[X]Plan: Find a Home
-[X] Sort and burn the bodies
-[X] Exploration + Mapping (South Quadrant) (1AP)
-[X] Exploration + Mapping (North Quadrant) (1AP)
-[X] Assist a Case: Mysterious Dead Noble (x1 AP)
-[X] Try and find permanent Lodging (1AP)
Squad Assignments
-[X] Squad One: Mysterious Dead Noble
-[X] Squad Two: Oversee Corpse Disposal
-[X] Squad Three: Main Bridge
Quartermaster
-[X] Price out fixing the Watchhouse
Cook
-[X] Go Incognito
I picked the North Quadrant at Random. If folks know a reason why we'd wanna pick something else, that can change.
[X] Plan: Exploration and Lodging
-[ ] Sort and burn the bodies
Personal Actions
-[ ] Exploration + Mapping: (x1 AP per quadrant)
--[ ] Explore North Quadrant
--[ ] Explore South Quadrant
--[ ] Explore East Quadrant
-[ ] Try and Find Permanent Lodging (x1 AP)
Squad Assignments
-[ ] Squad One: Mysterious Dead Noble
-[ ] Squad Two: Oversee Corpse Disposal
-[ ] Squad Three: Main Bridge
Quartermaster
-[ ] Price out fixing the Watchhouse
Cook
-[ ] Go Incognito The more we explore the better options we have for lodging and gather knowledge of how to patrol the neighborhood.
[X] Plan: Exploration and Lodging
-[ ] Sort and burn the bodies
Personal Actions
-[ ] Exploration + Mapping: (x3 AP per quadrant)
--[ ] Explore North Quadrant
--[ ] Explore South Quadrant
--[ ] Explore East Quadrant
-[ ] Try and Find Permanent Lodging (x1 AP)
Squad Assignments
-[ ] Squad One: Mysterious Dead Noble
-[ ] Squad Two: Oversee Corpse Disposal
-[ ] Squad Three: Main Bridge
Quartermaster
-[ ] Price out fixing the Watchhouse
Cook
-[ ] Go Incognito The more we explore the better options we have for lodging and gather knowledge of how to patrol the neighborhood.
As I understand it, a personal action to oversee the burning of the bodies is mandatory if we're burning them, despite the description saying this is one of the things we should be able to trust them to do.
As I understand it, a personal action to oversee the burning of the bodies is mandatory if we're burning them, despite the description saying this is one of the things we should be able to trust them to do.
Ah no, that's maybe a bit unclear on my part. Assigning a squad to burn the bodies if you choose not to sell them is mandatory, not you personally overseeing the process.
Ah no, that's maybe a bit unclear on my part. Assigning a squad to burn the bodies if you choose not to sell them is mandatory, not you personally overseeing the process.
Scheduled vote count started by DrearyBear on Dec 8, 2024 at 3:25 PM, finished with 20 posts and 12 votes.
[X] Plan: Let the Dead Rest in Peace
-[X] Sort and burn the bodies: You were tasked with handling the bodies in a particular way, and you fully intend to follow through with your instructions.
-[X] Assist a Case (x1 AP): Mysterious Dead Noble
-[X] Introduce yourself to the Morrites (x1 AP)
-[X] Find a Tutor (x1 AP)
-[X] Try and Find Permanent Lodging (x1 AP)
-[X] Squad One: Oversee Corpse Disposal
-[X] Squad Two: Mysterious Dead Noble
-[X] Squad Three: Main Bridge
-[X] Price out fixing the Watchhouse
-[X] Go Incognito
[X]Plan: Find a Home
-[X] Sort and burn the bodies
-[X] Exploration + Mapping (South Quadrant) (1AP)
-[X] Exploration + Mapping (North Quadrant) (1AP)
-[X] Assist a Case: Mysterious Dead Noble (x1 AP)
-[X] Try and find permanent Lodging (1AP)
-[X] Squad One: Mysterious Dead Noble
-[X] Squad Two: Oversee Corpse Disposal
-[X] Squad Three: Main Bridge
-[X] Price out fixing the Watchhouse
-[X] Go Incognito
Honestly, Plan: Let the Dead Rest in Peace was such a runaway success that I started writing it today. I should have the next chapter out either tomorrow evening or early Wednesday morning EST.
[X] Plan: Let the Dead Rest in Peace
-[X] Sort and burn the bodies: You were tasked with handling the bodies in a particular way, and you fully intend to follow through with your instructions.
-[X] Assist a Case (x1 AP): Mysterious Dead Noble
-[X] Introduce yourself to the Morrites (x1 AP)
-[X] Find a Tutor (x1 AP)
-[X] Try and Find Permanent Lodging (x1 AP)
-[X] Squad One: Oversee Corpse Disposal
-[X] Squad Two: Mysterious Dead Noble
-[X] Squad Three: Main Bridge
-[X] Price out fixing the Watchhouse
-[X] Go Incognito
Introduction:
Okay, this is the last turn of combined personal and squad results. This is one chunky chapter; writing it and proofreading it took way longer than expected. To maintain a good pace in the future, I probably need to be aiming for closer to 3k words per chapter instead of 6k. Still, a pretty exciting turn!
As you walk outside you see the men silently sorting the corpses, carefully inspecting them for any sign of mutation. The difference from their normal behavior is striking. Normally, they are a barely contained riot of bawdy japes, unruly behavior, and particularly crude practical jokes. Here, they show an incredible professionalism, moving the corpses from the cart with a quiet reverence and solemnity. They wear vinegar-soaked gloves and are careful to ensure they never allow any part of the corpse to touch exposed skin. Clearly, the Morrite tendencies you have heard about were if anything an understatement. These men respect the dead far more than they do the living.
[Perception Test => Target 32 + 20 = 52 => Rolled 97 => Near Critical Fail!]
Something about hat bothers you, but who are you to question the ways of the Morrites? You have faith in Ulric, and you will stick to your ways. Let your men have their beliefs, but you certainly won't be joining them. Morr and his silent ways slightly disturb you. Annoyingly, it's time to go visit the local Morrites.
Your Watchhouse is located on Wailer's Square -- the island's largest public space -- a vast expanse of dirty cobblestones. Every Marktag the square is filled with a raucous impromptu market, with merchants selling everything the island's inhabitants need for the week; especially if they want to avoid the two-hour trek to the permanent markets of Grandmarkt or Fischmarkt. Many, however, take the walk to avoid one thing: the square's namesake wailers.
Opposite your watchhouse is the city's grandest temple of Morr, and behind it the city's largest graveyard. Every single day, there are funerary processions arriving at the temple, and the profound grief and heartbreak of the family members left puts a damper on any festive atmosphere engineered by the market.
What really drives people away, however, is the recent trend of hiring professional mourners to accentuate the occasion. These performers, mostly women, treat their job with deadly seriousness and make exaggerated displays of grief to demonstrate to the public just how missed the departed will be. They cry and scream, throw themselves at the coffin bearers, and for an extra upgrade will tear their hair out or bite their fingers bloody with feigned nerves. Particularly annoying for anyone crossing the square, they will sneak up on passerbys and dramatically swoon directly into their path, yelling the name of the recently departed. Needless to say, shopping in the square is convenient, but exceedingly unpleasant.
You are an Ulrican and have faced the terrifying roars of Greenskins in the forests of Riekland and the thundering cacophony of Bretonian Knights on the charge. You'll not give in and be unsettled by these wailers. You will however wait for the men to finish their work, and follow the cart to ensure that you avoid most of their attention. That's just good tactics.
Introduce yourself to the Morrites
Many temples attempt to imitate the sublime grandeur of their gods through a sense of overwhelming scale, with towering edifices and enormous statues. Others instead foster a sense of intimacy, directly putting petitioners in contact with priests, and attempting to engager a personal connection between worshiper and deity. The Al-Ulric's temple in Middenland you've heard has a sense of dynamism to it, with wolves prowling the grounds, and men sparring in Ulric's honor at all hours of the day. Toteninsel's Temple of Morr rejects all of those approaches, and instead more resembles a military installation than a place of worship.
Thick black stone walls circle the compound, and your military eyes spot the murder holes that liberally adorn them. Armed and alert Black Guards patrol the perimeter, their hands never far from well-maintained weapons. As you pass the formidable gates, youi note the inside is no less fortified. Beautiful gardens line the interior, forming the visual impression of a flowing river through the careful planting of blue and green flowers. You noticed however the gardens are flat, providing no cover for any force that may have breached the walls, and providing a potent killing field.
Finally, your attention turns towards the temple itself. Constructed like an ancient castle, watch towers mark its four corners, and the entrance is designed to be almost impossible to take by force. For now, the gates are open, and a small stream of mourners and temple functionaries make way for you and the cart of bodies as you approach.
A middle-aged woman hurries out, dressed with the robes of the Morrite priesthood, and calls out to you, "Welcome, welcome I see you have several new inhabitants for our gardens. I'm Inge and I'll take your men to have the bodies interred, but the Head Priest is eager to talk to you as soon as possible"
She gestures for one of the Black Guards on duty to attend to her, then turns back to you and continues, "Why don't you follow Hatto here, and he'll take you to see Ralf."
You follow the completely silent Hatto through the torch-lit halls of the temple and soon arrive at the study of head Priest Ralf. Knocking, you are quickly let in and come face to face with the temple's head priest. Ralf is a surprisingly gaunt younger man, with sunken cheeks, dark circles under the eye, and shockingly pale skin. He however is full of energy, and warmly greets you, inquiring if he can get you a glass of barley tea, or watered wine.
"Lieutenant Hartmann, I'm, very glad that the city finally has decided to put a military man in charge of the island's defense. For far too long the island has been the providence of political appointments, the failed children of nobility -- and no offense to your most recently departed predecessor -- absolute nutters." He states confidently.
"Before I was in charge of the temple here I was a Black Guard and served at one of our cult's permanent outposts in Sylvania. I'm very familiar with the rigors and practices of the Empire's armies and look forward to working closely with you."
He offers you a set of cheers. "To a long and fruitful relationship before one of us inevitably embraces Morr's restful peace."
[Religion (Empires cult's) Test => Target 42 => Rolled 91 => Fail!]
The next hour is spent in pleasant reminiscence, with both of you trading stories of your time within the military and commiserating over shared experiences with uncomfortable sleep, bad food, and incompetent officers. Ralf is the first person you've met since coming to the city that you have an obvious kinship towards, and you feel comforted hearing someone else your age feel similarly about being forced out of a combat role.
Finally, as you wrap up your conversation and start making excuses to leave, Ralf brings up one more thing, "Now that I've gotten a chance to take your measure and find you a fine and responsible man, I'd like to make a small request to you in my role as representative of the Temple's interest."
"Now these Colleges of Magic, I've got nothing against them of course. Magnus assured us that they were fine, and they've reduced the number of those incredibly unpleasant witch burnings and the like. But their members are very human, fallible like the rest of us. The Amethyst College in particular we have some… religious disagreements with. They recklessly pursue their 'sciences' to try and understand the mystic. Trying to poke and prod into what should be Morr's domain. Them and those damn academics at the university" he says with a sneer.
"How else do you explain how many of them fall to the temptation of Nagash, and try and set themselves up as rouge necromancers? How else can you interpret their desires to mutilate the dead, and perform autopsies?" He spits out. He breaths deeply, and visibly calms his nerves.
"All I'm saying is that it rubs me the wrong way how freely the university and the Amethyst College stick their grubby paws into our business. I would be appreciative if you would notify me personally if you see them trying to spread death-related artifacts, or purchase bodies for study. Of course, I don't expect a response today, but know that any information will be appropriately rewarded." He states.
Your strange interaction from earlier with the man attempting to purchase the mutant bodies pops to the forefront of your mind, but you do not want to act rashly and you remain silent until you can fully think through the implications of telling Ralf.
As an escape from the sudden serious turn the conversation has taken, you ask Ralf if he is familiar with the dead noble you discovered in the mess hall, but he replies that unfortunately, he is not very involved in the day-to-day running of the temple, instead focusing on coordinating with the other cults and attending to the patrons of the temple.
From there, the meeting quickly wraps up, and you follow the silent Hatto back to where your men are waiting with the cart. Inge is waiting there, and when seeing your pensive mood, asks "Lieutenant? Do you have a minute?"
At your consent, Inge takes you to a quiet side room and closes the door behind her, "I see from your face you've been talking to Ralf, and heard his spiel about the students." You nod in the affirmative. Inge sighs and rubs her eyes.
"I've told that damn boy over and over that Altdorf isn't Sylvania, and that his hardline attitude is going to cause us more problems than it's worth." She exclaims. "Lieutenant, we have a long understanding with both of Altdorf's universities that they can buy corpses for their research, as long as they aren't too obvious about it, and the bodies are returned to us for burial after. It's not my favorite thing, but the alternative isn't they stop doing their autopsies, it's we have a spree of grave-robbing. Again. Of course, that's probably what that fool wants. He's been looking to pick a fight with the physicians and wizards since he got the position. I know he probably promised you plenty of gold Llieutenant, but if you've got any faint stirring of civic responsibility towards the city, do not let him a needle a fight with the damn colleges." With her piece said, Inge throws up her hands and leaves in a huff, cuffing an initiate who is too slow to get out of her way over the head with a "these damn youths, always think they are too smart to listen to their elders"
On the short walk back across the square you think about the competing requests you've received and their implications. Do you:
[ ] Go Back and Tell Ralf: You have established a good relationship with Ralf, and could enjoy significant patronage from the most powerful institution on the island. You really need the coins as well. Why should the universities get to cut up the dead?
[ ] Listen to Igne and Stay Silent: You are trying to move up in the Watch, and stirring up a religious conflict is unlikely to endear you to your superiors. Stay silent and pretend you don't see anything.
When you get back to the watchhouse, you quickly call together a meeting of what's rapidly becoming your core command: Thumping and Wilbert. Pulling them into a room you briefly introduce them, and explain what you would like them to try and accomplish for the week.
For Thumping, you explain that you would like to try and understand what crimes the watch itself is involved in within the district, as well as what crimes the citizens are complaining about. You still feel you have an exceedingly poor grasp on the island's geography, and while you haven't had the time to explore it yourself, hopefully Thumping can provide an overview.
Wilbert you task with assessing the current staty of the watchhouse and trying to figure out exactly how much it will cost to fix it up. It's a job well suited to his mercantile nature, and a good test of if he is as trustworthy with money as he seems.
The meeting goes well, and it seems a potential friendship is developing. Both Thumping and Wilbert are jovial figures -- slightly obsessed with food -- and as you leave the room you hear them making plans to visit some of the best street vendors in the district together.
The next morning you collect squad two — once again very late — and make your way back across Wailers Square to visit Igne. While you were trying to sleep last night you had been wracked with how to make progress in the case, and what you could possibly be missing, before hitting on a bit of a eureka moment"
Yesterday, while visiting the temple, you had been struck by how essential Igne was. She was the one who greeted you. The guards listened to her without question. Initiates were equally terrified and awed by her presence, and you even saw one blush when she offered a compliment their way. If anyone would know about the dead noble, it would be her.
You find Igne teaching a small class and ask her about the dead noble. Showing the sketch that you had made of the man's features. She does recognize him and exclaims, "Oh that poor man, and that poor child of his. His new wife must be devastated. Do you have any idea what happened to him?"
You explain the case so far and find out that the dead noble was named Hermann Kleiber. He was the relative of a far more powerful noble with lands to the south and represented their interest in Altdorf to the Grand Prince. He had a small mansion on the south bank of the city, close to the Palast District You thank Igne for her time, and make your way towards the deceased's house.
________________________
It's your first time on the South Bank of the city, and you are amazed by the wealth on display. Coming from a small peasant village, you had thought the North Bank and Grandmarkt were the height of sophistication and wealth, but clearly, you were mistaken. Here the streets are lined with trees, and swept clean by servants. Perhaps the greatest sign of wealth is how few people there are. Most of the city's inhabitants are kept from easily visiting here, and only the rich and noble are permitted to move freely.
Eventually, you make your way to the small, but exceedingly nice mansion of the late Klieber. The white-washed walls of the compound provide a strong contrast to the fruit trees planted around the perimeter and the grimy buildings on either side. Two smartly dressed guards stand guard, quickly forcing anyone that lingers too long to move along or face the butt of their spears. They snap to attention at the approach of you and their men, only relaxing their grip on their weapons once they recognize you as part of the city watch. Even then they do not take their eyes off of you.
You ask for the head of the house, and they reply that Master Klieber is out of town, but perhaps they could take you to his wife Wigberta? You agree and are taken to the house's parlor, while the mistress of the house is fetched.
Wigberta is a strikingly beautiful woman, with excellent bearing and captivating purple eyes. She sweeps into the room, deftly maneuvering her ample skirts around the delicate-looking furniture without touching them, and settles before you on a settee with perfect posture.
"Lieutenant Hartmann, may I ask what brings you to my home while my husband is away?" she asks with a perfectly arched eyebrow.
You think about how to break the news and feel awkward being watched by your entire squad of soldiers as well as the half dozen servants standing to attention at the back of the room. "Ah I'm very sorry, but I have some potentially unpleasant news about your husband. If we could speak in private for a moment?" you ask.
She nods her agreement and then asks her servants and your guards to leave the room, leaving the two of you alone to talk.
"Unfortunately Mistress Kliebler, I believe your husband was murdered around two weeks ago. His body was stripped of his family crest and he was found in Toteninsel so we struggled to identify him until now. You were recently married to him I hear? We believe he was visiting his late wife when he was struck down"
As you tell her your hypothesis, you carefully observe her face, trying to see her reaction to the news. While it's a terrible thing to suspect, perhaps she was involved with the murder. Jealousy towards the strong relationship Kliebler had with his former wife?
Wigberta is a stone slate, her face perfectly even despite learning this devastating news, and you struggle to get anything out of her. Clearly, she has received a great deal of training in controlling her facial expressions, and it's enough to throw off your ability to read her.
She pauses for a moment, clearly lost in the moment, even if none of the tension makes its way to her face. Just before the silence stretches long enough for you to ask if she is fine, she responds. "That is tragic, thank you for bringing it to my attention. I must ask, however, who else have you told that Hermann is dead?"
Bemused, you tell her you came directly here after learning his identity, as you wanted her to be the first person to know. Her brow furrows for the first time in the conversation, and she starts muttering to herself.
"That damn man, I told him to take more than one guard"
"Remarried? But where will I find a dope on a short enough timeframe?"
"Can I get to the south before the news breaks?"
"I'm going to have to trust him, aren't I? Damn it all!"
Finally, she visibly slips her mask back on, and returns her full attention to you, capturing you with the blazing determination in her eyes. "Lieutenant, how much do you want to keep this news quiet? Just for another three weeks or so" she asks you.
"But why!" You exclaim in shock, "Surely you want to be able to have the support of your friends and family?"
"Hermann, Gertie, and I grew up together, and there was never any doubt that he would marry her. Not only did their families desire it, but the two fools were madly in love and had been since they first discovered the concept of attraction. And they got their way! They got married, and had a wonderful relationship, eventually trying for an heir for the family" she explains.
"And that's where the issues started. Gertie passed in childbirth, and Hermann fell apart. We married four months ago, purely out of convenience. He needed someone to handle the household and take care of his daughter Emma, and I needed a way out from under the thumb of my overbearing father. It was a marriage of pure convenience, but it worked, and I think in time we might even have become happy."
"Now, my bastard of a father will be sniffing around, trying to use me to seize control of the Klibler estate. With the only living heir being Emma, and her being an infant, there is not anyone to stop him. Even in this house many of the servants and guards I brought here to Altdorf as part of my dowry, are firmly his men and would not hesitate to act against me if they knew."
"I need time to find a solution, and selectively pull on some of Hermann's contacts to explore my options. I need time to move the bank records so they can't be seized, and I need time to maintain the element of surprise. Emma is the last piece of my two closest friends in the world, and I will not have her suffer as I did under the same petty whims of that miserable old man"
She collects herself and then asks, "So will you help me?"
[ ] Yes, help her for Coin: The Kliebler estate is apparently on the poorer side for a noble house, but it still represents far more wealth than you've ever had access to. She has a good reason to keep the news quiet, and you're happy to help, but surely asking for a little compensation would be fine. Ask for 35 GC to keep your silence,
[ ] Yes, help her for Tutoring: She has been trained to fit in with the Empire's high society and has amble training in literacy, law, and noble customs. Try to use your leverage to receive some tutoring.
[ ] No, it feels fishy, report it: A husband murdered after just a few months of being married to this woman? Her insistence on keeping it secret? You can't read her whatsoever, but the situation seems suspicious to you, report the death and see what happens.
[ ] Write-In
Find Permanent Lodging
The Raven and Portal is a nice enough inn, but you do want to leave as soon as possible. For one, It's rapidly draining your savings. The bigger problem, however, is how damn creepy its residents are. Most of them are visiting Morrites, and all of them have the unnerving habit of silently moving through the halls, not even calling out a greeting as they pass. More than once you've come out of your room, turned your back to lock the door and then found yourself near face-to-face with a priest dressed in all black who accidentally snuck up on you. The less said about the completely silent meals served in the common room the better.
Your search for permanent lodging for you and Thumping faces two major challenges. The first is that you simply don't have much coin available right now, which makes the permanent purchase of a home near impossible. The second is that you are still really only familiar with the area immediately surrounding Wailer's Square, which has relatively few residential options. This is not a good combo, and the owners of the few properties you inquire about take ruthless advantage, jacking up their prices. In the end, you find two sub-par solutions.
The first is a partially burnt-down townhouse, right off of Wailers Square. The owner is trying to get rid of it in a hurry and is willing to part with it for the incredible price of only 15 shillings. On the other hand, restoring it will require significant work, probably costing more than double what you originally paid for the property. Thumping is particularly doubtful of the property on account of what a bad state the kitchen is in.
The second property is the cramped second floor of a dressmaker's shop a short walk away from the watchhouse. It's priced very reasonably at just two shillings per week, but it's also cramped and will make hosting impossible. It's certainly not the type of place you thought you would be living in as a Watch Officer, and you suspect your reputation will be hurt if people find out you are roughing it under such conditions.
You decide to:
[ ] Purchase the Burnt Townhouse: It's not what you were hoping for, but it has a lot of potential in the future and could be an excellent base of operations once restored.
[ ] Rent the Dressmaker Spare Floor: It's a temporary solution, but it's a lot cheaper than where you are currently living. Still, it may affect your reputation
[ ] Wait: Perhaps you were hasty trying to find a place to stay without fully examining the island for yourself. The Raven and Portals is one of the most unsettling inns you've stayed in, but at least the meals are decent?
Reports and Findings
The rest of the week is filled with the busy work of being an officer. Several minor offenders are hauled in for troublemaking, minor felching, and generally being hormonal teenagers. None need punishment more serious than being pilloried in Wailer's Square, where they are forced to endure the histrionics of the professional mourners. You go to bed late, nd wake up early, mot even seeing Thumping most of the days
It's also your first time to conduct some training of your own since you've arrived; stretching your muscles out, and making sure you are in tip-top condition. You miss having a sparring partner, but for now, body weight exercises and form practice are enough to have you gasping for air, and your muscles trembling.
Finally, at the end of the week, you reconvene your small inner circle and prepare to hear their reports. The mood is cheerful, and both seem confident in their work
[Thumping Gossip Test = Target 70 => Rolled 12 => Good Success]
Thumping clears his throat, and says "I've never seen such a right serious mess since my foolish little sister left the coop door open, and a fox gorged itself on the chickens till it was sick. The Watch doesn't patrol beyond the boundaries of here square, and some mighty wicked folks have gotten as comfy as a bug in a rug running the other areas."
"The North of the island is the safest part, as long as you don't mind the creepy black guards, or the dead for company. No one really lives there, and as a result, it's almost its own district within the district. Suppose it's fine, but it's not for me. There's not a single good cook, and I think the sound of laughter might do in some of those dreadfully dreary Black Guards."
At this Thumping pauses and pulls a bag of honeyed nuts out of his voluminous apron. After sharing them with you and Wilbert he continues, "The East Side is a little bit like a particularly badly made soufflé. A little burnt, and a lot collapsed. It was on the up and up a decade or so ago before a big fire took out all of the fancier buildings, and the people with means moved out. These days it's where your soldiers get up to most of their troubles. Some cousins of mine were saying they tend to be pretty unimaginative; some bribes to ignore smuggling, some minor protection rackets, some work as pimps for the working gals."
Then there is the hive of activity that is the west side. You have any idea how many mortuary items people buy? More things were being made and sold there than I have spoons in my kitchen. The good news is that there aren't too many gangs in the area. The bad news is that their absence is because it's under the control of a cartel of minor guilds. The cartel has its own enforcers and dormitories and controls every aspect of the area. They are stable and secure, but won't accept any input from the Watch."
Thumping turns serious and says, "I know the tall folk don't always take us halflings too seriously; we may be viewed as thieves and troublemakers, but we are treated as essentially harmless. No one pays attention to how we cook all of your food, or take care of your children, or are the entertainers for all of the fancy parties. Don't be making that mistake. Janner Coppercheeks is as dangerous of a halfling as they come, and rules the south of the island with an iron fist. She was hired a decade ago as the cook for the crime lord in the area and spent the next two years earning blackmail and leverage on all his lieutenants. Then she spiked the soup and murdered everyone who supported the old leader in cold blood. She's got a pack of Ogres on her beck and call that she feeds her victims to so the Morrites won't noticed,. Calls em the Garbage Disposal Crew... There's not a single person in the south that will turn on her, and if they tell you anything it's because she told them to."
Thumping shivers and continues, "Told me that herself, proud as a peacock. Walked up to me where I was chatting way in the pub, said her piece, and left. But she spiked my beer while I was talking to her, and had some of her men deliver my unconscious body back to the inn without yous noticing. Be careful with that one, I'm sure she has at least one or two of the watches on the payroll."
Grimacing you think over Thumping's report. You knew the poor showing of the local watch would have consequences, but this is a level of corruption that frankly is shocking. It's as lawless as a border town. Deep in thought you motion for Wilbert to give his report as well
Wilbert clears his throat, "Well I don't have nearly as dramatic of news" and then proceeds to briefly describe the problems with the watchhouse. The good news is most of the damage is cosmetic and easily fixable with some elbow grease. Wilbert suggests assigning squads to it, especially as punishment if they fail to meet your standards in some way.
However, three major pieces of damage that will require substantial repairs: the leaky roof, the collapsed attic floor, and the sagging foundations. Wilbert explains that before this was a watchhouse, it was a warehouse, and it has an entire upper level designed to act as a storeroom. The leaky roof has entirely ruined the floor upstairs and made it entirely useless. The sagging foundation is more mysterious. Toteninsel is a rocky island and normally doesn't face the same issues with sinkholes that the rest of Altdorf faces.
He explains that he was able to find artisans for most of the repairs within the district, but the rotting foundations will require some form of specialist. He estimates the cost of repairing the roof at three gold, the upper floor at ten gold, and he has absolutely no idea how much repairing the foundations will cost until he can find an expert to assess the damage and understand the cause of the collapse.
You are satisfied by Wilbert's work but internally wince at the remainder of just how much coin you are going to need to amass just to restore your watch command to where it should be. This isn't even the cost to properly arm your soldiers, hire them trainers, or have all the creature comforts you observed when you went to the Grandmarkt Watchhouse. Still, Ulric teaches that a man can only know himself through adversity, and this is an excellent opportunity to test yourself.
With the sensitive topics out of the way, you ask Thumping and Wilbert if they would like to stay and observe the other squads' reports, but they decline and leave you alone to receive them.
Squad One comes in and gives a vaguely professional report. The cult was trading in nasty knowledge and forbidden artifacts, nearly half of the bodies were mutated and required careful disposal. You make a note to contact the captain about the clear presence of forbidden, heretical, contraband and let the sergeant leave, largely pleased with the first component report you have received.
Your good mood is immediately ruined by the following presentation of squad three who was in charge of guarding the main bridge. The sergeant turns up and says, "The boys and me were hard at work guarding that bridge. Day in and day out wese stood there makin sure not a single thing passed our eye. We even recovered some coin for you". You briefly look excited as he reaches into his pocket to pul out ... one, very bent, and potentially shit-stained copper penny.
You erupt from behind your desk to physically confront him, but he knew what he was doing, and is already out of your office before you can fully stand. Defeated, you sit back down and swear to yourself. This has gone on long enough. You are just one man and you need the support of the squads if you have a chance of effectively doing the job. You have been typing to lead by example and inspire then men, but if that is not going to work, maybe it's time to see if force will.
Conclusion
I'm not going to lie, the dice were not with you this turn. Some of those were some pretty huge whiffs, and all of them added a lot of inconvenience to your situation. Regarding the housing situation, the more you explore the island, the higher the target will be, and accordingly the better the results. The cost here for searching was your time, more results will be available in the future.
As for finding a tutor, because you naturally came across someone in the course of your duties, I left the turn as is. If you vote to not use Wigberta as a tutor, I will give you a free action next turn to find a different one.
!!! Voting will, be up for 24-ish hours. Next turn sometime early Friday. !!!
Oof. Quite the turn. First off, I'd go with [ ] Listen to Igne and Stay Silent as far as the corpse trade goes. Despite the potential for income involved. If we didn't pick moving up in the watch as a goal, stirring up even more trouble we'd have to solve eventually seems like a slightly bad trade, but income is income. But considering our goal, it tilts the scales toward being a bad deal outright.
But... that makes the dilemma of [ ] Yes, help her for Coin vs [ ] Yes, help her for Tutoring all the more difficult. I think if we decline the offer from Ralf, we kinda have to go with the gold here. Because the burnt down townhouse seems quite cheap for a property purchase, is in a convenient place, and has a lot of potential in theory. But it takes money to reach that potential and our funds right now amount to exactly 15 shillings. And the townhouse would cost all of that. So we'd have to live in a burnt-out wreck for weeks to months to scrape together the money to fix things. On top of all the things in the watchhouse that need fixing.
So, I'm torn between these two combinations. And after some consideration, decided to go with the second. Because Tutoring is still likely to cost money if we seek it elsewhere.
[] Plan Silence and Coin for the Townhouse
-[] Listen to Igne and Stay Silent
-[]Yes, help her for Coin
-[] Purchase the Burnt Townhouse
[X] Plan Silence and Tutor Found
-[X]Listen to Igne and Stay Silent
-[X]Yes, help her for Tutoring
-[X] Wait
EDIT: Oh. And the sagging basement. Pretty obvious there's something below the watchhouse basement. Probably bigger than just a tunnel. Let's hope it doesn't erupt with undead or "underground beastmen" as soon as we start fixing it.
[X] Plan: Friends in Many Places
-[X] Go Back and Tell Ralf: You have established a good relationship with Ralf, and could enjoy significant patronage from the most powerful institution on the island. You really need the coins as well. Why should the universities get to cut up the dead?
-[X] Yes, help her for Tutoring: She has been trained to fit in with the Empire's high society and has amble training in literacy, law, and noble customs. Try to use your leverage to receive some tutoring.
-[X] Purchase the Burnt Townhouse: It's not what you were hoping for, but it has a lot of potential in the future and could be an excellent base of operations once restored.
A soldier will always recognize another soldier. Not only does this gives us hope for some good cooperation with the most powerful organization in the district, but also a chance for some good patronage. I'd prefer to keep him closer, since who knows, if the body snatchers aren't doing the job for much less respectable institutions/people. We did want to cut down on the corruption after all.
Our noble lady is shady, but we do need the lessons and since no coin changes hands, I think we could swallow this one, especially since besides reading and writing she can teach us many other useful things.
The house is dirt cheap and has a premium location right next to the main square of the district. Even if we could find some better places elsewhere, this is still a good investment, which can be worth it in the long run.
Somewhat mixed results this turn, with many fails, but nothing tragic fortunately. Let's hope we will have more luck next time.
"The boys and me were hard at work guarding that bridge. Day in and day out wese stood there makin sure not a single thing passed our eye. We even recovered some coin for you"
By the way, such blatant disrespect for your commanding officer is totally unacceptable. The poor sod would have been flogged for such a transgression in any self-respecting unit a long time ago. It would appear, that we shall have to do this the hard way. Both for the watchman and his squad.
