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Guards? Guards! -- Altdorf City Watch
- Thread starter DrearyBear
- Start date
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Turn Four Results
Introduction: A major promotion at work has been great for my wallet, but terrible for my free time, and I've had very, very little time for writing. No fear, however, the story is still ongoing and I will continue to post whenever I am able, just know the pace will be slow until I fully adjust to the new job.
"This is the fucking life," you think to yourself as you quaff your third ale. You've been a soldier for years, and drinking even longer, but this is the first time you've ever been able to pass off one of your favorite hobbies as work. "Who knew the perks of being an officer?" you think as you finish off your drink and scan the room.
You're in a grungy mercenary bar, surrounded by rough-looking men, and a couple of rougher-looking women. There's a war brewing on the border, and mercenaries from all across the Old World have been flocking to the city, hoping for a fat paycheck to play pretend war with the Bretonnians. Priests whinge about the horror of slaying fellow humans, but fighting a border conflict is a far better prospect than most other contracts. Bretonnians might be honor-bound and fussy, with a system of governance founded on strange women in lakes giving out swords, but they're unlikely to eat you alive.
For now, however, everyone is just waiting for the tensions to spill into actual bloodshed. If the wait goes on for much longer, you might be able to convince some of the more levelheaded mercenaries to serve within the city watch as their wallets drain and the festival-like atmosphere turns to coin counting. For now, with wallets still fat and the mercenaries in high spirits, the bar is a sizzling powder keg. The promise of violence and loot rachets up the tension: jokes are all the funnier, the game of chance's stakes higher, and misunderstandings more fiery.
Even as you hunch over your tankard, a small scuffle breaks out behind you over a game of cards. A mug is shattered over a head, punches are thrown, and then everyone goes still as steel is drawn. For a moment, you're sure someone's about to lose their life, but then the combatants' friends drag them out of the bar to cool their heads. Slowly, the bar calms back down, card games start back up, and noise starts up, but you can feel some of the tension linger.
Mercenaries are the worst losers you've ever met and hold a grudge nearly as well as a dwarf. All these small incidents are building up, grudges are being formed, and you won't be surprised if there are already bodies appearing in back alleys and in the river. The soldiers are still willing to back down in public, but you sure as hell wouldn't want to be the watch commander in charge of controlling this crowd a week from now when covert score settling bubbles over into overt violence in the streets.
Still, it's the best place to find some of your old army colleagues. Even if they aren't in this bar, nothing travels faster than gossip amongst soldiers. You've been at this bar for two nights now, asking anyone who passed by if they knew anyone who had served in the Third Company of the first Riekland Army. No one has, but you have a nose for this sort of situation. Someone will have mentioned to a friend or a friend of a friend that there's some poncey watch officer asking questions, and if any of your old colleagues are in the city word will soon reach them. All you need to do is kill time until they get the message.
So that's what you do for the next two hours. You sit in the bar, cutting loose for the first time since you've taken the job of watch officer. You try out all the local ales that the tavern has. You reminisce on some impressive feats of questionable veracity, "You think that was bad? Let me tell you about the time I was about to be dinner for three ogres". You play a few rounds of dice. And finally, you engaged in the time-honored soldiers everywhere, gossiping shamelessly about your superior officers
[Gossip test => Target 44+20 = 64 => Rolled 59 => Bare Success!]
It seems like there are significant tensions within the Empire about how to respond to the Bretonnians' aggression. Prince Wilhelm III is eager to take the fight to the enemy and has been training his personal forces hard to prepare for conflict. Emperor Dieter, on the other hand, is worried about drawing forces away from Stirland, and has been seeking a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Until the crisis escalates, and the Parrovians actually cross the border, no one is willing to have mercenaries on their payroll.
Your fun is cut short when you feel the kiss of a knife at your throat. It's held steady on the skin, ready to slice your throat, but not hard enough to draw blood yet. It seems your work has not been in vain, and someone has heard that you are asking around for former members of the third company. Now to get out of this without having your throat slit.
"Agnes?" You ask
"Hmm, you look like Mannfred, and you know me, but I've never seen Manny be so well dressed or clean. How do I know you're really who you say you are?" The assailant replies.
"Agnes, who the fuck else would have a knife put to their throat, not lose their shit, and immediately assume that it's you," you reply with some amusement.
"Could be one of my exes," she mutters under her breath.
"If I were one of your exes, no way would I be trying to talk this out. They're all terrified of you, pretty sure they would have slit their neck trying to run away, knife or no knife. Now let me the fuck up and let's chat," you reply.
Grudgingly, Agnes releases the knife at your neck, and you turn around to see her properly. She's a short woman, with close-cropped hair, a suspicious gaze, and enough knives to be faintly farcical. A fierce glare still graces her face as she regards you. "Alright, alright, suppose I believe you are who you say you are. What are you doing, looking for me? Last time I heard you were getting shuffled out of the army, and I don't want to be caught up in whatever trouble took down a goodie two-shoes like you. "
"Can't I just be trying to catch up with an old friend?" you reply.
"Nu-uh. People only buy me drinks when they are trying to get in my pants, or want me to do work," she replies
"Fair!" you laugh.
Quickly you explain to Agnes your last few weeks and your current challenges with leadership. You need people that you can trust to help you out, and you need them as soon as possible if you are going to be successful with your recruiting drive later this week. Still, you have your own reservations. Agnes is a damn sight better than what you have currently, but she isn't your first choice for a leader.
Frankly put, Agnes was the Company's unofficial fence. She was the one you could go to when you wanted to sell off a little bit of unauthorized looting. She was always able to source whatever weapons or armor people needed, especially if they had coin. And Agnes always, always, had something to drink. You can't really count the number of times she showed up out of nowhere with some rotgut while the company was mourning a death, or in the middle of a disastrous siege. She was an invaluable part of the company, but not necessarily someone you would place in a senior leadership position. You trust her with your life, but not near any of the silver.
She would be useful, however. You're sure she's kept up with her underworld connections, and she's deadly with those knives of hers. After the third body, you stopped bothering to get in the way of anyone stupid enough to try and rob the company's long-standing fence.
Options for Agnes:
It's honestly a better response from Agnes than you expected, and you follow up, "You know if anybody else is still in the City? I'd love to recruit some more familiar faces from the company to the Watch if I possibly could. We've got a real shortage of leadership, and I need some good men. Or women, no offense, Agnes."
"I figured you asked that. The boys sent me to make sure you were Manny, and not some impostor. I'll have em here in two days. Be here, and bring cold hard coin if you want em to join up" she replies
"Hold card coin? What trouble have they gotten themselves into? And who exactly comprises the "boys" these days?" you ask.
"Eh-eh-eh, that would be telling! You'll have to talk it out with them" She replies. "Now, how about you grab me a drink and we swap stories about what we've been up to for the last couple of months"
The test of the night is a blur.
XXX
The next morning, the sun's rays poke through the window of your cottage. It's still entirely bare; you've been living out of a rucksack your entire adult life and that's a hard habit to break. Buying anything you would have to leave behind the next time you need to uproot yourself just feels wrong. Your head is pounding, but at least your leg is finally feeling better. You duck your head into the bucket of cold water Thumping helpfully placed next to your bed, to try and clear your hangover. That man is a godsend, you think as your headaches eases, and you get dressed for the day.
You leave the cottage in a hurry, grabbing the buttered toast Thumping left out for you, and wince as the light reignites your headache with a spike of pain. By the time you manage to reach the watchhouse and discover that the watchmen have managed to damage the main gate's hinge by trying to clean it for the first time in a decade, you are in an extraordinary poor mood. You've scheduled the interrogation of the surviving assailant for this morning, but unless you manage to quell this damn hangover, you're more likely to murder the boy than get any useful information out of him.
So instead, you retreat to your office with Wilbert to plan out exactly how you want to conduct the recruitment drive, pulling the curtains close to leave your office in darkness and ease your headache. It's not like you can read, so what do you need the light for anyway? Your reputation is still relatively low across the island, with only Wailer's Square and the island's bridges under your direct command. As a result, Wilbert suggests that you focus your recruitment efforts on Wailers Square, where some of the inhabitants may have seen the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt, and be more willing to sign up with the Watch under your capable martial might.
You plot out your pitch and explain your desire to swell the ranks of the watch as much as possible to Wilbert. Wilbert agrees with the need for more watchmen, but is concerned over the lack of leadership material in the pipeline. He argues that none of the current guardsmen are leadership material, and all need seasoning before they are placed in charge of a squad. Your biggest limiting factor right now is almost certainly the number of competent leaders you can secure, especially as you need a new leader for squad one after kicking their sergeant to the curb.
You promise Wilbert you will know the total number of leaders you can muster within a day, and then spend the rest of the afternoon conferring with the various other inhabitants of the square, as well as the Temple of Morr, about how best to position yourself on the square.
[ Author's Clarification: Recruitment here is complicated by the lack of high-quality leadership. Wilbert is confident warm bodies can be found to fill out quads, but without competent leadership, those squads will be worse than useless. Pay attention then to the offer towards Agnes as well as the rest of the group, as it will determine how many men can be recruited during the recruitment drive.]
XXX
Two nights later, you find yourself back in that same dingy mercenary bar, spotting Agnes and five others holding down one of the large tables in the back corner of the room. There's a spot of blood on the floor, and a wide distance is being enforced between them and the rest of the bar, with even hardened mercenaries looking warily at the visibly armed and trained former soldiers.
Agnes waves you over and drunkenly slurs, "itz nots fair. You're sober and we are NOT!" To a round of cheers from around the table. For a second, you are overcome with nostalgia. The bar may be different, your friends older — and in some cases distinctly fatter — but this is a scene that you've played out hundreds of times of times across your time in the army, ever since most of you met during training.
"I see you still have all the patience of a youth trying to get his prick wet for the first time, you reply," and then are buried in a good-natured flurry of back slaps, guffaws, and a ruffling of your hair.
"Manny, you're a sight for sore eyes, let me tell you," exclaims Hunfried. "I thought you were dead and gone after that situation with the orcs. Really regretting pouring out that wine in memory of you. Thought someone was playing a dirty trick on me when Agnes showed up and said someone named Manfred was looking for old war buddies," to the agreement of the rest of the table.
You flag down one of the surly barmaids for an ale, while you regale the rest of the table with a quick rundown of your hasty exit from the army, offer of a commission, and the situation you find yourself in now. You explain the danger of the island, the mysterious deaths of your predecessors as well as the young nobleman, and the unruly and incompetent nature of your new recruits.
Finally, you give them the pitch, "I know I know most of you left the army the minute your contract of service was complete, and I said I would too, but this watch commission is too good a chance to give up. Hunfried, you've always talked about leaving a legacy behind that your children could be proud of. Think about what acclaim you could get if you help clean up one of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods. Ottilia, since I've known you, you've been obsessed with amassing a fortune that will secure your family's finances for generations. Egmont, you've railed against the secrets of the cults, and their unwillingness to share vital information even when it would save lives. Imagine the access you could get if we put the Cult of Morr into our debt by securing their greatest mortal stronghold in the Empire. Sieger, you've always wanted a sense of camaraderie and purpose. Don't you miss being surrounded by fellow soldiers and chasing recruits? And lastly, Dietmar, I know your history with the city watch, and the tragedies that forced you to join the army, but this time we would be in control. What could we do with that power? How many lives could we change?" You demand.
For a second, you are wrapped up in your dreams, imagining just what that would be like. As Alfic, the old Ulrican Priest who visited the village in your youth to perform rites, said, "Ulric's wolves show us the need of pack. Alone, a man will fall to the terrors of the night, but united they may live till dawn chases the darkness away." You've missed the camaraderie you had in the army, and while you appreciate Thumping and Wilbert, you're honest enough to admit that as non-combatants, they just don't fit the same easy sense of brotherhood that you've been taught to crave your whole life.
But as you removed yourself from your dreams and glance around the table, you can see that your pleas have fallen on deaf ears. A silence falls over the table, your friends establishing meaningful eye contact with each other, and slowly shaking their heads. Just before you can regather yourself to reinforce your plea, Egmont is nudged by the others into acting as a spokesman.
Old ever since you knew him, Egmont looks weary as he prepares to deliver you the bad news, "Look, Mannfred, it's not that we aren't sympathetic, or don't trust your leadership. It's just ….. life has moved on. I've got a cushy job as a librarian at the university, and grandchildren these days to think of too. I can hardly drop all that to come be a soldier in purpose, if not name, again. Hunfried has become a sword tutor for a handful of noble children and has established himself as one of the city's finest duelists. Dietmer is married now and owns a pie shop with his wife, Arista, which would collapse without him there. Otillia has worked her way into the graces of a local merchant family, and might be able to captain her own trading expedition soon. And Sieger? Well, Sieger is actually pretty free, I think?"
Sieger shrugs and says, "I don't have much going on, but I do owe some lowlifes coin so am keeping my activities low key. They would have to be paid off for me to join, but I'm willing."
You all turn to look at Seiger, but Agnes is quickest to reply. "What the fuck Seiger, what sort of wool for brains do you have to owe this city's gangs money. Is it gambling? You never really did before, but what else could it be?"
Seiger blushes bright red and looks vaguely ashamed, a slightly comical expression on such a huge man, and says, "Was bored, so started participating in some boxing rings. I was betting on myself to win, and doing well, before they put me up against a ringer. Some short lady from the east, who I swear could stop on air. She had me in a chokehold before I even finished showboating, and I went down hard. Now I owe the fight's organizer a lot of coin. They were trying to get me to fight in some dirtier, more bloody matches, but I killed the first person they sent after me and have been hiding out ever since."
A silence falls over the bar, and you all take a moment to process a frankly insane story. To be honest, you aren't shocked. Seiger has always had a knack for getting into unlikely trouble if left to his own devices. Last time you were wintering with the army, Seiger had gotten lost while going to take a leak during the middle of a blizzard, been assumed dead, and turned up several weeks later when the snows thawed, having spent the intervening time huddled up in a den, sharing warmth with a bear. "Alright, Seiger, we'll help you out with that, but surely there is something I can do to get the rest of you on board? A favor. A bribe? I'm desperate here. Tell me that you need and I'll try my best to get it to you," you beseech the rest of them.
They are silent for a while, and then Otilla speaks up, "I'm not promising anything, but all I've ever wanted is to have some actual coin to fall back on. You all seem content to keep fighting until the minute you drop dead, but I intend to spend my elder years drunk, pampered, and happy. The merchant coalition I'm in bed with now is the best option I have, but they aren't exactly my first choice. They're pretty incompetent and only taking a bet on me out of desperation. I trust my skills, but their employee are filled with thieves, idiot relatives, and worse. You manage to get me patronage from a real merchant house, and I could be persuaded to jump. But getting that patronage? Good luck, I've been in the city three years now and haven't gotten shit."
"Ha, you think that's hard?" replies Dietmer. "My wife would feed me my balls before letting me leave her with all of the work of running a pie shop." He flexes his arms and continues, "You think I got these beauts from the Army? No way, these are from kneading a dozen batches of pie dough every day."
Agnes smacks the back of Dietmer's head and says, "Dietemer youre still the shortest and scrawniest fucker I've ever met thats not a halfling. Sure, you have more muscles now, but I'm pretty sure I could still throw you if we wrestled. "
"Ow that fucking hurt Agnes. I don't give you shit when you do your whole spooky knife schtick do I?" replies Dietmer. "Anyways, it's not me you have to convince. I'm sick of bad beef, worse beer, and frankly awful pies. It's my wife you need to convince, and she's got the stubbornness of a goat and the pride of a dragon. Just let me make sure I've got time to duck out of sight before you try to bring this up with her." He continues.
The table descends into grumbling over the possessive nature of Ditmer's wife, and the number of bar outings he has had to miss to satisfy her demands on his time. Eventually, though, you manage to steer the conversation back to what's preventing the others from joining up, and what they would need to change their mind.
Egbert replies, "Honestly, son, my bones are too weary these days to be out there patrolling the streets every day like a young man. I could be a scribe I suppose, but this late in my life I'm trying to tiptoe towards the secrets I wish to learn." He takes a long draft on his ale and continues, "I need to know why the cults control information so tightly. Why in the army we were always forced to confront situations with no information. Situations that our damn commanders knew far more than they were telling us about. I'm an old man, and I've lived a good life. My quest most likely will end up with me on the pyre, but I need to know before I go across the bridge to Morr's realm."
He fixes you with a crooked smile, "That's my condition then. Prove my current course wrong. Find me a big, juicy secret that I can't find with my work in the library and I'll join up tomorrow."
A silence breaks out of the table as "Damn. Didn't know you had such a solid reason for being a parchment whore," Dietmer replies. "Thought you just got off on the scent of moldy pages". The table once again descends into bickering over the fact that most of you can't actually read or write.
"It's my turn, I guess then", says Hunfried when there's a break in the conversation. "Manny, I love you like a brother, but there's no way in all the hells I'm rejoining. I've fought a dozen duels to gain my notoriety in the city, and I've got a cushy job teaching little snots how not to stick themselves with a sword. People nod to me when I pass on the street. My name has come up in some council meetings. I'm sorry, but unless you rise to the level of commander, and can offer me a position as master at arms for an entire bank of the city, I just don't think there is much you can do to tempt me."
"Alright, Alright. I get the message" you reply.
"I want to get the warband back together, and have you all of you watching my back, but I get it. You've made a life for yourself here, and you can't just up and leave because your friend is back in town. But I will get you guys back. Just let me get to it and I'll show you.
What do you want to do with Seiger: Seiger admitted to you years ago that he is a devout follower of Ronald, and touched by the god's own luck, both good and bad. Insane things will regularly happen to him, both fortunate and tragic, and throughout it all Seiger will attempt to balance the scales and help out the common man against the rich, mostly by using his large fists to punch anything that opposes him, very, very hard. (Lucky trait triples the rate of Crits, both positive and negative, that Seiger is involved in)
XXX
You shrug a shudder off as you get set up in the foggy, dim air of Wailer's Square, remembering how similar this feels to the attempt on your life just two weeks ago. This time, however, you are surrounded by the clamor and hurry of merchants getting set up for the market. Wilbert convinced you that your best chance for recruiting was to try and catch the attention of market goers on their way into the square, before they were weighed down with their purchases. Attendees of the square should be from the local neighborhood, and sane and competent enough to have at least a little coin for shopping. Few will be particularly skilled in the talents you're looking for, but you might get lucky with a former soldier, or maybe even someone literate.
Finally, you've set up the sign that Wilbert drew up for you. It's mostly pictorial, dominated by the sigil of the Altdorf City Watch, and some crude drawings of silver shillings. You hope this will draw the attention of the square's inhabitants and encourage them to come and investigate.
[Leadership test => Target 51 + 10 (Recent Heroics)= 61 => Rolled 69 => 1 Level Failure! (Smaller than expected crowd)]
You open your mouth and start screaming out slogans like a drill sergeant to draw in passersbys. Unfortunately, it seems that people are more scared than encouraged by the presence of a member of the City Watch. You see passerbys visibly hide their coin purses as they pass by you, with some even going so far as to take the 10-minute walk to enter Wailer's Square from a different entrance. At first, you think they are trying to hide something, but in the end, you are pretty sure it's just fear of being hassled by your notoriously corrupt command. Couldn't be your very direct approach after all.
Still, there are a couple of takers through the morning. The bold, the desperate, and some must believe are spies for the other factions on the island. A few are unwilling to submit to the training you have in mind, and a few are too clearly insane for you to take into your command. There are a few, however, that seem initially promising. Stable jobs are hard to find in Altdorf, let alone ones that pay a vaguely livable wage. A silver shilling per week puts watchmen firmly into the burgeoning burgher class.
[Leadership Test for Combat Skill of Recruits => Target 51 - 10 (Location)= 41 => Rolled 17 => 2 Level Success! (Significant Windfall)]
[Leadership test for Practical Skill of Recruits => Target 51 - 10 (Location) - 10 (Limited personal skills) = 31 => Rolled 58 => 2 Level Failure! (Very limited additional skills)]
[Leadership test for Knowledge Skill of Recruits => NA Ineligible due to illiteracy ]
You turn away several recruits before you manage to strike a significant windfall. A small party of mercenaries shows up, visibly down on their luck, and looking to purchase cheap food to hold them over until they can secure a new contract. Talking to them, they are the remnants of what was once a significantly larger mercenary group that had been shattered returning from a recent contract by a surprise ambush of goblins. While most managed to survive, their noble-born captain killed himself when he was ripped away from the caravan and dragged into the woods, presumably as food for the goblin band. Without their captain to open doors, the company has fallen on hard times, and men have been slipping away one by one.
The men seem eager to have a potential employer, especially if you can take them all, a total of seven members. Thinking it over, the size of the band presents a major problem for you. Currently, you already have another four-person squad without a leader, and even with the potential recruitment of Agnes and Seiger, you would still be a leader short. You could take the soldiers on with the hopes of quickly reciting another of your friends, but until that happens, you will be paying soldiers to laze around. Maybe you could subordinate the extras to Thumping to take care of the gatehouse and finally make progress there? But that would mean Thumping probably couldn't do any of the frankly extremely useful work he's been doing for you..
[Leadership Test for Loyalty of Recruits => Target 51 = 51 => Rolled 85 => No Read]
You also can't get a read on their motivations beyond finding temporary employment. You've met plenty of mercenaries during your time in the army, and their temperaments are variable. Some are just as professional and disciplined, more so even, than members of the army. Others however were little more than bandits, looting and raping whenever they get even a sliver of freedom. You don't recognize their sigil, so you don't have any read of temperament or history, which worries you slightly.
What do you decide to do with the recruits?
XXX
The Watchhouse's small holding cells are just as grimy as everything else. Completely windowless, a thick wooden door blocks out nearly all light, leaving inmates in near complete darkness. Care has to be taken to ensure that the inmates don't lose their nerve; they are taken out every day to see the light and have a conversation with the guards. Still, by the time you get to your assailant, the man is in poor shape.
His clothes, already of a poor quality, are streaked with grime, and the smell wafting off of him makes you certain that he has piussed himsel. Most of all, he looks broken. You ask the guard outside the cell if he has been taking care of the prisoner.
"I swear I've been tryin my best Sir, but he's just not all there. I have to drag him out of the room; he doesn't talk, and he really won't eat or drink anything without coaxing. Reminds me of my cousin who got kicked in the head by a horse and never really recovered."
You send the guard away to get a bucket of water, and consider the slumped form of your former assailant. They seemed perfectly fine when they were trying to carve your head in. Was the stress of the capture too much for them to bear? You've seen soldiers completely break down at the loss of compatriots before, maybe this is something similar? Thinking back, however, it did not seem that they were particularly attached to their compatriot.
When the guard returns with the water, you stride into the cell and dump it on the assailant's head, washing away some of the grime and causing them to splutter awake from the shock.
"Alright, I've got some questions, and I want to get some answers. Let's start with an easy one, what's your name?" you ask.
The man shudders slightly as the water washes off of him, but makes no effort to pay attention to you, or respond to your words, remaining nearly catatonic on the ground.
[Intimidation test => Target 38 + 0(???) = 38 => Rolled 85 => Completely catatonic, no possibility of answers]
"Well?" You ask as you prod him with your boot, trying to get a response out of him to no success. The man does not even react to your assault, even as your motions turn from light prods to full kicks. It seems that you aren't going to get anything useful out of him just by talking. You think about trying to put him to the question, and your anger over the attempted assassination nearly convinces you to do so. However, you've seen men like this in the army before. The lone survivors of suicide charges, or men who have been besieged for months and forced to turn to eating rats or worse. You saw a sergeant slap one across the face, scream in their face, and get no response. Torture, as satisfying as it might be for you, is not going to get you the answers you crave.
You turn to the guard. "I don't think we are going to get much out of him with normal tactics. Have you managed to discover anything from his possessions?"
The guard replies, "Not really Sir. Both assailants didn't have much on them beyond the weapons. Poor clothes, as you can see, a couple of crumbs of bread. Both seemed to have been mourners, the only other things on them seem to have been a funerary charm on the deceased."
[Intuition check => Target 30+ 10 (military) = 48 => Rolled 15 =>Success ]
That's …. Odd. Matchlock pistols are not cheap and require a fair bit of training to use competently. Keeping the match lit in the island's damp, heavy mist would not be an easy feat to accomplish. But the captured man seems like a simple peasant. Where would he get the gold for the pistol? And if someone was just picking random vagrants off the street, how would they find someone so skilled in the use of these expensive, complicated weapons? You thought maybe this was just a simple hit on you, but there's something more complex going on here.
You frown, before reaching down and tearing off the left sleeve of the prisoner's garb. Staring out is a tattoo, marking him a member of the Prince's Own, one of the premier handgunner regiments within the Riekarmy. You aren't sure of what would have caused a man with a guaranteed plot of land waiting for him at the end of his service to devolve into what you see before you, but finding out is a solid lead. Maybe he is a deserter? Or his land was stolen? Trying to track down his past colleagues may be a good way to find out more, you think to yourself.
"Guard, get him shaved and cleaned and then have a sketch drawn up of him. Try to make him look like he was still in the army. Can you hand me the charm as well? I want to see if Thumping or I can track down where it came from. See if we can find who sold it to him. Might give us a clue as well."
None of this is making sense. These assailants seem to have been already mourners, maybe shattered by a loss, and then somehow convinced to take on an assassination contract? Maybe you should contact the Temple again and see if they have any recollection of either assailant? It's not as much progress as you were hoping, but you've finally got some leads to track down.
XXX
The week ends as most weeks do, cozily ensconced in your office with Thumping and Wilbert, lunching on a truly outrageous spread that the halfling cooked up for the three of you. It's become one of your few moments of peace, a place where you can let your guard down and trust that anything you reveal won't be used to stab you in the back, unlike with the rest of your command, you grimly think.
"I sent the letter to your family, Mannfred", Wilbert starts with. "You're sure they will be able to find someone trustworthy to read it for them? I don't want them being taken advantage of."
"The local Wolf Born is literate and willing to read messages to Ulric's devout. My family has long been adherents of the cult, and will know to go to him for guidance. I am more worried about them making the journey safely to the city. It will be the first time they will be leaving the village, and I remember how naive I was when I first entered the army," you reply.
"Okay then, okay" Wilbert agrees before continuing, "Well, my week was pretty straightforward. I wrapped up the sale of the pistols and made sure your name was formally registered with the City as the new owner of the Watchful Wolf Manor. Congratulations on becoming a land owner."
It's a huge step forward for you personally you reflect. For most of the empire's history, there were only two classes: the peasant farmers like your family, and the land owning nobles they are tied to through a complex web of debts and guarantees of protection from the depredations of the forests. Becoming a land owner places you in an uneasy "middle class" with significantly more independence than your peasant background would allow you, but with none of the privileges or protections of being a noble. You will have to be careful not to upset the local noble houses. With their connections to the city's councils of power, and noble perogatives in the courts, they could make your life very very unpleasant if they wanted to.
Still, such morose faults do not benefit a son of Ulric, you think to yourself. You will face challenges head on as they occur, rather than worrying about could-bes.
"Alright thumping," you call, "You're up."
[Thumping Gossip Role =32, major success]
"Okay," Thumping replies, " I spent a lot of my time in people's homes, talking to the few elders that represent Esmerelda, and trying to get the lay of the land. As you probably know, most of the Halflings in the city live in Sudwand, but there are more than a few that live here on Totensiel. Including, of course, Janner Coppercheeks who controls the south of the city. Of course, none of them would really speak of her, or do anything to invite her ire, but there were plenty who were willing to chat and help give a lay of the land."
"The biggest gossip people wanted to chat about was the Watchmen you kicked out, actually. Everyone seemed to have a theory on why you did it. Cleaning up the watch? Removing rivals for protection money? A love triangle gone wrong? They uncovered you were a secret cultist? It's all nonsense, but in such a sleepy area, it's the talk of the town. We already know that they were doing some smuggling, but the real big news is that they have mostly set up as a 'guard' operation and are offering 'protection' for businesses on the east side of the island, operating out of a tavern just a ten-minute walk from your manor."
"Most interestingly, however," Thumping builds up, "is some of the reasoning that people gave me for not talking about Janner. Sure, there was a fair amount of fear of retaliation if word got out that they had been bad mouthing here, but there was a bizarre sense of nonchalance from the older residents about her reign. The string of bad luck that has affected the Watch Officers is not confined to just us. Any time a gang gains too much power on the island and tries to start operating openly, they tend to turn up dead. Apparently, it's why the city's biggest gangs — the fish and the hooks — are unwilling to head to the island."
"Huh," Wilbert replies, "I had always heard from the family that it was important to keep things quiet here on the island, I thought it was just to make sure we weren't a target for a gang with how weak the watch was on the Island. But maybe the family was watching out for something else? I will have to follow up with them."
You spend half an hour trying to guess who could be responsible for the disappearances and killings, but it still feels like you have no genuine leads. Someone is pulling strings in the background, but you can't tell who yet.
Eventually, you give up and send Wilbert to send in the squads to give their reports.
Luckily, both reports are short and to the point. The squad on the main bridge did their job well for once, broke up some minor conflicts, and were tipped 5 silver shillings by grateful merchants. The squad that was supposed to work on your assassination was rudderless without a leader, but ended up being very helpful guarding the watchouse and helping out Thumping.
It's been a hard week, but you feel like you are starting to get some clues about what is happening on your island.
Conclusion:
Unfortunately for y'all, Blues Brothers is one of my favorite movies of all time, and it warms my cold QM heart to have some quests to get the band back together. This was one of the first things I planned out when thinking about the quest, but I suspected you would get here earlier haha.
Introduction: A major promotion at work has been great for my wallet, but terrible for my free time, and I've had very, very little time for writing. No fear, however, the story is still ongoing and I will continue to post whenever I am able, just know the pace will be slow until I fully adjust to the new job.
"This is the fucking life," you think to yourself as you quaff your third ale. You've been a soldier for years, and drinking even longer, but this is the first time you've ever been able to pass off one of your favorite hobbies as work. "Who knew the perks of being an officer?" you think as you finish off your drink and scan the room.
You're in a grungy mercenary bar, surrounded by rough-looking men, and a couple of rougher-looking women. There's a war brewing on the border, and mercenaries from all across the Old World have been flocking to the city, hoping for a fat paycheck to play pretend war with the Bretonnians. Priests whinge about the horror of slaying fellow humans, but fighting a border conflict is a far better prospect than most other contracts. Bretonnians might be honor-bound and fussy, with a system of governance founded on strange women in lakes giving out swords, but they're unlikely to eat you alive.
For now, however, everyone is just waiting for the tensions to spill into actual bloodshed. If the wait goes on for much longer, you might be able to convince some of the more levelheaded mercenaries to serve within the city watch as their wallets drain and the festival-like atmosphere turns to coin counting. For now, with wallets still fat and the mercenaries in high spirits, the bar is a sizzling powder keg. The promise of violence and loot rachets up the tension: jokes are all the funnier, the game of chance's stakes higher, and misunderstandings more fiery.
Even as you hunch over your tankard, a small scuffle breaks out behind you over a game of cards. A mug is shattered over a head, punches are thrown, and then everyone goes still as steel is drawn. For a moment, you're sure someone's about to lose their life, but then the combatants' friends drag them out of the bar to cool their heads. Slowly, the bar calms back down, card games start back up, and noise starts up, but you can feel some of the tension linger.
Mercenaries are the worst losers you've ever met and hold a grudge nearly as well as a dwarf. All these small incidents are building up, grudges are being formed, and you won't be surprised if there are already bodies appearing in back alleys and in the river. The soldiers are still willing to back down in public, but you sure as hell wouldn't want to be the watch commander in charge of controlling this crowd a week from now when covert score settling bubbles over into overt violence in the streets.
Still, it's the best place to find some of your old army colleagues. Even if they aren't in this bar, nothing travels faster than gossip amongst soldiers. You've been at this bar for two nights now, asking anyone who passed by if they knew anyone who had served in the Third Company of the first Riekland Army. No one has, but you have a nose for this sort of situation. Someone will have mentioned to a friend or a friend of a friend that there's some poncey watch officer asking questions, and if any of your old colleagues are in the city word will soon reach them. All you need to do is kill time until they get the message.
So that's what you do for the next two hours. You sit in the bar, cutting loose for the first time since you've taken the job of watch officer. You try out all the local ales that the tavern has. You reminisce on some impressive feats of questionable veracity, "You think that was bad? Let me tell you about the time I was about to be dinner for three ogres". You play a few rounds of dice. And finally, you engaged in the time-honored soldiers everywhere, gossiping shamelessly about your superior officers
[Gossip test => Target 44+20 = 64 => Rolled 59 => Bare Success!]
It seems like there are significant tensions within the Empire about how to respond to the Bretonnians' aggression. Prince Wilhelm III is eager to take the fight to the enemy and has been training his personal forces hard to prepare for conflict. Emperor Dieter, on the other hand, is worried about drawing forces away from Stirland, and has been seeking a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Until the crisis escalates, and the Parrovians actually cross the border, no one is willing to have mercenaries on their payroll.
Your fun is cut short when you feel the kiss of a knife at your throat. It's held steady on the skin, ready to slice your throat, but not hard enough to draw blood yet. It seems your work has not been in vain, and someone has heard that you are asking around for former members of the third company. Now to get out of this without having your throat slit.
"Agnes?" You ask
"Hmm, you look like Mannfred, and you know me, but I've never seen Manny be so well dressed or clean. How do I know you're really who you say you are?" The assailant replies.
"Agnes, who the fuck else would have a knife put to their throat, not lose their shit, and immediately assume that it's you," you reply with some amusement.
"Could be one of my exes," she mutters under her breath.
"If I were one of your exes, no way would I be trying to talk this out. They're all terrified of you, pretty sure they would have slit their neck trying to run away, knife or no knife. Now let me the fuck up and let's chat," you reply.
Grudgingly, Agnes releases the knife at your neck, and you turn around to see her properly. She's a short woman, with close-cropped hair, a suspicious gaze, and enough knives to be faintly farcical. A fierce glare still graces her face as she regards you. "Alright, alright, suppose I believe you are who you say you are. What are you doing, looking for me? Last time I heard you were getting shuffled out of the army, and I don't want to be caught up in whatever trouble took down a goodie two-shoes like you. "
"Can't I just be trying to catch up with an old friend?" you reply.
"Nu-uh. People only buy me drinks when they are trying to get in my pants, or want me to do work," she replies
"Fair!" you laugh.
Quickly you explain to Agnes your last few weeks and your current challenges with leadership. You need people that you can trust to help you out, and you need them as soon as possible if you are going to be successful with your recruiting drive later this week. Still, you have your own reservations. Agnes is a damn sight better than what you have currently, but she isn't your first choice for a leader.
Frankly put, Agnes was the Company's unofficial fence. She was the one you could go to when you wanted to sell off a little bit of unauthorized looting. She was always able to source whatever weapons or armor people needed, especially if they had coin. And Agnes always, always, had something to drink. You can't really count the number of times she showed up out of nowhere with some rotgut while the company was mourning a death, or in the middle of a disastrous siege. She was an invaluable part of the company, but not necessarily someone you would place in a senior leadership position. You trust her with your life, but not near any of the silver.
She would be useful, however. You're sure she's kept up with her underworld connections, and she's deadly with those knives of hers. After the third body, you stopped bothering to get in the way of anyone stupid enough to try and rob the company's long-standing fence.
Options for Agnes:
- Offer her an Officer Position as Special Operative (-10 SS per month): This is the most versatile option, which will add Agnes as an independent character like Thumping or Wilbert. This will allow her to conduct a variety of spying actions, but this is not an official role within the City Watch, and you would have to pay her out of the limited discretionary funds you have as a Watch Officer (currently just 15 SS a month)
- Offer her a Sergeant's Position: Agnes is a bit corrupt and shouldn't be trusted around any particularly valuable evidence, but she is fiercely loyal to anyone she thinks is worthy. She'll be a little more independent than you'd prefer, but she could become a solid investigator, especially when dealing with the city's underworld.
- Leave her as a Contact: Agnes is Agnes, and maybe she should just remain a free spirit. Leave her as a contact you can catch up with when you need someone to validate a bit of gossip, or know who's moving hot merchandise.
It's honestly a better response from Agnes than you expected, and you follow up, "You know if anybody else is still in the City? I'd love to recruit some more familiar faces from the company to the Watch if I possibly could. We've got a real shortage of leadership, and I need some good men. Or women, no offense, Agnes."
"I figured you asked that. The boys sent me to make sure you were Manny, and not some impostor. I'll have em here in two days. Be here, and bring cold hard coin if you want em to join up" she replies
"Hold card coin? What trouble have they gotten themselves into? And who exactly comprises the "boys" these days?" you ask.
"Eh-eh-eh, that would be telling! You'll have to talk it out with them" She replies. "Now, how about you grab me a drink and we swap stories about what we've been up to for the last couple of months"
The test of the night is a blur.
XXX
The next morning, the sun's rays poke through the window of your cottage. It's still entirely bare; you've been living out of a rucksack your entire adult life and that's a hard habit to break. Buying anything you would have to leave behind the next time you need to uproot yourself just feels wrong. Your head is pounding, but at least your leg is finally feeling better. You duck your head into the bucket of cold water Thumping helpfully placed next to your bed, to try and clear your hangover. That man is a godsend, you think as your headaches eases, and you get dressed for the day.
You leave the cottage in a hurry, grabbing the buttered toast Thumping left out for you, and wince as the light reignites your headache with a spike of pain. By the time you manage to reach the watchhouse and discover that the watchmen have managed to damage the main gate's hinge by trying to clean it for the first time in a decade, you are in an extraordinary poor mood. You've scheduled the interrogation of the surviving assailant for this morning, but unless you manage to quell this damn hangover, you're more likely to murder the boy than get any useful information out of him.
So instead, you retreat to your office with Wilbert to plan out exactly how you want to conduct the recruitment drive, pulling the curtains close to leave your office in darkness and ease your headache. It's not like you can read, so what do you need the light for anyway? Your reputation is still relatively low across the island, with only Wailer's Square and the island's bridges under your direct command. As a result, Wilbert suggests that you focus your recruitment efforts on Wailers Square, where some of the inhabitants may have seen the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt, and be more willing to sign up with the Watch under your capable martial might.
You plot out your pitch and explain your desire to swell the ranks of the watch as much as possible to Wilbert. Wilbert agrees with the need for more watchmen, but is concerned over the lack of leadership material in the pipeline. He argues that none of the current guardsmen are leadership material, and all need seasoning before they are placed in charge of a squad. Your biggest limiting factor right now is almost certainly the number of competent leaders you can secure, especially as you need a new leader for squad one after kicking their sergeant to the curb.
You promise Wilbert you will know the total number of leaders you can muster within a day, and then spend the rest of the afternoon conferring with the various other inhabitants of the square, as well as the Temple of Morr, about how best to position yourself on the square.
[ Author's Clarification: Recruitment here is complicated by the lack of high-quality leadership. Wilbert is confident warm bodies can be found to fill out quads, but without competent leadership, those squads will be worse than useless. Pay attention then to the offer towards Agnes as well as the rest of the group, as it will determine how many men can be recruited during the recruitment drive.]
XXX
Two nights later, you find yourself back in that same dingy mercenary bar, spotting Agnes and five others holding down one of the large tables in the back corner of the room. There's a spot of blood on the floor, and a wide distance is being enforced between them and the rest of the bar, with even hardened mercenaries looking warily at the visibly armed and trained former soldiers.
Agnes waves you over and drunkenly slurs, "itz nots fair. You're sober and we are NOT!" To a round of cheers from around the table. For a second, you are overcome with nostalgia. The bar may be different, your friends older — and in some cases distinctly fatter — but this is a scene that you've played out hundreds of times of times across your time in the army, ever since most of you met during training.
"I see you still have all the patience of a youth trying to get his prick wet for the first time, you reply," and then are buried in a good-natured flurry of back slaps, guffaws, and a ruffling of your hair.
"Manny, you're a sight for sore eyes, let me tell you," exclaims Hunfried. "I thought you were dead and gone after that situation with the orcs. Really regretting pouring out that wine in memory of you. Thought someone was playing a dirty trick on me when Agnes showed up and said someone named Manfred was looking for old war buddies," to the agreement of the rest of the table.
You flag down one of the surly barmaids for an ale, while you regale the rest of the table with a quick rundown of your hasty exit from the army, offer of a commission, and the situation you find yourself in now. You explain the danger of the island, the mysterious deaths of your predecessors as well as the young nobleman, and the unruly and incompetent nature of your new recruits.
Finally, you give them the pitch, "I know I know most of you left the army the minute your contract of service was complete, and I said I would too, but this watch commission is too good a chance to give up. Hunfried, you've always talked about leaving a legacy behind that your children could be proud of. Think about what acclaim you could get if you help clean up one of the city's most dangerous neighborhoods. Ottilia, since I've known you, you've been obsessed with amassing a fortune that will secure your family's finances for generations. Egmont, you've railed against the secrets of the cults, and their unwillingness to share vital information even when it would save lives. Imagine the access you could get if we put the Cult of Morr into our debt by securing their greatest mortal stronghold in the Empire. Sieger, you've always wanted a sense of camaraderie and purpose. Don't you miss being surrounded by fellow soldiers and chasing recruits? And lastly, Dietmar, I know your history with the city watch, and the tragedies that forced you to join the army, but this time we would be in control. What could we do with that power? How many lives could we change?" You demand.
For a second, you are wrapped up in your dreams, imagining just what that would be like. As Alfic, the old Ulrican Priest who visited the village in your youth to perform rites, said, "Ulric's wolves show us the need of pack. Alone, a man will fall to the terrors of the night, but united they may live till dawn chases the darkness away." You've missed the camaraderie you had in the army, and while you appreciate Thumping and Wilbert, you're honest enough to admit that as non-combatants, they just don't fit the same easy sense of brotherhood that you've been taught to crave your whole life.
But as you removed yourself from your dreams and glance around the table, you can see that your pleas have fallen on deaf ears. A silence falls over the table, your friends establishing meaningful eye contact with each other, and slowly shaking their heads. Just before you can regather yourself to reinforce your plea, Egmont is nudged by the others into acting as a spokesman.
Old ever since you knew him, Egmont looks weary as he prepares to deliver you the bad news, "Look, Mannfred, it's not that we aren't sympathetic, or don't trust your leadership. It's just ….. life has moved on. I've got a cushy job as a librarian at the university, and grandchildren these days to think of too. I can hardly drop all that to come be a soldier in purpose, if not name, again. Hunfried has become a sword tutor for a handful of noble children and has established himself as one of the city's finest duelists. Dietmer is married now and owns a pie shop with his wife, Arista, which would collapse without him there. Otillia has worked her way into the graces of a local merchant family, and might be able to captain her own trading expedition soon. And Sieger? Well, Sieger is actually pretty free, I think?"
Sieger shrugs and says, "I don't have much going on, but I do owe some lowlifes coin so am keeping my activities low key. They would have to be paid off for me to join, but I'm willing."
You all turn to look at Seiger, but Agnes is quickest to reply. "What the fuck Seiger, what sort of wool for brains do you have to owe this city's gangs money. Is it gambling? You never really did before, but what else could it be?"
Seiger blushes bright red and looks vaguely ashamed, a slightly comical expression on such a huge man, and says, "Was bored, so started participating in some boxing rings. I was betting on myself to win, and doing well, before they put me up against a ringer. Some short lady from the east, who I swear could stop on air. She had me in a chokehold before I even finished showboating, and I went down hard. Now I owe the fight's organizer a lot of coin. They were trying to get me to fight in some dirtier, more bloody matches, but I killed the first person they sent after me and have been hiding out ever since."
A silence falls over the bar, and you all take a moment to process a frankly insane story. To be honest, you aren't shocked. Seiger has always had a knack for getting into unlikely trouble if left to his own devices. Last time you were wintering with the army, Seiger had gotten lost while going to take a leak during the middle of a blizzard, been assumed dead, and turned up several weeks later when the snows thawed, having spent the intervening time huddled up in a den, sharing warmth with a bear. "Alright, Seiger, we'll help you out with that, but surely there is something I can do to get the rest of you on board? A favor. A bribe? I'm desperate here. Tell me that you need and I'll try my best to get it to you," you beseech the rest of them.
They are silent for a while, and then Otilla speaks up, "I'm not promising anything, but all I've ever wanted is to have some actual coin to fall back on. You all seem content to keep fighting until the minute you drop dead, but I intend to spend my elder years drunk, pampered, and happy. The merchant coalition I'm in bed with now is the best option I have, but they aren't exactly my first choice. They're pretty incompetent and only taking a bet on me out of desperation. I trust my skills, but their employee are filled with thieves, idiot relatives, and worse. You manage to get me patronage from a real merchant house, and I could be persuaded to jump. But getting that patronage? Good luck, I've been in the city three years now and haven't gotten shit."
"Ha, you think that's hard?" replies Dietmer. "My wife would feed me my balls before letting me leave her with all of the work of running a pie shop." He flexes his arms and continues, "You think I got these beauts from the Army? No way, these are from kneading a dozen batches of pie dough every day."
Agnes smacks the back of Dietmer's head and says, "Dietemer youre still the shortest and scrawniest fucker I've ever met thats not a halfling. Sure, you have more muscles now, but I'm pretty sure I could still throw you if we wrestled. "
"Ow that fucking hurt Agnes. I don't give you shit when you do your whole spooky knife schtick do I?" replies Dietmer. "Anyways, it's not me you have to convince. I'm sick of bad beef, worse beer, and frankly awful pies. It's my wife you need to convince, and she's got the stubbornness of a goat and the pride of a dragon. Just let me make sure I've got time to duck out of sight before you try to bring this up with her." He continues.
The table descends into grumbling over the possessive nature of Ditmer's wife, and the number of bar outings he has had to miss to satisfy her demands on his time. Eventually, though, you manage to steer the conversation back to what's preventing the others from joining up, and what they would need to change their mind.
Egbert replies, "Honestly, son, my bones are too weary these days to be out there patrolling the streets every day like a young man. I could be a scribe I suppose, but this late in my life I'm trying to tiptoe towards the secrets I wish to learn." He takes a long draft on his ale and continues, "I need to know why the cults control information so tightly. Why in the army we were always forced to confront situations with no information. Situations that our damn commanders knew far more than they were telling us about. I'm an old man, and I've lived a good life. My quest most likely will end up with me on the pyre, but I need to know before I go across the bridge to Morr's realm."
He fixes you with a crooked smile, "That's my condition then. Prove my current course wrong. Find me a big, juicy secret that I can't find with my work in the library and I'll join up tomorrow."
A silence breaks out of the table as "Damn. Didn't know you had such a solid reason for being a parchment whore," Dietmer replies. "Thought you just got off on the scent of moldy pages". The table once again descends into bickering over the fact that most of you can't actually read or write.
"It's my turn, I guess then", says Hunfried when there's a break in the conversation. "Manny, I love you like a brother, but there's no way in all the hells I'm rejoining. I've fought a dozen duels to gain my notoriety in the city, and I've got a cushy job teaching little snots how not to stick themselves with a sword. People nod to me when I pass on the street. My name has come up in some council meetings. I'm sorry, but unless you rise to the level of commander, and can offer me a position as master at arms for an entire bank of the city, I just don't think there is much you can do to tempt me."
"Alright, Alright. I get the message" you reply.
"I want to get the warband back together, and have you all of you watching my back, but I get it. You've made a life for yourself here, and you can't just up and leave because your friend is back in town. But I will get you guys back. Just let me get to it and I'll show you.
What do you want to do with Seiger: Seiger admitted to you years ago that he is a devout follower of Ronald, and touched by the god's own luck, both good and bad. Insane things will regularly happen to him, both fortunate and tragic, and throughout it all Seiger will attempt to balance the scales and help out the common man against the rich, mostly by using his large fists to punch anything that opposes him, very, very hard. (Lucky trait triples the rate of Crits, both positive and negative, that Seiger is involved in)
- Offer him a position as a Sergeant (-5 Gold for Debts): Seiger is surprisingly good at leading men, and often comes up with surprising solutions to seemingly intractable situations. Unfortunately, he also tends to lose men at a higher-than-average rate whenever his luyck swings back towards the negative.
- Offer him a regular squad position (-5 Gold for Debts): Outside a position of command, Seiger's peculiar effect on luck is lessened. He will still have insane swings of fortune, but those at least won't affect the entire quad, just him.
- Hold off of now: You've been careful to not inflame tensions with any of the cities major gangs, and until you better understand who exactly Seigert has pissed off, you should hold off on recruiting him to your commission.
XXX
You shrug a shudder off as you get set up in the foggy, dim air of Wailer's Square, remembering how similar this feels to the attempt on your life just two weeks ago. This time, however, you are surrounded by the clamor and hurry of merchants getting set up for the market. Wilbert convinced you that your best chance for recruiting was to try and catch the attention of market goers on their way into the square, before they were weighed down with their purchases. Attendees of the square should be from the local neighborhood, and sane and competent enough to have at least a little coin for shopping. Few will be particularly skilled in the talents you're looking for, but you might get lucky with a former soldier, or maybe even someone literate.
Finally, you've set up the sign that Wilbert drew up for you. It's mostly pictorial, dominated by the sigil of the Altdorf City Watch, and some crude drawings of silver shillings. You hope this will draw the attention of the square's inhabitants and encourage them to come and investigate.
[Leadership test => Target 51 + 10 (Recent Heroics)= 61 => Rolled 69 => 1 Level Failure! (Smaller than expected crowd)]
You open your mouth and start screaming out slogans like a drill sergeant to draw in passersbys. Unfortunately, it seems that people are more scared than encouraged by the presence of a member of the City Watch. You see passerbys visibly hide their coin purses as they pass by you, with some even going so far as to take the 10-minute walk to enter Wailer's Square from a different entrance. At first, you think they are trying to hide something, but in the end, you are pretty sure it's just fear of being hassled by your notoriously corrupt command. Couldn't be your very direct approach after all.
Still, there are a couple of takers through the morning. The bold, the desperate, and some must believe are spies for the other factions on the island. A few are unwilling to submit to the training you have in mind, and a few are too clearly insane for you to take into your command. There are a few, however, that seem initially promising. Stable jobs are hard to find in Altdorf, let alone ones that pay a vaguely livable wage. A silver shilling per week puts watchmen firmly into the burgeoning burgher class.
[Leadership Test for Combat Skill of Recruits => Target 51 - 10 (Location)= 41 => Rolled 17 => 2 Level Success! (Significant Windfall)]
[Leadership test for Practical Skill of Recruits => Target 51 - 10 (Location) - 10 (Limited personal skills) = 31 => Rolled 58 => 2 Level Failure! (Very limited additional skills)]
[Leadership test for Knowledge Skill of Recruits => NA Ineligible due to illiteracy ]
You turn away several recruits before you manage to strike a significant windfall. A small party of mercenaries shows up, visibly down on their luck, and looking to purchase cheap food to hold them over until they can secure a new contract. Talking to them, they are the remnants of what was once a significantly larger mercenary group that had been shattered returning from a recent contract by a surprise ambush of goblins. While most managed to survive, their noble-born captain killed himself when he was ripped away from the caravan and dragged into the woods, presumably as food for the goblin band. Without their captain to open doors, the company has fallen on hard times, and men have been slipping away one by one.
The men seem eager to have a potential employer, especially if you can take them all, a total of seven members. Thinking it over, the size of the band presents a major problem for you. Currently, you already have another four-person squad without a leader, and even with the potential recruitment of Agnes and Seiger, you would still be a leader short. You could take the soldiers on with the hopes of quickly reciting another of your friends, but until that happens, you will be paying soldiers to laze around. Maybe you could subordinate the extras to Thumping to take care of the gatehouse and finally make progress there? But that would mean Thumping probably couldn't do any of the frankly extremely useful work he's been doing for you..
[Leadership Test for Loyalty of Recruits => Target 51 = 51 => Rolled 85 => No Read]
You also can't get a read on their motivations beyond finding temporary employment. You've met plenty of mercenaries during your time in the army, and their temperaments are variable. Some are just as professional and disciplined, more so even, than members of the army. Others however were little more than bandits, looting and raping whenever they get even a sliver of freedom. You don't recognize their sigil, so you don't have any read of temperament or history, which worries you slightly.
What do you decide to do with the recruits?
- Take them all: Gain seven former mercenaries as watchmen, with far more personal equipment and training than the rest of your current command. You are paid by the Watch command per soldier in your employ, so adding seven more soldiers will give you another 7 shillings in monthly income. However, you don't have enough leaders for the men, and will have to be creative to utilize them effectively.
- Take half of them: If you recruit Agnes and Seiger, the perfect number of new recruits would be four. Just enough to fill out another squad. Still convincing the last dregs of this mercenary company to split up will be difficult. (Requires medium-hard leadership test)
- Leave them: You aren't certain you want another headache. These former mercenaries certainly seem skilled, but unless you can trust their loyalty, they are more trouble than they are worth
XXX
The Watchhouse's small holding cells are just as grimy as everything else. Completely windowless, a thick wooden door blocks out nearly all light, leaving inmates in near complete darkness. Care has to be taken to ensure that the inmates don't lose their nerve; they are taken out every day to see the light and have a conversation with the guards. Still, by the time you get to your assailant, the man is in poor shape.
His clothes, already of a poor quality, are streaked with grime, and the smell wafting off of him makes you certain that he has piussed himsel. Most of all, he looks broken. You ask the guard outside the cell if he has been taking care of the prisoner.
"I swear I've been tryin my best Sir, but he's just not all there. I have to drag him out of the room; he doesn't talk, and he really won't eat or drink anything without coaxing. Reminds me of my cousin who got kicked in the head by a horse and never really recovered."
You send the guard away to get a bucket of water, and consider the slumped form of your former assailant. They seemed perfectly fine when they were trying to carve your head in. Was the stress of the capture too much for them to bear? You've seen soldiers completely break down at the loss of compatriots before, maybe this is something similar? Thinking back, however, it did not seem that they were particularly attached to their compatriot.
When the guard returns with the water, you stride into the cell and dump it on the assailant's head, washing away some of the grime and causing them to splutter awake from the shock.
"Alright, I've got some questions, and I want to get some answers. Let's start with an easy one, what's your name?" you ask.
The man shudders slightly as the water washes off of him, but makes no effort to pay attention to you, or respond to your words, remaining nearly catatonic on the ground.
[Intimidation test => Target 38 + 0(???) = 38 => Rolled 85 => Completely catatonic, no possibility of answers]
"Well?" You ask as you prod him with your boot, trying to get a response out of him to no success. The man does not even react to your assault, even as your motions turn from light prods to full kicks. It seems that you aren't going to get anything useful out of him just by talking. You think about trying to put him to the question, and your anger over the attempted assassination nearly convinces you to do so. However, you've seen men like this in the army before. The lone survivors of suicide charges, or men who have been besieged for months and forced to turn to eating rats or worse. You saw a sergeant slap one across the face, scream in their face, and get no response. Torture, as satisfying as it might be for you, is not going to get you the answers you crave.
You turn to the guard. "I don't think we are going to get much out of him with normal tactics. Have you managed to discover anything from his possessions?"
The guard replies, "Not really Sir. Both assailants didn't have much on them beyond the weapons. Poor clothes, as you can see, a couple of crumbs of bread. Both seemed to have been mourners, the only other things on them seem to have been a funerary charm on the deceased."
[Intuition check => Target 30+ 10 (military) = 48 => Rolled 15 =>Success ]
That's …. Odd. Matchlock pistols are not cheap and require a fair bit of training to use competently. Keeping the match lit in the island's damp, heavy mist would not be an easy feat to accomplish. But the captured man seems like a simple peasant. Where would he get the gold for the pistol? And if someone was just picking random vagrants off the street, how would they find someone so skilled in the use of these expensive, complicated weapons? You thought maybe this was just a simple hit on you, but there's something more complex going on here.
You frown, before reaching down and tearing off the left sleeve of the prisoner's garb. Staring out is a tattoo, marking him a member of the Prince's Own, one of the premier handgunner regiments within the Riekarmy. You aren't sure of what would have caused a man with a guaranteed plot of land waiting for him at the end of his service to devolve into what you see before you, but finding out is a solid lead. Maybe he is a deserter? Or his land was stolen? Trying to track down his past colleagues may be a good way to find out more, you think to yourself.
"Guard, get him shaved and cleaned and then have a sketch drawn up of him. Try to make him look like he was still in the army. Can you hand me the charm as well? I want to see if Thumping or I can track down where it came from. See if we can find who sold it to him. Might give us a clue as well."
None of this is making sense. These assailants seem to have been already mourners, maybe shattered by a loss, and then somehow convinced to take on an assassination contract? Maybe you should contact the Temple again and see if they have any recollection of either assailant? It's not as much progress as you were hoping, but you've finally got some leads to track down.
XXX
The week ends as most weeks do, cozily ensconced in your office with Thumping and Wilbert, lunching on a truly outrageous spread that the halfling cooked up for the three of you. It's become one of your few moments of peace, a place where you can let your guard down and trust that anything you reveal won't be used to stab you in the back, unlike with the rest of your command, you grimly think.
"I sent the letter to your family, Mannfred", Wilbert starts with. "You're sure they will be able to find someone trustworthy to read it for them? I don't want them being taken advantage of."
"The local Wolf Born is literate and willing to read messages to Ulric's devout. My family has long been adherents of the cult, and will know to go to him for guidance. I am more worried about them making the journey safely to the city. It will be the first time they will be leaving the village, and I remember how naive I was when I first entered the army," you reply.
"Okay then, okay" Wilbert agrees before continuing, "Well, my week was pretty straightforward. I wrapped up the sale of the pistols and made sure your name was formally registered with the City as the new owner of the Watchful Wolf Manor. Congratulations on becoming a land owner."
It's a huge step forward for you personally you reflect. For most of the empire's history, there were only two classes: the peasant farmers like your family, and the land owning nobles they are tied to through a complex web of debts and guarantees of protection from the depredations of the forests. Becoming a land owner places you in an uneasy "middle class" with significantly more independence than your peasant background would allow you, but with none of the privileges or protections of being a noble. You will have to be careful not to upset the local noble houses. With their connections to the city's councils of power, and noble perogatives in the courts, they could make your life very very unpleasant if they wanted to.
Still, such morose faults do not benefit a son of Ulric, you think to yourself. You will face challenges head on as they occur, rather than worrying about could-bes.
"Alright thumping," you call, "You're up."
[Thumping Gossip Role =32, major success]
"Okay," Thumping replies, " I spent a lot of my time in people's homes, talking to the few elders that represent Esmerelda, and trying to get the lay of the land. As you probably know, most of the Halflings in the city live in Sudwand, but there are more than a few that live here on Totensiel. Including, of course, Janner Coppercheeks who controls the south of the city. Of course, none of them would really speak of her, or do anything to invite her ire, but there were plenty who were willing to chat and help give a lay of the land."
"The biggest gossip people wanted to chat about was the Watchmen you kicked out, actually. Everyone seemed to have a theory on why you did it. Cleaning up the watch? Removing rivals for protection money? A love triangle gone wrong? They uncovered you were a secret cultist? It's all nonsense, but in such a sleepy area, it's the talk of the town. We already know that they were doing some smuggling, but the real big news is that they have mostly set up as a 'guard' operation and are offering 'protection' for businesses on the east side of the island, operating out of a tavern just a ten-minute walk from your manor."
"Most interestingly, however," Thumping builds up, "is some of the reasoning that people gave me for not talking about Janner. Sure, there was a fair amount of fear of retaliation if word got out that they had been bad mouthing here, but there was a bizarre sense of nonchalance from the older residents about her reign. The string of bad luck that has affected the Watch Officers is not confined to just us. Any time a gang gains too much power on the island and tries to start operating openly, they tend to turn up dead. Apparently, it's why the city's biggest gangs — the fish and the hooks — are unwilling to head to the island."
"Huh," Wilbert replies, "I had always heard from the family that it was important to keep things quiet here on the island, I thought it was just to make sure we weren't a target for a gang with how weak the watch was on the Island. But maybe the family was watching out for something else? I will have to follow up with them."
You spend half an hour trying to guess who could be responsible for the disappearances and killings, but it still feels like you have no genuine leads. Someone is pulling strings in the background, but you can't tell who yet.
Eventually, you give up and send Wilbert to send in the squads to give their reports.
Luckily, both reports are short and to the point. The squad on the main bridge did their job well for once, broke up some minor conflicts, and were tipped 5 silver shillings by grateful merchants. The squad that was supposed to work on your assassination was rudderless without a leader, but ended up being very helpful guarding the watchouse and helping out Thumping.
It's been a hard week, but you feel like you are starting to get some clues about what is happening on your island.
Conclusion:
Unfortunately for y'all, Blues Brothers is one of my favorite movies of all time, and it warms my cold QM heart to have some quests to get the band back together. This was one of the first things I planned out when thinking about the quest, but I suspected you would get here earlier haha.
Turn Five
New
[X] Plan: Welcome Aboard
-[X] Offer her a Sergeant's Position: Agnes is a bit corrupt and shouldn't be trusted around any particularly valuable evidence, but she is fiercely loyal to anyone she thinks is worthy. She'll be a little more independent than you'd prefer, but she could become a solid investigator, especially when dealing with the city's underworld.
-[X] Offer him a position as a Sergeant (-5 Gold for Debts): Seiger is surprisingly good at leading men, and often comes up with surprising solutions to seemingly intractable situations. Unfortunately, he also tends to lose men at a higher-than-average rate whenever his luyck swings back towards the negative.
-[X] Take them all: Gain seven former mercenaries as watchmen, with far more personal equipment and training than the rest of your current command. You are paid by the Watch command per soldier in your employ, so adding seven more soldiers will give you another 7 shillings in monthly income. However, you don't have enough leaders for the men, and will have to be creative to utilize them effectively.
-[X] Offer her a Sergeant's Position: Agnes is a bit corrupt and shouldn't be trusted around any particularly valuable evidence, but she is fiercely loyal to anyone she thinks is worthy. She'll be a little more independent than you'd prefer, but she could become a solid investigator, especially when dealing with the city's underworld.
-[X] Offer him a position as a Sergeant (-5 Gold for Debts): Seiger is surprisingly good at leading men, and often comes up with surprising solutions to seemingly intractable situations. Unfortunately, he also tends to lose men at a higher-than-average rate whenever his luyck swings back towards the negative.
-[X] Take them all: Gain seven former mercenaries as watchmen, with far more personal equipment and training than the rest of your current command. You are paid by the Watch command per soldier in your employ, so adding seven more soldiers will give you another 7 shillings in monthly income. However, you don't have enough leaders for the men, and will have to be creative to utilize them effectively.
Introduction
Couple of quick pieces of housekeeping before we get stuck in to the story, as they might affect your decision making and plans. The first is a reminder that personal improvement (level-ups) are unlocked by completing objectives. Right now you have the following three personal objectives: figure out a regular income stream, recruit colleagues (one more to finish the objective), and acquire a district map. You also have a few group level objectives to think about: raise morale, refurbish the Watch House, and fight off a necromancer attack with no casualties. To help keep track these, I will add them as a footer to new posts.
Secondly, I want to provide more guidance and structure to major cases. I recently read the rather excellent "How Hard Can It Be?" quest here on SV, and was attracted to the way the quests uses checklists to track overall tank developrent while mantaining flexibility in each category. From now on major cases will have three top level objectives to crack: Who, How, and Why. The stronger your answer for each of these, the stronger your overall case, and the better chance of nabbing whoever is behind the crime. Each of these top level objectives will have leads attached to them you can try to solve on your own, or assign squads to investigate based on their overall skills (I will try to make it obvious if a squad is a good fit or not). I hope this will make the investigation process a little cleaner, but if there is any feedback happy to hear it!
(Also Thanks @Sertorius for pointing out the issue with the character sheet)
There are some fall days that feel magical, even in Altdorf. Bright blue skies, crisp but not cold air, and a breeze that carries much of the city's residual stink away. It makes you wish the day would never end; makes you feel closer to your god than you have for months in this forsaken city. Everyone around you seems to agree, Altdorf's normal surliness softening in respect to such a glorious day, an acknowledgement of one of the last nice days left before winter sinks it's claws into the city and the streets turn into rivers of mud and shit. It's a shame then that all that will stick in your memory will be screams of burning men.
A winding path has brought you to Gallow's Square today, the traditional execution grounds for the city. Permanent vendors sell food and drink for the eager onlookers -- lending the plaza an almost festive air. Many of the people you see around you are snacking on hangman knots, a local treat of deep fried knotted breads, dipped in honey sauce, and seemingly completely at ease as Sigmarite initiates set up a pair of pyres. You on the other hand bounce your leg, unable to keep your disgust out of your body as you survey the scene.
A letter found you this morning at the watchhouse informing you that the two brothers you caught pedeling fake religious artifacts were to be executed at noon, on charges of imitating a Sigmarite priest, instead of the traditional punishment of having their tongues removed for fraud. A quick trip to your Captain's watchhouse turned up more questions than answers, as she was also surprised to hear of the change in punishment, and confused why it could have happened. She did however direct you towards the Palace of Justice, where a helpful but very confused servant read out the course of the trial, brief that it was, as well as the official recommendation of the Judge to turn over the accused to the local Sigmarite temple for punishment.
[Lore (Law) Check = No knowledge => Fail ]
Something about that feels off to you; you certainly cannot remember the local nobles ever turning over criminals to the Cult of Ulric, but maybe things are run differently here in Altdorf. A quick trip to the main Temple of Sigmar revealed that the brothers were to be burnt at the stake today for their crime of impersonating Sigmirite priests to provide for their sickly sister.
So now you find yourself on Gallow's Square, irritatedly glancing around as you wait for the execution that you feel duty bound to attend, even if you feel it to be excessively harsh. You have been a soldier most of your life, and a Son of Ulric from the minute you left the safety of your mother's womb, and death is no stranger to you. Family members lost to the biting hunger of winter after a bad harvest, friends torn apart by the monsters that still plague the empire's lands, and far too many fellow soldiers shitting themseleves to death from bad food or water. You wish that life was till something precious to you, that you weren't perfectly willing to kill to achieve your goals, but you are honest enough to admit that innocence has been lost for too long.
The attitude of the square however disgusts you. Here are men and women who have lived their entire lives sheltered behind the walls of the city baying for blood as entertainment, as an amusing diversion from their daily lives of drudgery. It breaks your trust in the citizens to see them so eager to see violence done against one of their own. So susceptible to religious interference. Still, you feel a duty to be here, to watch and see the results of your actions. You will not others bear your burdens, to be a son of Ulric is to stand tall in the face of Winter's dark, facing your foes blade in hand.
As you contemplate, the brothers are dragged out, frantic with panic, their feet scrambling to stop the Sigmarite disciples that bear them inexorably to the pyre, shouting for forgiveness the whole time. Their cries are drowned out by the roar of the crowd, driven into a fury by their desire for blood and vengeance. Looking around you see mild mannered housewives snarling like wolves, shop keepers near foaming at the mouth to see the flames go up. You tighten your grip on your sword, as your heart starts to race, feeling yourself start to sink into the slow and sharp coldness that battle brings upon you, your instincts warning you of incident violence, that this crowd is preparing to fight
[Cool check => Target = 42+ 10 =52 => Rolled 9 => Success]
You manage to catch yourself before you can fully sink into that mindset, moving stiff fingers off your sword, and consciously releasing the tension built up in your shoulders as you tame your fine twitch battle instincts. Still tense you scan the baying crowd, watching them more far more than the pyres where the brothers are being tied, but not gagged to allow the crowd the satisfaction of screams. The brothers did wrong in their attempts to cure their sister, but the vindictive joy in their suffering is a greaater wrong inyour reckoning. Finally you are forced to pay attention to the spectacle, and the haunting screams ring out as the crowd roars its approval.
The screams are merciful brief. You leave the square shaken and certain that this same crowd would turn on you in an instance, even if only for their own amusement.
XXX
The day brightens significantly as you attend the first meeting of your now unified staff. Wilbert seems to have developed both a crush and debilitating fear of Agnes within thirty seconds of meeting her, and Thumping is overjoyed to see a couple of familiar faces. You feel yourself starting to thaw as you listen to the background chatter of introductions and first impressions.
Wilbert is the first to steer the conversation towards business, "First things first. Our finances are strained after dealing with whatever situation you needed 5 gold for. We are down to a handful of silver shillings, and even had to wipe out your personal purse. We are getting paid this week, but money might be tight until we figure out someway to secure a bit more coin. On the positive side, I reckon we've got enough good folks now to start thinking about specializing squads. Might be a good idea to start thinking about what the sergeants are good at?" he asks.
You, Agnes, and Seigert share an amused set of glances before Agnes replies, "Well, I guess you could say that my background lends itself to .... inventive financial auditing. I could take a first crack at anything related to corruption or smuggling."
"Oh dear, I didn't know you had such as distinguished background as a book keeper, " Wilbert exclaims.
"Something like that, yeah" Agnes replies, "I've always been good at balancing my debts."
With a chuckle Seiger goes next, "Honestly, I'm probably best used as a hammer right now. I've been talking to some of the men, and by and large they're pretty useless. Bad equipment, worse training, and an only okay attitude. I think I'd rather take some of the former mercenaries and beat them into a competent combat squad. We might not be able to solve crimes, but by god will we be able to punchin the face of anyone who threats the island. Which, considering the whole necromancer situation, seems like a good idea."
With two squads squared away, the attention turns to the last squad available, captained by Sergeant Godfrey. "Godfrey" you prompt, "what do you think your squad should focus on?"
Godfrey stutters a bit, and then replies, "honestly sir, we've never really had any focus or training, just done whatever needed done, when we were told it needed done. Still, me boys are all natives to the island, and have a fair amount of connections and knowledge of the island. For now, maybe they can just keep doin what they were doin, guarding the bridges and crackin down on any obvious nonsense in the square? Think it would be pretty helpful for them to gain a hit of confidence before throwing them into something new"
"fair enough, fair enough" you reply, " I understand recruits needing a bit of a lead in, especially after the tumultuous last couple of weeks we've had. Now what I was thinking we could accomplish this week was ….."
Note: Your squads are actually coming together, and now have the possibility to develop distinct specializations. Mostly this would be accomplished through training or equipment. For now I have updated the tracking sheet, but also put a collapsable description of the squads and relevant tags below. Matching their tags to investigation tags is more likely to result in a success, but exposing them, to new things is the only way to gain experience in that field.
Cases: You have a mental model of all the cases the watch has open, and refer to it often. When you finally learn to read, you'd love to put it up on a board for the whole command to be able and see. Maybe with pictures, because you know a lot of your fellow watch member's can't read either.
- Your own attempted assassination: Someone wants you dead, and you intend to find out who. Your initial investigation has been frustrating: one assailant ended up dead, and the other comatose. You've made some progress, but still are largely in the dark about why this was conducted, and on whose orders.
- Who: One of the assailants was a former member of the Prince's Own, a premier hand gunners regiment guaranteed land after their service. However, when recovered they were wearing rags, and seemingly catatonic. Something has occurred to force them into this state. Maybe they too were expelled from the army?
- Leads:
- How did they end up destitute on the street? Maybe a former colleague could help identify them [Military Connections ]
- Both assailants were dressed in black, and one had a funerary charm on them. Were they mourners? And where is that charm from? [Morr, Trade Connections]
- Leads:
- How: The attempted assassination was conducted via a surprise attack on your way to the Watchhouse when you would be isolated and alone. The assailants used modern firearms that must have cost a pretty penny, and were skilled in their use. There're some open questions about how the ambush was organized, as well as how two seemingly destitute assailants got their hands on expensive weapons.
- Leads:
- How did they know exactly where you would be? Is it possible you had a leak in the organization? Probably, but the leak may already have been bounced out, and with it your chance to figure out who was leaked this information [Initimidate, Sweet Talk]
- Those weapons were pretty flashy. Easy enough for the military to get ahold of, but for civilians? Well there is a reason that Wilbert was able to secure such a good price for them. Maybe the purchasers can be tracked down? [Military Connections]
- Leads:
- Why: You really have no idea here. Your crackdown on the corruption in the ranks? Just because you are a watch captain? Something else?
- Leads:
- Maybe your former guardsmen know something about this. They after all are your most vocal enemies on the island so far. [Underworld Connections, Force]
- Maybe your former guardsmen know something about this. They after all are your most vocal enemies on the island so far. [Underworld Connections, Force]
- Leads:
- Who: One of the assailants was a former member of the Prince's Own, a premier hand gunners regiment guaranteed land after their service. However, when recovered they were wearing rags, and seemingly catatonic. Something has occurred to force them into this state. Maybe they too were expelled from the army?
- Mysterious Dead Noble: A noble appeared dead in your mess haul with few identifying marks. You aren't sure if it was a prank, a haunting, or something else, but finding out what's going on with him might offer clues to the watchhouse's haunting. The fact that it's a noble means that solving it successfully will raise your profile as well. So far you've encountered more questions than clues
- Who: You have uncovered the dead man was a widow — Master Klieber — visiting his recently deceased wife's grave when he was murdered. There is still no clues to who killed him, or how got the body into the watchhouse.
- Leads:
- There is also a missing body guard whose body has not been discovered. Perhaps talking to the staff of Lady Klieberwould turn up his family, or leads to his whereabouts. [Gossip, Noble Manners]
- Unless it was magic, a member of your staff must have been involved in placing the body in the mess hall, either as the one who put it there or as an accomplice. Unfortunately, you are somewhat sure that it may be [Sweet Talk, Intimidate]
- Leads:
- How: You have no real idea of where the murder occurred, or how the murder was accomplished. And even worse no leads.
- Why: You naturally suspected the deceased new wife as responsible for the crime, but she seems to have a good alibi, and more importantly for a noble, a self interested reason to keep him alive.
- Who: You have uncovered the dead man was a widow — Master Klieber — visiting his recently deceased wife's grave when he was murdered. There is still no clues to who killed him, or how got the body into the watchhouse.
- Dead Predecessors: Your last two predecessors died in increasingly suspicious ways, and you would like to try and see if you can figure out what happened to them. You know one was killed in a "bar fight gone bad", and the last was knifed in the back, but there seems to be no consensus on who did the knifing:
- Who: You know these were the last two officers on the island, but precious little about them, and nothing about who actually killed them.
- Leads
- Who were these Watch Officers? What were they good at and did they have any know enemies? It seems unlikely but some history could be good for its own stake. [Gossip, Any]
- Your most recent predecessor was knifed at a local bar. You are sure that the truth of the matter is long since obscured, but it may be worthwhile to go see if there are any popular theories. Bar regulars love to gossip, and you are sure some of them must have a theory, a probable totally wrong theory, but it is a lead. [Gossip, Any]
- Leads
- How: You know one was killed in a "bar fight gone bad", and the last was knifed in the back, but there seems to be no consensus on who did the knifing. Until you have more details tracking down how they were killed will be difficult
- Why: The deaths seem to be somewhat random. Neither of then men had made significant enemies in the district, and it seems unlikely that past
- Leads
- [NEW] It seems like the murders are not limited to just Watch Officers. Anyone trying to gain control of the island, including the gang's leaders tends to end up mysteriously dead. Maybe it's time to find an accounting of some of these other prominent deaths [Underworld Connections, Gossip]
- A lot of the watch has theories on the causes of the deaths. You know a lot are just idle gossip, but spending some time combing through them might turn up a nugget of wisdom. [Any]
- Could the recent attempt on your life be tied to these cases? And if so why? Sure you've made some efforts to strengthen the watch, but you haven't moved against only of the criminal interest on the island yet.
- Leads
- Who: You know these were the last two officers on the island, but precious little about them, and nothing about who actually killed them.
- Wilbert's Warehouse (5 GC reward): Wilbert's family owns a warehouse on the islands west side that has been overrun by hardened vagrants. Wilbert estimates there are ~5-10 of them, and they are competent fighters. There were able to repel an attack by some dockworkers tied to Wilberts family, and even killed a man in the process. Wilbert's family wants revenge and the warehouse back, and are willing to pay 5GC for it as well. Unfortunately, you aren't too sure your current forces can take them, and you may have to use some deplorable trickery to succeed. [COMBAT]
- Ottilia's Order (Friend Recruited): Ottilia, one of your former army colleagues has always been a fierce negotiator, and dreamed of founding her own merchant empire. She is willing to come aboard as a sergeant —bringing with her a wealth of experience with financial crimes, as well as extensive merchant and river folk connections — if you are able to get her an in with a major merchant house. Particularly if you could get her a part-time position where she is able to also work on amassing her own personal fortune.
- Dietmer Diet (Friend Recruited): Dietmer's has opened up a pie shop with his wife, who he uses as a shield to avoid having to disagree with friends. You need to convince her that it's in Dietmer's best interest to join the watch, which will almost certainly lead to him joining. She is concerned with the safety of the watch, and if it is worth the risk to her husband, so you will have to figure out a way to convince her.
- Egbert's Enigma (Friend Recruited): Egbert is desperately searching for the knowledge that was kept from him as a member of the Reikarmy. He has gotten a job as a junior librarian at the University of Altdorf and is trying to delve into forbidden knowledge there. He is willing to join the watch if you can provide him with a juicy secret, especially one that he would not be able to find working at the university. Might also be a good way to keep an eye on just what he is getting into.
- Hunfried's Honor (Friend Recruited): Hunfried has set up as a local duelist fop, and instructor of noble children. Rieklanders have a strong martial tradition, and even the sons and daughters of nobility are expected to be able to defend themselves. Hunfired is currently making a killing acting as a dueling tutor and arms master, and is loathe to leave behind his cushy life. He only would be wiling to come along if he were to receive a similarly prestigious title, notably the arms master of a Watch Captain.
- Time Sensitive:
- Ambush your (former) Men (x1 AP): With Thumping's help, you've discovered where your men are smuggling goods, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Ambush them there and keep them red-handed. Not only will you remove some hostile actors from the board, but you may be able to recover a decent quantity of goods for future sale. [NEW] Thumping has found out they are recruiting and starting to offer 'protection' to local businesses.
- Check Contacts in the Morrites (x1 AP): One of your best current clues is that the assailants were both most likely mourners of some sort. Perhaps the friends you have made within the local Morrites might be able to help you. Maybe they knew the mourners, or noticed anyone recutting within the temple?
- Assist a Case (x1 AP): You are a novice at investigations, but your status as an officer will potentially open doors that would be otherwise closed to your soldiers. Plus, you have a different background and might be able to provide a new perspective.
- See Case List (Also please specify which lead (up to 2) you are interested in)
- Social
- Introduce yourself to the Hozehellers (x1 AP): The Hozehellers are a prominent house from Stirland who maintain a small manse on the island to coordinate with the Black Guard about Sylvania.
- Introduce yourself to the Von Totens (x1 AP): The original owners of the island, and one of the founding noble houses of Altdorf. Much reduced from their origins as river pirates, and forced to sell most of their land to the temple of Morr, they still have an impressive compound on the southern tip of the island.
- Introduce yourself to the Ettingers (x1 AP): A relatively recent noble house, having been raised to nobility for their founder's action as a Black Guard during the third Vampire War. They are still relatively martial, and many members of the family serve within the Reikland army.
Follow-up on the girl (x1 AP): You have a great deal of sympathy for the girl you met during your last case and would like to ensure she is recovering well, and has a future of care. Track her down, and try to ensure she has stable living conditions, especially now that her brothers have been burnt at the stake.- Try and Find Shayallans (x1 AP): The brother's fate bothers you, and you wish you had more flexibility in your options. You've heard rumors of Shayallan's trying to offer a more merciful approach to justice. Reach out to them and see if you can establish a solid working relationship.
- Travel and Exploration
- Exploration + Mapping: (x1 AP per quadrant): This is your first time visiting Toteninsel, and you are still getting your bearings on this island of the dead. Talking to a few hawkers on the street, you've got a rough idea of the island. By your reckoning, the island is split into four quadrants by the island's two main streets. The streets meet in the island's center, spilling out into a square where your watchhouse and the temple of Morr are located. Exploring all four quadrants will allow you to collate a detailed map of the district, and better understand where your watchmen can best be utilized.
- Explore North Quadrant
- Explore South Quadrant
- Explore East Quadrant:
- Explore West Quadrant:
- Find an Ulrican Shrine (x1 AP): Ulric does not begrudge Morr the dead, but it rubs you wrong not to be able to offer your god his dues. You have no idea where your god of the wild can be found in this deeply unnatural city, but there has to be somewhere. Right?
- Exploration + Mapping: (x1 AP per quadrant): This is your first time visiting Toteninsel, and you are still getting your bearings on this island of the dead. Talking to a few hawkers on the street, you've got a rough idea of the island. By your reckoning, the island is split into four quadrants by the island's two main streets. The streets meet in the island's center, spilling out into a square where your watchhouse and the temple of Morr are located. Exploring all four quadrants will allow you to collate a detailed map of the district, and better understand where your watchmen can best be utilized.
- Administrative
- Hire a Scribe (x1 AP): Alternatively, you could hire a Scribe to do the paperwork for you. You will need to find someone you trust implicitly as the position offers limitless opportunities for embezzlement and deception. Plus you know your economic situation is precarious, so you aren't sure how much you can pay them.
- Hire a Barber Surgeon (x1 AP): There is no question Physician Freer is good at his job, but damn is he expensive. Having a barber surgeon on staff would significantly reduce the cost of healing, and allow for harsher training without the danger of lingering injury.
- Open a recruitment Drive (x1 AP, 3 SS per hired Watchman): The dismissal of squad three, as well as the shaky status of squad one has you desperate for new men. In addition, you are technically allowed to hire top to five squads, and the extra squads would offer a lot more flexibility in taking missions and guarding the area. Plus you get paid by the city for every watchmen under you command, so not having g the full complement is just elating money on the table.
- Spar with a Squad (x1 AP): You've gotten a rough idea now of the skills and background of your squads, but still have little idea of how they handle themselves in a fight. Take the time to spare with them, and run them through some drills. (Leadership Dramatic Test for inspection quality, will reveal rough scores on the squad tracker sheet)
- Spar with Squad One
- Spar with Squad Two
- Spare with Squad Three
- Economic
- Seek Students (x1 AP): You were a well-regarded swordsman within the Riekland army, and many rich merchants and poorer noble houses without their own master of arms will pay men such as yourself to instruct their children. In such a martial society, basic competency with a sword is expected of everyone, even if they will never actually see the frontlines themselves. (Can earn up to 7 shillings with this action, can be taken multiple times)
- Go Shopping for something specific in Grandmarkt (x1 AP): You came to the watch only with the clothes on your back, your trusty cook-thumping, and a letter of commission. Altdorf is one of the economic hubs of the Empire and nearly anything can be purchased here. (This is a write-in if you want to buy something)
- Manor:
- Clear the Grounds (x1 AP, four required to fully clear): Before you are able to make solid plans about what the manor could be, you'll need to fully cut back the scrub brush that is currently covering it. Who knows what you'll find there.
- Training
- Train a Squad (x1 AP): You have had the dubious honor of being a drill sergeant and are intimately aware of how to whip a squad into shape. Spend time personally training a squad. (Leadership Dramatic Test for training quality)
- Receive Training: You know that just like when you joined the army you will need to learn new skills to succeed in your changed circumstances. Tracking down tutors for new skills is an important way to advance, and you've found your first one now!
- Learn with Wigberta (x1 AP): Wigberta is a strikingly beautiful, potentially murderous, young widow who has agreed to take you on as a student. While the first thing you wish to learn is literacy, she also is able to provide an education in imperial law, noble heraldry, and high society etiquette.
- Seiger's Squad: This squad is lead by Seiger and blessed/cursed by his connection to Ranald (Double chance for both critical successes and failures). Made up of primarily former mercenaries, this squad is the best equipped and trained for combat. Still they are ex-mercenaries partially because they weren't particularly good at it.
- Combat: Basic [Basic training and Equitment. Can handle basic criminals]
- Tags: Military Connections, Ranald Lore, Intimidate, ???
- Agnes's Squad: Agnes is a bit corrupt, and shouldn't be trusted around any particularly valuable evidence, but she is fiercely loyal to anyone she thinks is worthy. She's a little more independent that you'd prefer, but can be a solid investigator, especially when dealing with the cities underworld. Her squad is nothing special yet, but can hopefully keep up with her.
- Combat: Bad [No training, limited equipment. 50/50 with street thugs]
- Tags: Underworld Connections, Disguise, Catch Lies, Sweet Talk, ???
- Godfrey's Squad: The only squad that has survived unchanged since you joined the watch. Mostlyl lifelong residents of the island, and have deep conenctison to the various people living here. A bit rough around the edges, they are still competent in their own ways.
- Combat: Bad [No training, limited equipment. 50/50 with street thugs]
- Tags: Empires Gods, Local Connections, Tracking, Intimidate, Underworld Connections
- Cases: You can assign squads to cases, and they will attempt to solve them to the best of their ability. To a large degree, their success will depend on the skills that the squad has available to them. For instance, if everyone in the squad is illiterate, assigning them to financial embezzlement cases is a waste of time:
- See Case List (Also please specify which lead (up to 2) you are interested in)
- Guard Location: Assigning a squad of Watchmen to a location will generally reduce the level of crime present there, and should prevent major attacks. It will also earn the Watch a bit of coin from grateful merchants and nobles who will see their taxes at work.
- Main Bridge: Reaper's Crossing is the main entrance to the island, and the bridge primarily used by mourners and visitors. It leads directly to the island's vast cemetery and then onwards to the temple of Morr and the island's central square.
- Secondary Bridge: The Raven's Flight is a smaller bridge, that leads directly to the island's business and residential areas, and then onward to the Island's central square. This is used much more heavily by the merchants and residents of the island.
- Main Square/Watch House: The island's main square is almost exactly in the center of the island, and home to the district's watchhouse and Temple of Morr. This is also where your watchmen would call for backup from, so spare squads can be stationed here for backup if needed.
- Actions
- Train: You can assign a squad to train a new skill, or break them up to learn individual skills. This is mostly locked as you have few contacts with skills to train them, or the coin to pay for training.
- Punish: You can assign a squad to help clean up the watchhouse, under the diligent eye of Wilbert. They will clean the deep level of grime currently affecting the space, as well as try to make basic repairs to the place. (0/4 times taken to fully clean and repair the watchhouse)
Now that you have some trust in Wilbert the quartermaster you're eager to put him to work on improving the watchhouse. He's well-spoken, honest, and seems to know what he's doing. What would you like him to focus on for the next week? The Watch currently has 0 GC and 5 SS available. You will receive an additional 17 SS this turn (Choose One):
- See if Wilbert's Family can help Ottilia: One of your dearest friends needs patronage from a merchant family to help out, and one of your most trust worthy subordinates is from a merchant family himself. A match made in heaven? Probably not, but maybe there is something you could do for Wilbert's family as a kickback for them sponsoring Ottilia. Maybe secure the warehouse for free?
- Find a way to cook the books: Look, you don't want to do this, but unless you get solid equipment and training for your soldiers the next necromancer attack may wipe out your command. You need more money, and anything legitimately will take too much time. Surely there must be some way to come up with some extra coin from the city, even if it's not strictly legal?
- Find a source for armor and arms: You still haven't found much time to inspect your squads, but you've not seen a lick of metal armor on any of them, not even a mail coat. With the limited money you have available, it's not like you'll be able to afford the quality you came to expect in the army, but surely you can find something?
- Oversee Roof Repair (- 5 SS): Thumping can spend the week overseeing a (leaderless) squad to repair the roof, in coordination with a some local laborers. This would move you closer to finally achieving your goal of restoring the watchhouse. You would also have a job for the two unassigned soldiers.
- Find specialist for foundation repairs: Something funky is up with the foundation of the watchhouse, it appears to be sinking, and with the terrible rumors of the island, who knows what could be causing the sinking. You need specialist help. Maybe some of the cities dwarves or seiege specialists could help diagnose the problem?
- Do a task for you (write-in)
- Serve meals in the Mess Hall: An army marches on its stomach, and the quickest way to their heart is through their stomachs. Serving for so long in the army of the Reikland taught you the importance of good food in winning the loyalty of men, and Thumping's transcendent cooking will work wonders.
- Find Temporary Employment: Altdorf has a large population of other halflings, but Thumping's Thumping good cooking stands out even here. He could easily find temporary employment and reduce your current expenditure on housing by half.
- Identify Major Players: The east and west sides of the island are fully out of your control. Have Thumping try and and identify the major players there
- East Side
- West Side
- Develop a network (may incur ongoing cost): Thumping is slowly becoming an unofficial spymaster for the watch, and this may be something you want to encourage. One thing you've noticed is that you have very little regular feedback about crime levels throughout the island, just when a major crime is committed. Have Thumping try to establish a bit of a gossip network to try and receive regular feedback about the crime levels about an area. May involve an ongoing cost (1-2 silver per week)
- Main Bridge
- Secondary Bridge
- (More locations uncovered with scouting)
- Do a task for you (write-in)
- Organizational
- Raise Morale of the Watch: As you've already heard when you entered, your watchmen have near zero confidence in your leadership. Before they follow any plans to seriously clash with any serious groups, you are going to have to convince them you can be trusted to keep them safe.
- Progress: You are starting to get there. With competent leadership in place, and Thumping's meals keeping them happy morale is now at 6/10. One or two wins would push them into the content category.
- Refurbish the Watch House: You're pretty sure the Watch House has not been cleaned since the reunification of the Empire a hundred years ago and then less that is said about the leaky roof the better. There were supposed to be funds available of the upkeep of the building, but clearly they have been siphoned off. Getting the building back to a habitable status will assist with recruitment and morale of your command.
- Progress: You've surveyed the Watchhouse and come up with a list of items that urgently need fixed. Some you have already gotten to, but there is a lot of elbow work still required to restore the watchhouse to its former glory:
- Progress:
- General Cleaning and Repair: 0/4 times taken
- Fixing the Roof: Not Done
- Fixing the Sinking Cellar, not done and will require specialist support.
- Progress:
- Progress: You've surveyed the Watchhouse and come up with a list of items that urgently need fixed. Some you have already gotten to, but there is a lot of elbow work still required to restore the watchhouse to its former glory:
- No casualty necromancer attack: Tottenheim and its cemetery is the first port of call for every wayward university student that finds a Nehekharan artifact and now thinks they are the next Nagash. Unfortunately, these initial attacks tend to pick off at least one watchman before being put down by the local Morrites. If you could get your soldiers trained to a decent baseline it wouldn't be too hard to survive until the Morrites make their counterattack.
- Progress: None, no attacks but also no training
- Raise Morale of the Watch: As you've already heard when you entered, your watchmen have near zero confidence in your leadership. Before they follow any plans to seriously clash with any serious groups, you are going to have to convince them you can be trusted to keep them safe.
- Personal
- Recruit Army Colleagues: As the Riekland Army is slowly tearing itself apart from the interference of Dieter IV, more and more competent soldiers are being forced out. You suspect you might be able to track some of your former colleagues down, and with a bit of luck be able to recruit some to form a component core for yourself.
- Progress (2/3): You have located a core group of former army buddies within the city, and even managed to recruit two of them. You would love to recruit them all, but realistically half of them — 3 — is a solid core to build off of.
- Collect the Money: Watch Lieutenants are expected to try and be largely self-sufficient, and fundraise to make any major improvements or expansions. Still, there is supposed to be some money coming in for base salaries and equipment. From what you've seen however that money hasn't made it to the district for years. Who's got your money!?
- Progress (mostly complete): You have learned that income is coming in, but without a full watch complement, you are receiving less than half of what you should be. You just need to either fill out the ranks, or find some extra regular income to complete this goal.
- Acquire/Collate a Map: One thing that was a constant source of frustration as you prepared to take over the district was your complete inability to find an even vaguely up-to-date map. The Watch's official map hasn't been updated in over a century, and the locals laughed in your face when you tried to get one from them. How are you supposed to secure this area if you aren't even sure exactly what's in it?
- Progress (None)
- Explore North Quadrant
- Explore South Quadrant
- Explore East Quadrant:
- Explore West Quadrant:
- Progress (None)
- Recruit Army Colleagues: As the Riekland Army is slowly tearing itself apart from the interference of Dieter IV, more and more competent soldiers are being forced out. You suspect you might be able to track some of your former colleagues down, and with a bit of luck be able to recruit some to form a component core for yourself.
Conclusion:
We are very much into the meat of the story now, and you have a lot off levers to shape the direction and nature of the quest itself. I'm re-emphasisizing the goals you set to try and avoid decision paralysis, but there is just a lot of directions you can go from here. In addition, I expect there to be a little of a learning curve with the new plan format.
As a result, I'm gonna request a 24 hour moratorium on voting, and will try to be extra active in the thread. Feel free to ask me any questions about the planning, or assigning squads to cases. Will schedule the vote for 24 hours after that
Cheers!
Vote closed
New
Scheduled vote count started by DrearyBear on Apr 22, 2025 at 1:40 PM, finished with 12 posts and 7 votes.
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[X] Plan Manor with different squad assignments
-[X] [Personal AP]
--[X] Ambush your (former) Men
--[X]Assist a Case (x1 AP)
---[X] Your own attempted assassination
----[X] How did they end up destitute on the street? Maybe a former colleague could help identify them [Military Connections]
----[X]Both assailants were dressed in black, and one had a funerary charm on them. Were they mourners? And where is that charm from? [Morr, Trade Connections]
--[X]Learn with Wigberta (x1 AP)
--[X] Clear the grounds
-[X] Squad Assignments
--[X] [Agnes]
-----[X]How did they know exactly where you would be?
-----[X]Maybe your former guardsmen know something about this.
--[X] [Godfrey]
---[X] Guard Location: Main Bridge
--[X] [Seiger]
---[X] Assist Ambush
-[X] [Wilbert] Find a source for armor and arms
-[X] [Thumper] Serve meals in the Mess Hall
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[X] Plan Manor
-[X] [Personal AP]
--[X] Ambush your (former) Men
--[X]Assist a Case (x1 AP)
---[X] Your own attempted assassination
-----[X] Those weapons were pretty flashy.
-----[X]Maybe your former guardsmen know something about this.
--[X]Learn with Wigberta (x1 AP)
--[X] Clear the grounds
-[X] Squad Assignments
--[X] [Seiger]
-----[X]How did they end up destitute on the street?
--[X] [Agnes]
---[X] Guard Location: Main Bridge
--[X] [Godfrey]
---[X] Assist Ambush
-[X] [Wilbert] Find a source for armor and arms
-[X] [Thumper] Serve meals in the Mess Hall
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