CASE: BREWING SUSPICION MONTH 4
- Location
- Somewhere over the rainbow
Martial:
DC: 25. Roll: 16 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 7.4 = 28.4
Diplomacy:
DC: 10. Roll: 16 + 3.7 = 19.7
Intrigue:
DC: 27. Roll: 22 + 3 + 4.9 = 29.9
Stewardship:
DC: 22. Roll: 22 + 2.2 = 24.2
Random Event Roll: 34
Over the course of the first two weeks, the team works with Sota Johannsen to make absolutely sure you have the case right. You are prosecuting the Count Lucilius Belluomo and his conspirators for conspiring to lie to the Crown, for stealing from the Crown, for shirking the duties of his position as appointed Governor General, and for abusing the terms of the charter in order to inordinately profit off the citizenry of the city of Gorlin.
The trick was that while the first two were financial crimes and would likely keep his money, position, and fury mostly intact, the next two would see him and his conspirators revoked of their rank - and if you played that right you might be able to leverage the successive court cases, each building off the last, to strip them of their titles and remunerate them to the Crown. That would be the main way you would be able to recoup the costs for the Crown.
In any case, however, the first legal hurdle you were going to have to clear was the first; you needed to present the case to the Superior Court in the capital, before the judge Count Felix. It was a little awkward to have a Count judge a Count, but for this preliminary trial that would probably be acceptable. Just in case, you checked noble genealogies; it didn't appear like either had recent marriages or close family ties, so you were fortunate in that regard.
However, the case being in the capital made things quite awkward - if you didn't have a full team, that was.
Tekla nodded. As the chief scientist, he'd be the best placed to argue that the Chai and Tea were identical, and he could at least point to the places on the records where they overlapped. It just made sense.
So on the night of, the team assumed their positions.
You and Kerrie made a wild tear through the underground, whispering that the agents of the king were coming. Angry muttering, directed both at the King and Count in equal measure seemed to bubble forth at this pronouncement, divided between the residents wanting to protect their rights from central tyranny and wanting someone to finally cut the Port Authority down to size a little. Cormag goes among the frontline priests and rouses their barely hidden ire against the Port Authority, revealing that he knows that not only are the Port Authority brutalizing the citizenry without point, that they are also doing so in direct contravention of the King and his Divine Mandate. He convinces a sizable mob of peasants and clergymen to demand answers.
Finally, Ser Tekla goes to work his surprisingly great charm upon those of letters, and reveals that in fact, he is officially coming out as an agent of the Crown, inside the private salon meeting. If any of them wished see justice done to the Port Authority, they need only arrive before the gates three hours after the morning bell. He was met with cheers and hearty congratulations.
As you and Kerrie swing by, you smirk as the agents of the Port Authority expose themselves in their attempt to warn the members of the inner circle.
The members of the inner circle all practically fall over themselves to disguise themselves and attempt to flee out of the city. You notice they shirk away from the streets with torches moving through them; zipping from street to street with your torch and ring of fire, you make it look like the mob is just around the corner, carefully herding them towards one specific street.
The main group of conspirators suddenly discover that they've been grouped up by an enemy that seems to be everywhere and anywhere, without the protection of their main forces. Contentently, you squat on the street corner as you watch them scurry about, blinded by the dark and yet needing to stay hidden.
As if you couldn't see them perfectly well, torchlight or not.
Finally, they arrive just at the head of the intersection.
You stand up, light your torch, and Kerrie, Tekla, and Cormag make their moves. You see one of the group immediately snap into a guard stance, likely the result of years in training and combat. You keep focused on the one there. She is probably the adventurer of the group, their honor guard to protect them at all times.
Instantaneously, the street is awash in light. From behind, Cormag and his rowdy mob of peasants and clergy emerge from the side streets. From the left, Kerrie walks at the head of the Ainsworth company. From the right, Tekla walks at the head of the Yarognev company.
The woman, recognizing she's beaten, sighs and sheathes her sword, much to the consternation of the others in the surrounded group.
Jeers and insults pour down from the crowd behind Cormag, as the three groups begin closing in on the underdressed nobles and conspirators. Their faces are caught inbetween the red flush of shame and anger, wanting to spit back at the crowd of peasants and clergy but unable to. The Ainsworth and the Yarognev companies advance, completely closing off the street, as you sit there lightly tapping your feet.
You glance at Cormag, who ruefully shakes his head; you see Kerrie smirk, as if to ask "what can you do". You suppress your smirk at a scheme well done; Tekla still has to do his part. Unsubtly, you rudely gesture at his lackadaisical posture and expression to just...get on with it. You can't tally this night as a success until you've realized all the benefit, after all.
You see more than hear Tekla's sigh as his slackened posture straightens and his lungs fill with air.
"HEAR ME, CRIMINALS AND OATHBREAKERS!" Tekla bellows, his willowy frame vibrating from the sheer power of his voice. The crowd behind Cormag hushes, awaiting to hear what else he'll announce. "I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO DENOUNCE YOUR CONSPIRACY TO DECEIVE THE KING AND HIS MANDATE! I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO ISSUE A DEMAND ON BEHALF OF THE KING TO STAND TRIAL FOR YOUR CRIMES IN THE SUPERIOR COURT! ALL LOYAL TO THE KING, DETAIN THESE CRIMINALS!" he bellows, and the two companies behind him and Kerrie surge forth.
The woman keeps her hand on the sword, but does not draw it; out of respect for her, the nobles are rounded up and placed at the head of a carriage train, guarded by the swordswoman and the mercenary companies. Tekla and Sota depart at the head of the procession, as the plaintiff and the lawyers. With them goes your legal documents that you need to prove the case, and the last lingering reservations about the night.
Just.
As.
Planned.
Learning
DC: 23 Roll: 20 + 5.0 = 25
You try to show an interest in Tekla's work, even as you idly memorize the numbers and patterns that he keeps showing you, as if there's some greater connection you're supposed to be drawing but just aren't. You wonder if this is how other people see you as, even as you continue following along with his grand project to map out the city.
To be fair, you can sort of understand the use of it, even if you're more strictly thinking in terms of how you could probably sell this stuff at a pretty sweet markup rather than how it can personally benefit you or how it'll help unravel the fundamental mysteries of the world, as Tekla puts it.
You swear, he's so lackadaiscal and carefree most of the times it's hard to realize that they're the same person underneath it all.
Piety
DC: 23. Roll: 20 + 2 + 2 + 1.6 = 25.6
You really need to learn how to shut up. That's two or three times that Tekla's work has saved you a lot of hassle and embarassment just this year alone, let alone all the other times. The sailors and merchants on the ship barely agreed to let you step aboard at the last minute, and it's only after accounting for the background effects that Tekla's map had so handily provided were you able to contact the ship spirit and convince it to bless its passengers.
You're certainly not going to complain about the feel of a good chunk of the merchant's specie, though. Cormag sees your glee and just sighs, good-naturedly grumbling about the unfairness of talent and an interest proving superior to a lifetime of effort and devotion. You roll your eyes back at him, asking if he's more mad about the money. He kind of is, but at this point he's just used to it.
Sales Revenue: 13 Budget.
Cost of Goods and Services: (2 Budget).
Mercenary Expense: (6 Budget).
Advertising Expense: (4 Budget).
Legal Expense: (2 Budget).
Lodging Expense: (2 Budget).
Salaries and Wage Expense: (2 Budget).
Other Expense: (2 Budget).
Net Loss: (7 Budget).
Remaining Budget: 146.
With the arrest of the inner ring of the Gorlin Chai Ring, your group now has a choice: Do you all move to the capital with Tekla and keep working at making sure the case goes through in the capital, or do some of you stay behind to try and nail Besim too?
[] Go to the capital. (Advance 1 Month).
[] Split up.
-[] Agueda stays back.
-[] Cormag stays back.
-[] Kerrie stays back.
Anyone that is not told to stay back is sent to the capital. As you are playing through Agueda, the focus of the quest will move with Agueda.
DC: 25. Roll: 16 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 7.4 = 28.4
Diplomacy:
DC: 10. Roll: 16 + 3.7 = 19.7
Intrigue:
DC: 27. Roll: 22 + 3 + 4.9 = 29.9
Stewardship:
DC: 22. Roll: 22 + 2.2 = 24.2
Random Event Roll: 34
The Arrest of the Gorlin Chai Ring
Over the course of the first two weeks, the team works with Sota Johannsen to make absolutely sure you have the case right. You are prosecuting the Count Lucilius Belluomo and his conspirators for conspiring to lie to the Crown, for stealing from the Crown, for shirking the duties of his position as appointed Governor General, and for abusing the terms of the charter in order to inordinately profit off the citizenry of the city of Gorlin.
The trick was that while the first two were financial crimes and would likely keep his money, position, and fury mostly intact, the next two would see him and his conspirators revoked of their rank - and if you played that right you might be able to leverage the successive court cases, each building off the last, to strip them of their titles and remunerate them to the Crown. That would be the main way you would be able to recoup the costs for the Crown.
In any case, however, the first legal hurdle you were going to have to clear was the first; you needed to present the case to the Superior Court in the capital, before the judge Count Felix. It was a little awkward to have a Count judge a Count, but for this preliminary trial that would probably be acceptable. Just in case, you checked noble genealogies; it didn't appear like either had recent marriages or close family ties, so you were fortunate in that regard.
However, the case being in the capital made things quite awkward - if you didn't have a full team, that was.
Tekla nodded. As the chief scientist, he'd be the best placed to argue that the Chai and Tea were identical, and he could at least point to the places on the records where they overlapped. It just made sense.
So on the night of, the team assumed their positions.
You and Kerrie made a wild tear through the underground, whispering that the agents of the king were coming. Angry muttering, directed both at the King and Count in equal measure seemed to bubble forth at this pronouncement, divided between the residents wanting to protect their rights from central tyranny and wanting someone to finally cut the Port Authority down to size a little. Cormag goes among the frontline priests and rouses their barely hidden ire against the Port Authority, revealing that he knows that not only are the Port Authority brutalizing the citizenry without point, that they are also doing so in direct contravention of the King and his Divine Mandate. He convinces a sizable mob of peasants and clergymen to demand answers.
Finally, Ser Tekla goes to work his surprisingly great charm upon those of letters, and reveals that in fact, he is officially coming out as an agent of the Crown, inside the private salon meeting. If any of them wished see justice done to the Port Authority, they need only arrive before the gates three hours after the morning bell. He was met with cheers and hearty congratulations.
As you and Kerrie swing by, you smirk as the agents of the Port Authority expose themselves in their attempt to warn the members of the inner circle.
The members of the inner circle all practically fall over themselves to disguise themselves and attempt to flee out of the city. You notice they shirk away from the streets with torches moving through them; zipping from street to street with your torch and ring of fire, you make it look like the mob is just around the corner, carefully herding them towards one specific street.
The main group of conspirators suddenly discover that they've been grouped up by an enemy that seems to be everywhere and anywhere, without the protection of their main forces. Contentently, you squat on the street corner as you watch them scurry about, blinded by the dark and yet needing to stay hidden.
As if you couldn't see them perfectly well, torchlight or not.
Finally, they arrive just at the head of the intersection.
You stand up, light your torch, and Kerrie, Tekla, and Cormag make their moves. You see one of the group immediately snap into a guard stance, likely the result of years in training and combat. You keep focused on the one there. She is probably the adventurer of the group, their honor guard to protect them at all times.
Instantaneously, the street is awash in light. From behind, Cormag and his rowdy mob of peasants and clergy emerge from the side streets. From the left, Kerrie walks at the head of the Ainsworth company. From the right, Tekla walks at the head of the Yarognev company.
The woman, recognizing she's beaten, sighs and sheathes her sword, much to the consternation of the others in the surrounded group.
Jeers and insults pour down from the crowd behind Cormag, as the three groups begin closing in on the underdressed nobles and conspirators. Their faces are caught inbetween the red flush of shame and anger, wanting to spit back at the crowd of peasants and clergy but unable to. The Ainsworth and the Yarognev companies advance, completely closing off the street, as you sit there lightly tapping your feet.
You glance at Cormag, who ruefully shakes his head; you see Kerrie smirk, as if to ask "what can you do". You suppress your smirk at a scheme well done; Tekla still has to do his part. Unsubtly, you rudely gesture at his lackadaisical posture and expression to just...get on with it. You can't tally this night as a success until you've realized all the benefit, after all.
You see more than hear Tekla's sigh as his slackened posture straightens and his lungs fill with air.
"HEAR ME, CRIMINALS AND OATHBREAKERS!" Tekla bellows, his willowy frame vibrating from the sheer power of his voice. The crowd behind Cormag hushes, awaiting to hear what else he'll announce. "I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO DENOUNCE YOUR CONSPIRACY TO DECEIVE THE KING AND HIS MANDATE! I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO ISSUE A DEMAND ON BEHALF OF THE KING TO STAND TRIAL FOR YOUR CRIMES IN THE SUPERIOR COURT! ALL LOYAL TO THE KING, DETAIN THESE CRIMINALS!" he bellows, and the two companies behind him and Kerrie surge forth.
The woman keeps her hand on the sword, but does not draw it; out of respect for her, the nobles are rounded up and placed at the head of a carriage train, guarded by the swordswoman and the mercenary companies. Tekla and Sota depart at the head of the procession, as the plaintiff and the lawyers. With them goes your legal documents that you need to prove the case, and the last lingering reservations about the night.
Just.
As.
Planned.
Learning
DC: 23 Roll: 20 + 5.0 = 25
You try to show an interest in Tekla's work, even as you idly memorize the numbers and patterns that he keeps showing you, as if there's some greater connection you're supposed to be drawing but just aren't. You wonder if this is how other people see you as, even as you continue following along with his grand project to map out the city.
To be fair, you can sort of understand the use of it, even if you're more strictly thinking in terms of how you could probably sell this stuff at a pretty sweet markup rather than how it can personally benefit you or how it'll help unravel the fundamental mysteries of the world, as Tekla puts it.
You swear, he's so lackadaiscal and carefree most of the times it's hard to realize that they're the same person underneath it all.
Piety
DC: 23. Roll: 20 + 2 + 2 + 1.6 = 25.6
You really need to learn how to shut up. That's two or three times that Tekla's work has saved you a lot of hassle and embarassment just this year alone, let alone all the other times. The sailors and merchants on the ship barely agreed to let you step aboard at the last minute, and it's only after accounting for the background effects that Tekla's map had so handily provided were you able to contact the ship spirit and convince it to bless its passengers.
You're certainly not going to complain about the feel of a good chunk of the merchant's specie, though. Cormag sees your glee and just sighs, good-naturedly grumbling about the unfairness of talent and an interest proving superior to a lifetime of effort and devotion. You roll your eyes back at him, asking if he's more mad about the money. He kind of is, but at this point he's just used to it.
Sales Revenue: 13 Budget.
Cost of Goods and Services: (2 Budget).
Mercenary Expense: (6 Budget).
Advertising Expense: (4 Budget).
Legal Expense: (2 Budget).
Lodging Expense: (2 Budget).
Salaries and Wage Expense: (2 Budget).
Other Expense: (2 Budget).
Net Loss: (7 Budget).
Remaining Budget: 146.
With the arrest of the inner ring of the Gorlin Chai Ring, your group now has a choice: Do you all move to the capital with Tekla and keep working at making sure the case goes through in the capital, or do some of you stay behind to try and nail Besim too?
[] Go to the capital. (Advance 1 Month).
[] Split up.
-[] Agueda stays back.
-[] Cormag stays back.
-[] Kerrie stays back.
Anyone that is not told to stay back is sent to the capital. As you are playing through Agueda, the focus of the quest will move with Agueda.
