- Location
- Virginia
[X] Plan Gold Digger
Gold and Treachery - A Trade Magnate Quest
- Thread starter Azel
- Start date
- Original
MagnificentMind
To Live is to Suffer
[x] Plan Gold Digger
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
[X] Plan Before The Bodies Cool
-[X] Look at the books yourself. (2 AP, DC ??? Administration)
-[X] Seek Opportunities: Visit the Madrasa (1 AP, DC 5 checks in all Philosophy skills)
-[X] Investigate Minuwrio's Death (2 AP, DC ??? Espionage check)
-[X] Organize a simple banquet. (1 AP, 3 Wealth)
This swaps "finding a wife" and "bargaining down interest" with "investigating Minuwrio's death while the trail is relatively fresh."
I'm not sure I love this -- I think that TalonofAnathrax's arguments to stop our financial bleeding are strong.
I'm concerned, however, that the two themes of this Quest are gold and treachery, and a plan that only interacts with the first leaves us open to the second. Minuwrio's death is suspicious, and the longer before we investigate it the colder the trail gets. ...potentially, we could look into his death before we crack the books, on the assumption that the books can wait.
-[X] Look at the books yourself. (2 AP, DC ??? Administration)
-[X] Seek Opportunities: Visit the Madrasa (1 AP, DC 5 checks in all Philosophy skills)
-[X] Investigate Minuwrio's Death (2 AP, DC ??? Espionage check)
-[X] Organize a simple banquet. (1 AP, 3 Wealth)
This swaps "finding a wife" and "bargaining down interest" with "investigating Minuwrio's death while the trail is relatively fresh."
I'm not sure I love this -- I think that TalonofAnathrax's arguments to stop our financial bleeding are strong.
I'm concerned, however, that the two themes of this Quest are gold and treachery, and a plan that only interacts with the first leaves us open to the second. Minuwrio's death is suspicious, and the longer before we investigate it the colder the trail gets. ...potentially, we could look into his death before we crack the books, on the assumption that the books can wait.
- Location
- Canada
[X] Plan Before The Bodies Cool
@Secretariat you convinced me, hopefully investigating his death solves more problems than it causes.
@Secretariat you convinced me, hopefully investigating his death solves more problems than it causes.
[X] Plan Gold Digger
I think a wife is worth it, we are pretty far down the hole, not only because we owe all that money but because it is common knowledge we have money troubles. You can trade money for rep and rep for money but if you lose both you are up a creek without a paddle.
I think a wife is worth it, we are pretty far down the hole, not only because we owe all that money but because it is common knowledge we have money troubles. You can trade money for rep and rep for money but if you lose both you are up a creek without a paddle.
- Location
- Canada
[X] Plan Gold Digger
- Location
- France
Why the banquet? It's good for our rep, but it's also disastrous for our finances. Wouldn't it be better to pick the other Seek Opportunities action too, or something?
- Location
- Canada
[X] Plan Investigating Opportunities
-[X] Look at the books yourself. (2 AP, DC ??? Administration)
-[X] Seek Opportunities: Visit the Madrasa (1 AP, DC 5 checks in all Philosophy skills)
-[X] Investigate Minuwrio's Death (2 AP, DC ??? Espionage check)
-[X] Seek Opportunities: Visit the Red Bazaar (1 AP)
I thought the banquet was mandatory for some reason.
-[X] Look at the books yourself. (2 AP, DC ??? Administration)
-[X] Seek Opportunities: Visit the Madrasa (1 AP, DC 5 checks in all Philosophy skills)
-[X] Investigate Minuwrio's Death (2 AP, DC ??? Espionage check)
-[X] Seek Opportunities: Visit the Red Bazaar (1 AP)
I thought the banquet was mandatory for some reason.
Not quite ready to look for a wife. Marriage is the bedrock of alliances, I'd like to wait a bit before coming in swinging.
[x] Plan Investigating Opportunities
- [x] Look at the books yourself. (2 AP, DC ??? Administration)
- [x] Seek Opportunities: Visit the Madrasa (1 AP, DC 5 checks in all Philosophy skills)
- [x] Investigate Minuwrio's Death (2 AP, DC ??? Espionage check)
- [x] Seek Opportunities: Visit the Red Bazaar (1 AP)
[x] Plan Investigating Opportunities
- [x] Look at the books yourself. (2 AP, DC ??? Administration)
- [x] Seek Opportunities: Visit the Madrasa (1 AP, DC 5 checks in all Philosophy skills)
- [x] Investigate Minuwrio's Death (2 AP, DC ??? Espionage check)
- [x] Seek Opportunities: Visit the Red Bazaar (1 AP)
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Yes, I think you're correct. Thanks for putting this together, Sigil! Changing my vote.
[x] Plan Investigating Opportunities
- [x] Look at the books yourself. (2 AP, DC ??? Administration)
- [x] Seek Opportunities: Visit the Madrasa (1 AP, DC 5 checks in all Philosophy skills)
- [x] Investigate Minuwrio's Death (2 AP, DC ??? Espionage check)
- [x] Seek Opportunities: Visit the Red Bazaar (1 AP)
Vote closed
Turn 1 – Results Part 1
- Location
- Germany
Turn 1 – Results Part 1
[] Look at the books yourself. (2 AP, DC ??? Administration)
Whatever Sarruts reasoning for keeping details of your businesses to himself, you can ill afford his secrecy. Look at the books yourself and see where the pains of your house stem from.
With your financial woes by far the most pressing concern, you threw yourself at the books, trying your best to find the reason for your ships bad performance. However, after the first few weeks of checking the details of Sarruts work, your enthusiasm dimmed markedly. Maybe the reason that your Sakellarius was rather hesitant to comply with your order was that he was worried you would deem him incompetent after what you saw. It is a mess, pure and simple and while the old man has decades of experience that help him work with the chaos of barely legible notes, scrawled by semi-literate sailors in a pidgin of three different languages, you are used to the neat and tidy work of scholars. If anything, your opinion of the man rose after seeing just what his work entailed.
A few months in and you had largely given up, other matters taking up more and more of your time while the details of the trade fleets workings were as impenetrable as before. At least the ledgers for the mansions and your other properties were in a better state, leaving you both with a better insight into what it was costing to keep the estate afloat and the knowledge that you indeed owned some other properties.
Apparently, your great-grandfather, who was Patriarch before Andros, had bought some tenements near the Small Harbour. What his plans for the plots of land had been was likely lost to history, as no one in your family ever seemed to have done something with them. Sarrut had made sure that the buildings had been maintained, barely, and that the rent had been collected, but there was never a chance for the dilapidated houses to bring in much more coin than what it took to prevent them from collapsing.
The plots of land they stood on had some value though. Building a new tenement on the site would have been expensive, but also bring some reliable income. Setting up a small business would also have been a possibility, though the kind of places that thrived in a harbour tended to be of the less reputable sort. Or you could just sell the land for some direly needed money.
DC ??? Administration Check: 4 + (-1 +0 -1 +0) = 2
Gained partial insight into the state of your finances.
Current Fleet: 3 Small Trade Galleys, 1 Medium Trade Galley
Turn 1 Trade Fleet Profit: 4
Properties
Seat of House Lipern / Large Mansion (Azure District)
Base Upkeep – 1 Wealth
Accommodations III – 1 Wealth
Wine Cellar – 1 Wealth
Library IV – 1 Wealth
Total Upkeep – 4 Wealth
Dilapidated Tenements (Small Harbour)
Estimated Value: 2 Wealth
No Upkeep / Profit
What do you want to do with the tenements?
[] [Tenements] Keep them for now.
[] [Tenements] Sell them. (Gain 2 Wealth, modified by Bargaining check)
[] [Tenements] Demolish and rebuild the tenements. (Costs 3 Wealth and 1 AP next turn, new tenements will bring 1 Wealth per turn, takes 1 turn to complete)
[] [Tenements] Repair the tenements and add a business. (Always takes 1 AP and 1 turn to complete, income varies by type of business and random roll) Pick one:
-[] [Tenements] Tavern (Costs 2 Wealth)
-[] [Tenements] Brothel (Costs 3 Wealth)
-[] [Tenements] Gambling Den (Costs 2 Wealth)
[] Try to strike a deal with Sillaniu Qaypanu. (1 AP, DC 3 Negotiation check)
The loan to this one moneylender represents most of your houses debt and it was taken at a quiet ludicrous interest rate at that. If you could somehow find a way to renegotiate the terms, there would be much less pressure on your coffers. However, Qaypanu is not known to have much compassion for his debtors and it is hard to guess what he might demand in return.
It took quiet a while for you to receive an audience with Qaypanu, which rankled you more than a bit. After all, he was the son of a goatherder, something he himself liked to mention when bragging about what he had achieved in his lifetime, while you were the scion of a house older than entire empires. Consequently, you were in a rather foul mood on the day when you finally met. That he wanted to talk business in his bathhouses Caldarium as if you were Metuan Senators of old just added to it. Maybe he meant it as a sign of respect to your station to greet you in such a way, but your gut said that it was a subtle mockery of it.
The meeting itself was thus rather clipped and while you noticed in time that your annoyance war bleeding into your words, you could not clamp down on it entirely. Your negotiations went not badly, but neither did they go well. In the end, you were left with a deal about as lopsided as imagined. Qaypanus reputation as a cutthroat and usurer was richly deserved after all and the rumours of your financial troubles meant that he likely knew how urgently you needed this deal.
He was willing to slash the interest by two thirds, which would have taken care of half the interest you had to pay in a year, but in return, he demanded to be repaid twice the sum of the original loan within three years. The sum was simply preposterous and you wanted nothing more than to throw his 'generous' offer into his face. But could you really afford to not take it?
DC 3 Negotiation Check – 1 (feeling mocked): 2 + (0 +1 -1 +1) = 3
What do you reply to Sillaniu Qaypanus offer?
[] [Loan] Take the deal. (now 16 Wealth owed to Sillaniu Qaypanu with 1 Wealth interest per turn, the loan must be repaid within 3 turns)
[] [Loan] Do not take the deal. (loan remains 8 Wealth owed to Sillaniu Qaypanu with 3 Wealth interest per turn
[] Seek Opportunities: Visit the Madrasa (1 AP, DC 5 checks in all Philosophy skills)
The most common place for the wealthy Ealim traders to gather is the small Madrasa of Alumahi. If you can prove yourself worthy of attending their discussions and seminars, you should be able to make some useful contacts there.
When you had first thought about going to the Madrasa, you were not quiet sure what to expect. Would it be like the Kassarium, where there was a firm structure and hierarchy in all things? Or would it be more like the rumours, which claimed the Ealim were huddling in tight-knit groups and plotting with each other? From what you knew of the Philosophy of Mathaqaf, it was to the Ealim what their gods were to other people and the Madrasa was their temple, so even the image of a priest-like figure standing before a congregation and preaching wisdoms briefly crossed your mind.
Thus, your first visit was in many ways almost underwhelming. The Madrasa itself was a small, squat building, only the bright murals in Ealim style giving away that it was anything different then the houses around it. While the entrance was guarded, nobody barred your way, merely asking you to leave your sandals and to wash your hands before entering. Inside, the place seemed no different then many taverns. People sat with each other, played dice or cards, chatted or drank chai. Even the topics talked about seemed utterly mundane.
It took a few weeks for you to learn the rhythms of this strange place and then a few months to join them in truth. Not that people had been rejecting you at first, quiet the contrary. Most welcomed you with open arms, inviting you to games and chai as if you were an old friend and even those who seemed more sceptical at first were quickly losing their wariness. Though there were always people coming and going that did not spare you a second glance, talking quietly only with a few selected others and then disappearing into the many private rooms of the building. You had tried following one such group once, yet you were only politely asked to leave, as these people wished to debate something in private.
Before you could hope to be invited to such groups, you had to spend some time and effort to get to know the right people. Whenever you had gotten to know someone a bit better and maybe even impressed them with your knowledge, they would introduce you to some of their friends. Soon you were no longer chatting about common gossip with people in the courtyard, instead getting invited to private seminars where the topics tended to be politics, art or the Deucallian classics. Without a shame you could admit to having learned something in those discussions. Even your slight interest in sorcery was taken in stride by the Ealim, rather then the wary glances you sometimes received in other company.
As the months passed, you slowly began to understand the Ealim better. Their ways were strange to many in Alumahi since they rejected the notion that gods existed, calling them delusions and the priests performing miracles in their name mere charlatans. That much you knew before, though their reasoning behind it sounded much sounder than the slander heaped on them by other people. To them, all acts of magic were the same, the schools and the powers of the priests just an artifact of the way people learned to wield this power. They reasoned that a skilled sorcerer, called Sahir in their tongue, could learn all forms of magic as long as he studied diligently and did not pollute his mind with the baseless superstitions that other traditions preached.
It was strange how much kinship you felt with these people after such short a while, their love for reason and philosophy something you could easily identify with. Yet, you also saw with your own eyes why they were feared to such a degree. While they did not say such in the open, behind closed doors, there was little stopping the Ealim from openly talking about 'the spreading of enlightenment' as they called it, which could mean teaching as well as conquest. They saw it as their duty to share their ways, which they deemed superior to all others, arguing that people had to be freed from the backwards ways of other cultures, even if they did not wish it, since they lacked the knowledge to make an informed choice about their fate.
Unsurprisingly, your activities went not unnoticed. With so many eyes watching the Madrasa for any signs of sinister plots springing from it, it was not a question of if, but when your visits would become a matter of public record. Sadly, the outcome of said attention was also just as expected. While nobody could say in words what you had done wrong, they all acted as if your mere presence in the vicinity of the Ealim people was vaguely treasonous. Worse yet, some Deucallian traders had taken your actions as a sign that House Lipern would soon ruin the next city, wondering whatever other place you would blight with your presence after fleeing again.
The other hitch in your plan was that while you had made some contacts among the Ealim traders, you simply lacked the funds to capitalize on any opportunities. Offers to buy twenty load of pepper cheaply were all well and good, but you were there precisely because you lacked the coin to make such deals on a whim. A few careful mentions of your search for a bride got you some more useful offers though. It seemed the Ealim were not shy about offering a decent bride price and at least if you were to believe the tales of their fathers, some of these women sounded like they even would be pleasant company.
As the time of your banquet drew closer, you began to notice quiet a few of the Ealim to ask questions about it, though surprisingly it was not the wealthiest among them. It took you a bit of careful back and forth, but after a while, you learned that a woman called Ghaliya bint Nur bint Hasna had recently arrived in the city. She was the matriarch of a prestigious family in the eastern port city of Damerisu, serving as and advisor to the cities Sultan even. While no one had said such outright, it was pretty clear that she was angling to be invited to your banquet and would likely show her appreciation for such a favour, though it would also mean even more rumours about your sympathies to the Ealim if you did so.
DC 5 Moral Philosophy Check: 4 + (-1 +1 +1 +0) = 5
DC 5 Natural Philosophy Check: 5 + (-1 +0 +0 -1 +1) = 4
DC 5 Metaphysical Philosophy Check: 4 + (0 +1 +0 +0) = 5
Persuasion + 1 (passed two checks): 5 + (-1 +0 +0 +0 +1) = 5
Negotiation + 1 (passed two checks): 4 + (0 +1 +0 -1) ) = 4
Public Reaction: (0 -1 -1 +1) = -1
1 Reputation Lost with in Alumahi
Do you invite Ghaliya bint Nur bint Hasna to your banquet?
[] [Invitation] Yes
[] [Invitation] No
Authors Note: Normally I would have done all results at once, but the background rolls immediately went for an interesting direction, so I need to put the first half up to vote.
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- Location
- Explosion!
Got a question:
Why did we have a public Reaction roll? Was it the failed Philosophy roll?
Also, damn but these rolls didn't do us many favors. At least there weren't any outright failures, though that rep loss kinda hurts.
Also, would not sell the tenements, not for two wealth, though not sure if investing into either a gambling hall or a tavern would be better, since we'll only have one turn to pay the city fines.
Unless we crit the investigation next turn on why we have them, that is.
Why did we have a public Reaction roll? Was it the failed Philosophy roll?
Also, damn but these rolls didn't do us many favors. At least there weren't any outright failures, though that rep loss kinda hurts.
Also, would not sell the tenements, not for two wealth, though not sure if investing into either a gambling hall or a tavern would be better, since we'll only have one turn to pay the city fines.
Unless we crit the investigation next turn on why we have them, that is.
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- Location
- Germany
No, that was always going to happen. That's why the last chapter talked about potential repercussions of being seen to be chummy with the Ealim.
- Location
- Explosion!
Welp, seems like I've got to pay more attention.
Personally, then, my choices would go something like this:
1. Tenements - Keep as is:
Having a place where our (future/prospective) wife's family business can be set up would be most ideal, rather more so than trying to set up a business there out of our empty pockets right now.
And something tells me it's a lot easier to lose those tenements than it is to gain them.
2. Loan - Take Deal:
Got little option but to take it, unfortunately, unless we somehow manage to find over 13 Wealth by next turn, to not get ripped apart by the interest. (11 Wealth to his debt, + 2 to Town fees)
Going to be very tricky to find 18+ wealth in 3 turns, but we're already set to gain 12 from fleets. Compounding that in some form or manner, plus succeeding a loan, should be enough
Also, if we don't end up taking the deal, by the third turn we'll end up owning 17 Wealth, which puts us back at square one.
3. Invite the Matriarch: we're pressed for time and money both. At this point, most deals can be made, and I'd personally expect her to be trying to make a deal or two for our tenements. If we can make more for it, such as more lucrative deals for our barges, it might yet help us stay afloat through this disaster.
We should be very careful about any marriage proposals, however. Not only because that would cause an even bigger hit to our Alumahi rep, but because she's a Matriarch, and might thus end up expecting her daughter/family member to be in charge.
- Location
- France
Do we have to accept the offer right now? Or can we wait and see how this month's other actions turn out?
EDIT: And @DawnOfBoom, note that while our fleet gives us 4 profit per turn we also pay 4 per turn as upkeep on our properties. That means that we're not actually making any money, if I'm reading this right.
EDIT: And @DawnOfBoom, note that while our fleet gives us 4 profit per turn we also pay 4 per turn as upkeep on our properties. That means that we're not actually making any money, if I'm reading this right.
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- Location
- Germany
You can defer the choices for the tenements and the loan if you want, but I do need a choice on Ghaliya, since her presence or absence for the banquet is rather relevant for that action and potentially the marriage candidates too.
- Location
- Explosion!
That gets halved if we take the deal, but good point.
Bleh, means we only get 6 wealth by turn 4, or 8 by 5 (depending if the deal starts at Turn 2, or is still considered to start during Turn 1). Then we (potentially) lose 2 wealth to the city for the fines. So, 12+ wealth in 3-4 turns, and that's a minimum.
Ain't this a tricky situation to start ourselves with...
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
I kinda think we're boxed into inviting Ghaliya.
- Location
- Germany
That depends on the bride. With some, you can quietly marry, with others, you will have to throw another banquet next turn to celebrate the occasion. Though the brides family may or may not pitch in.
- Location
- Explosion!
Nah, not quite.
It'll probably alienate us from the Alumahi further, which means lesser chances that would come from that front, especially insofar as our banquet/prospects are considered. Odds are good we might yet lose more rep from choosing it, if the last sentence in the update is any indication.
On the other hand, it would endear us further to the Ealim, and having their support when it comes to trading would be quite good for our, ah, "nascent trading enterprise."
I'd reckon the benefits outweigh the costs, in this case, though, considered we need more in hand than reputation and the others liking us "slightly".
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- Location
- France
[X] [Tenements] Defer decision
[X] [Loan] Take the deal. (now 16 Wealth owed to Sillaniu Qaypanu with 1 Wealth interest per turn, the loan must be repaid within 3 turns)
As far as I can see, taking the deal means avoiding immediate default on this turn's interest. Publicly defaulting on loans is not good while we're looking for a wife.
[X] [Invitation] Yes
Associating with the Ealim means associating with a bunch of people who're interested in science, philosophy, discovery, and magic. The fact that they're apparently sort of atheist and are involved with various exotic foreigners is just icing on the cake. That sounds like SV catnip! We're going to end up associating with them fairly publicly and that will trash our rep. Let's see if we can use that to get some short-term benefits that could help with our debts!
[X] [Loan] Take the deal. (now 16 Wealth owed to Sillaniu Qaypanu with 1 Wealth interest per turn, the loan must be repaid within 3 turns)
As far as I can see, taking the deal means avoiding immediate default on this turn's interest. Publicly defaulting on loans is not good while we're looking for a wife.
[X] [Invitation] Yes
Associating with the Ealim means associating with a bunch of people who're interested in science, philosophy, discovery, and magic. The fact that they're apparently sort of atheist and are involved with various exotic foreigners is just icing on the cake. That sounds like SV catnip! We're going to end up associating with them fairly publicly and that will trash our rep. Let's see if we can use that to get some short-term benefits that could help with our debts!
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