardship, +6 Intrigue)]
    [Gain Trait: Addicted (-2 Stewardship)]
    [Gain Ally: Talia al Ghul (ex-lover)]
    [Gain Enemy: League of Assassins (vengeful conspiracy)]

    [] Nanda Parbat
    The quest for inner peace takes you up the slopes of the Himalayas to Nanda Parbat, one of the world's most spiritual places. There, you delve deep within yourself and uncover a lingering connection to a quasi-demonic entity you met as a child. You and the entity form a contract, granting you supernatural power - but at a cost. This new power draws the enmity of Kobra, a deadly religious sect, and you barely escape the mountain with your life.
    [Gain Education: Mastermind Occultist (+4 Diplomacy, +2 Stewardship, -1 Intrigue, +6 Learning)
    [Gain Trait: Vulnerable (-2 Intrigue)]
    [Gain Ally: Boston Brand (fellow disciple)]
    [Gain Enemy: Kobra Cult (ancient foe)]


    24 hours to vote. This is a crucial decision, so I'm looking for a majority. If one is not forthcoming, I'll do a run-off between the top two options. Edge cases may result in coin flips.

    These votes are rife with DC references but knowing the details is not at all necessary; just pick the choice that you think will produce the Batman you want.
     
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