Martial:
Visions of the Future
DC: 20. Roll: 17 + 1 + 1 + 3.0 = 22.0
Intrigue:
Shaken Loose
DC: Scaling. Roll: 22 + 2 + 0.9 = 24.9
Well, your reputation is almost certainly being overhyped by the Baron Kaufmann, especially since your specialties lie more along the lines of communicating with local spirits rather than asking the truly powerful spirits about the direction of events like an entire war.
Bluntly put, however, the army needs the morale boost and liberating cash from noble coffers is frankly it's own reward.
So you do it. You dress up, wave some nonsense about, bribe some spirits backstage to provide visual effects, and pronounce that victory for the Crusaders were assured so long as they had faith in the cause and faith in their comrades. In some sense it was even true - the moment the soldiers lost that faith, routing was imminent, while faith and faith alone could turn a hopelessly grim situation into an assured victory.
You're sure the lightning you called down from the blue made quite the impression, given the sheer raucous overwhelming response you received from the crowd.
That you needed a few people to be willing to sacrifice more than they had initially expected to sacrifice in the ensuing feast, of course, is completely incidental.
Gain: 10 Budget.
[] [Loot] Items
You can steal one good tool or two - as a sacrifice to the great gods of war, as the nobles will understand it.
[] [Loot] Money
You could also simply steal cold hard specie, and the nobility will even probably consider it a good deal.
[] [Loot] Box
There are some items that the nobles are clearly uncomfortable with carrying, but feel they must as part of their obligation. Relieve them of it.
Diplomacy:
Large Claims:
DC: 25. Roll: 20 + 3 + 6.7 = 29.7.
Piety:
Restitution III
DC: 25. Roll: 23 + 0.2 = 23.2
The Day of Black Sun
You manage to successfully bring out the recalcitrant spirits out to trial, almost forcefully dragging the spirits of the household out by the ear to answer for what their charges did to the spirits of the massacred families. It takes coaxing, bribes, and naked threats, but you manage that, with the help of Cormag and the Gnarled Rod.
With that done, you begin calling for Justice to oversee a dispute between the spirits. Naturally, you start shaping your request to draw in Justice, Reconciliatory and Restorative - except this goes badly wrong at step one. The first sign you get of this disapproval is when your candle suddenly winks out in the middle of the day, before flaring up unexpectedly and exhausting itself just as quickly.
The second is an angry force of palpable hatred you feel sweep through you, a sense of black-and-white wrongness that afflicts you on every level and has you instinctively leaping to the ceiling to avoid the ground.
The third is the sun itself vanishing underneath an unnatural black cloud.
Random Event Roll: 99
Restitution IV
DC: 30. Roll: 21 + 3 + 3 + 2 + 3.4 = 32.4
"Cease," Cormag growls. His priest frock flaps in the howling winds, black curses swirling around him as he stands on the border. The waves of hatred crash around him - and yet with the Gnarled Rod planted into the ground and his hands holding the Book of Judgements open, his body moves not a single inch. Though the ground around him crumbles away to ash, within the sphere centered on his breath and soul, his will is inviolable.
And his will is to begin the chant that you had abandoned.
"Hear me, Justice in your infinite facets, and answer to the cry calling for you now!" he roars into the wind, and somehow you can hear him despite barely being able to see him standing all that distance away. It is not because his voice is louder - simply that it carries weight to itself onto the wind, brushing aside mundane concerns like distance and distractions.
"Hear me, Justice, and see that you are done to those who have wronged! To those who have been wronged! And to those who may still yet live in the ashes of your great and terrible decisions!" He intones.
The howling curse-bearing winds quiet, and the blackness hanging over the province begins to lift, one solitary ray of light illuminating the priest holding his book against the vast darkness.
"Hear me, Justice, and through this vessel let us bring this trial to session."
The book slams shut, and although the noise is quiet the sensation reverberates through the souls of all in the province, calling them to attend the great trial.
Cormag's already large frame seemingly swells as he raises the Book of Judgements.
"Then by my authority vested in me by Justice, I call this trial to order."
The force of the proclamation disperses the black clouds of curses like the morning mists, and the spirits are called into attendance to achieve justice within the court of spiritual - or perhaps now, it would be better to term it divine? - law.
The worst, thus, is temporarily stopped.
Temporarily.
Cormag gains a permanent +2 Piety. For the duration of the Trial, Cormag gains Temporary Title: Justice's Overseer, which grants +3 Piety, +5 Respect, and one Action that must be directed at the Trial.
Learning:
Enhancements:
DC: 22. Roll: 20 + 9.0 = 29.0
Stewardship
Crime and Punishment:
DC: 20. Roll: 23 + 0.1 = 23.1.
Compared to the terrifying grips of madness that had burst through the province, the rest seems so positively banal. Tekla handily succeeds at selling his improvement services, while you help him squeeze even more money out of the noble knights who wanted such upgrades to their equipment. The trial of the Wahner families, frankly, seems like a distant afterthought, even if your chosen solution of levying fines for them to repay and a temporary revocation of some of their noble rights seemed reasonable at the time.
But it works.
That's all you can ask for, at this point.
Service Revenue: 14 Budget.
Sales Revenue: 8 Budget.
Cost of Goods and Services Sold: 5 Budget.
Legal Expense: 4 Budget.
Salaries and Wage Expense: 1 Budget.
Net Profit: 12 Budget.
Remaining Budget: 70 Budget.
Cormag's frame carries with it a palpable presence in the air, nowadays, and the only thing that preserves the thread-like peace in the province is that Cormag has called the session to order, and the power of that pronouncement has locked up those who might want to bring preemptive retribution. At least Cormag's quick action appears to have spared the crops serious damage, but the damage to the harvest is still quite extensive and uneven. Worse, the army has seen the sky black out with curses, and become incredibly jittery - while no one's calling for war, everyone's calling for something to be done. Furthermore, your reserves are all about cut down to the bone - you must collect a good harvest this turn or starvation hits the province as well.
With 70 Budget remaining and most of your costs covered, you're not willing to stretch the Budget far - 10 Budget at most.
You have one [Free] Action that you may spend on an action in any category.
You can cooperate with your teammates to add +3 base stat to an action that you are cooperating on. It is represented by using your [Free] Action on one of your already-selected Actions. This can include selecting the Action that Cormag is already locked into.
Martial (Choose 1) {Kerrie Action}
[] [Martial] Army Restraint
You've just got done indoctrinating the army with a massive heap of faith in their cause and their comrades, and then the skies literally blackened with curses. Time to make sure they don't do something stupid. DC: 22. Cost: 0 Budget.
Diplomacy (Choose 1) {Agueda Action}
[] [Diplomacy] Small Claims
With your status as spirit guide and reputation as the Just, you can charge a service to settle small claims that finding an actual judge would take too much effort for. DC: 20. Gain: 4 Budget.
[] [Diplomacy] Stories
With a trial like this kicking off immediately, you need to start collecting evidence. Evidence like eyewitness testimony, or perhaps testimony of the perpetrators. Time to get to work. DC: 23. Cost: 2 Budget.
Intrigue (Choose 1) {Agueda Action}
[] [Intrigue] And Stay There
Alternatively, you could just point a knife at the commanders of the army and tell them in no uncertain terms that their continued survival depends on their forces doing nothing dumb. Hopefully that will discourage them from trying anything. DC: 25. Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Intrigue] Shaken Loose
There's a new batch of army rolling through, which means a new opportunity to procure some new items that just so happen to fall off the wagon - however, the Day of Black Sun has them jittery, and so they've tightened security somewhat. DC: Scaling. Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Intrigue] Plant Evidence
Part of the problem is that evidence is hard to obtain. Therefore...you could always fake some. Sure, it might not hold up to scrutiny, and you definitely don't want to be caught by Justice while you're doing it - but it might help resolve the case that much faster. DC: 25. Cost: 2 Budget. Cost: In the Light Achievement.
Learning (Choose 1) {Tekla Action}
[] [Learning] Enhancements II
The outgoing armies have left a strong word about an incredibly talented glyphworker among the Countess' groups - which is Tekla, which means you both have a chance to make much bigger amounts of money. DC: 22. Gain: 10 Budget.
[] [Learning] The Dead Speak
Alternatively, Tekla has some really esoteric tools he can use...although they're not strictly Compact approved, he might be able to utilize these abilities better than Agueda might be able to mentally reconstruct the scenes. DC: 25. Cost: 2 Budget.
Stewardship (Choose 1) {Agueda Action}
[] [Stewardship] A Late Investigation
Tekla's got some esoteric tools, and you have the mind to help reconstruct what happened at the scenes of the crimes - or really, you should term them, as mass murders. You'll be working in mass graves among decomposing bodies, but there might be something to work with. DC: 25. Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Stewardship] The Final Harvest
You have an incoming army to finish feeding, and a peasantry three steps from starvation. Absolutely nothing can go wrong with this upcoming harvest, and you intend to ensure that. DC: 25. Cost: 0 Budget.
Piety (Choose 1) {Agueda Action}
[X] [Piety] [LOCKED] Justice, Unbiased and Unwavering
Cormag, standing in as the Justice's Overseer, must preside over this trial between the spirits. He must be fair, impartial, and critically, be perceived as such by all factions, lest this turn into a complete disaster. DC: 28. Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Piety] Spiritual Testimony
You're going to want to obtain the testimony of various spirits about their roles in the massacres all those months ago to establish a baseline - and then be prepared to knock the whole house down, if you have to. DC: 27. Cost: 0 Budget.
[] [Piety] Leading the Harvest Ceremony
One of the great festivals of the year is the Harvest festival, led by a spiritual leader to appease the spirits and ensure that the harvest is good this year. The Countess would gladly pay for it, and someone else other than you might get it wrong. DC: Scaling. Gain: 6 Budget.