"Dissociative" may not be recognized as a word but it is the word I wanted to put there.
Also, with all this system stuff, figured it was worth mentioning that the vote's still open, at least for the next 12.5 hours.
"Dissociative" may not be recognized as a word but it is the word I wanted to put there.
Also, with all this system stuff, figured it was worth mentioning that the vote's still open, at least for the next 12.5 hours.
[x] Go into the building.
-[x] Announce yourself to the Boss. It's only polite, now that you're in held territory.
-[x] Look for official work. Any given Boss and their operation are no strangers to delegating to random sellswords.
Committing the prophecy to memory, you head for the tall building as the rest of the bearer-guards leave. Propped up against one of the pillars is a large wooden sign with ornate metal curlicues--in Continental script it reads VESPERGREN EMBASSY, though it's been painted over partially to turn it, if you squint, into Ashvakrev for BUTCHER'S THRONE. This has been scratched out again, EMBASSY written and underlined beneath. It's scent-marked with the unmistakable signals of a Boss, as well as innumerable sub-bosses, mercenaries, and pretty much everyone who's ever gone in. You sneeze, clearing your head of that tangle of scent-markers, and head in.
Immediately, the Butcher's Throne/Embassy throws in your face that same familiar-foreign aesthetic--tall, vaulted ceiling, blocky lines in sooty stone, chalk and ocher delineating names, diagrams and historical images, mosaics made from bones and bullet casings, just like home, contrasted with intact mirrors and stained-glass windows, more tubes of light (it appears, on closer inspection, to be multicolored burning gas), and bronze statues of high-Saturation Locusts, each on a marble plinth. The place is arranged like a cathedral, everything drawing attention to an enormous statue of Damalu wresting what looks like a scale model of a city from Xhaal's hands, while below the pedestal corridors branch in seven different directions. More Locusts run to and fro here, carrying vases, urns, treasure chests, coffins, sheaves of paper, barrels, bundles of weapons. Nobody spares you a second look--everyone here has a purpose that's more important than scavenging for opportunities. It's bizarre.
You follow the Boss's scent-trail behind the statue and up a nice, wide flight of stairs, long enough so that anyone at the top could see someone coming and have plenty of time to pick them off as they climbed. Good, sensible architecture. At the top is a pair of ajar doors, bronze carved with scenes of battle, and beyond is a smallish throne room. Floor to ceiling windows offer a view of that massive central pillar, an enormous skeleton in tattered rags hangs from the ceiling, shelves stuffed with books, weapons and body parts line the walls, and behind a C-shaped desk and a trio of arguing petitioners hunches what has to be the boss.
She's twice your height, in a long, hooded robe, black edged and patterned with gold, perched on the edge of a tall wooden chair, and what shows of her body is perfectly symmetrical, dull gold-and-black chitin covering her face and her hands, arms forked at the elbow, claws immaculately trimmed and polished, neck hung about with chains of keys and timepieces. She looks like she could take your head off with a swipe, but would probably rather plan for you to fall into a pit mysteriously two weeks after you slighted her.
She's gorgeous.
The three in front of her seem to be reaching the end of their tirade, which is dense with jargon you don't understand: "stavrata" and "oubliettes" and "interest" and "ledger". She raises her left pair of hands, and their twittering goes silent.
"We will continue to pay our taxes to the Qoman administration. The world over sees us as thieves, and Vespergrenites arguably the worst of a bad lot. If we continue to show ourselves as trustworthy... the eventual score will be that much bigger. Now, be off with you. Earn those dividends you invest so much time in squawking about."
As they run off, the biggest giving you a bloodshot glare as he shoves past you, the Boss turns, her seemingly eyeless gaze alighting directly on you.
"You there. You don't smell familiar... and you're young. First outing? A young Second introducing themselves to the local higher-up?"
You nod mutely, stepping forward into the dim light of the throne room.
"You found me quickly, I'm impressed."
Are you:
[ ]: Swaggering--"It didn't take much at all. This place is obviously where anything interesting's going on. I'm Grail, and I'm here for work. Got anything for me?"
[ ]: Humble--"Thank you. My name is Grail, and I've come hoping for work. This seemed like the best place to go... is there anything for me?"
[ ]: Reserved-- You nod, just once. "I'm Grail, and this seemed the right place. Do you have any work?"
[ ]: Write-in.
I'm glad y'all are enjoying the setting! I have ideas for other stories and quests, which I may run concurrently, I'd have to decide if it's worth it. There's tons of stories to tell here. As for this story, expect 1.9 later today!
[x]: Calm-- You nod. "I got lucky. I'm Grail, and I'm hoping for work. Do you have anything appropriate?" (Write-in)
"I got lucky. I'm Grail, and I'm hoping for work. Do you have anything appropriate?"
She leans back in her chair, beckoning you closer, and you comply, moving with a composure you don't feel on the outside. Acting like you're in control of yourself felt like the best course of action, and you can only hope that she can't smell your trepidation.
"I am Dial, Administrator of the Vespergren Embassy and first among three. One third of the responsibility of the Vesakh in this city rests on my shoulders. I am generally extremely busy, as you might imagine, but you've caught me in a gap between obligations, fortunately enough. So I can safely say that you've come to the right place, lucky Grail. In the future, you may turn left from the entrance to exchange contracts with my subordinate, Slate--but for now, I am pleased you chose to introduce yourself before you got up to mischief in the city at large. Welcome to Iash Qoma, Grail. You made a risky choice for your first outing--but a potentially profitable one. Have a seat."
She gestures to a wooden chair, scarred from who knows what dorsal spikes and limb blades of previous occupants, and you perch upon it like a gargoyle.
"Others will explain this to you, and you'll be well-served to take heed, but I appreciate the chance to deliver the message personally--this is not Vespergren. Barter is acceptable, but money is better, and if you want acquisition through violence, you can't do it in public. There are laws,and armed individuals paid to enforce them. It will behoove you to be cautious and canny, and assume that if your target is a civilian, someone is likely watching you. There are places where violence is expected and even encouraged; public thoroughfares and streets are not among them. If you are arrested for crimes, then you become my business, and our meeting there will be far less pleasant. Do you understand, lucky Grail?"
You nod, then clear your throat.
"Understood. Like Poking the Dragon training, back in schooling--the law is 'Don't get caught'?"
She smiles, clearly pleased.
"Good! Yes, precisely. You'll figure things out, as you're expected to, but informing you of this much precludes a lot of suffering, yours and mine. Now, let's cut to the chase. I have a handful of jobs almost suitable for a Second just learning the ropes for you."
[ ] "An impoverished inventor in Great Men has supposedly created a new weapon design. You are to make her an offer for it, as well as to see who else is sniffing around her doorstep." (Understanding of local power players, monetary compensation, potential weapon.)
[ ] "I am meeting Maheswaran and Endless Battle halfway through next week. It would be pleasant to serve something from the surface at the meeting. Ascend to the Yasherits Forest and bring me as much of a healthy boar in as best a condition as you can get it." (Understanding of local geography, introduction to other important Locusts, money.)
[ ] "The University is always sponsoring digs in the southeast, and I have of late taken an interest in what they've been excavating. Join a delve and bring me the most interesting artifacts." (Understanding of history and the University, monetary compensation, potential artifacts.)
[ ] "If none of that sounds appealing... why, that's fine. Go see Slate for the commonly available jobs, see if any of those strike your eye." (Early understanding of the way work and compensation function here, sizing up the competition, unpredictable profits, ??? with Dial.)
Hearing your choice, Dial smiles. "Excellent. Go out into the world, and return to me when you're done--this time only, of course. Afterwards... who knows? I wish you further good fortune, lucky Grail. You seem so full of potential... It'd be a shame to see it spill onto the cobblestones before your time."
The threatening farewell registers as just polite conversation--if she wanted you dead, you couldn't do much about it, so why read into things? You stand, bow, and take your leave, hurrying down the stairs and back into the grand central room, breathing a little heavily. The power, the symmetry, the menace--oh, to be someday as strong and beautiful as her!
[ ] The day remains young--go look for the basics, like accommodations and local resources.
[ ] The day is finite--go immediately in search of the Scab Palace, take care of your debt to Loupe.
[ ] The day isn't getting any longer--go do the preliminary casing for your job from Dial.
[ ] Write-in.
[X] "An impoverished inventor in Great Men has supposedly created a new weapon design. You are to make her an offer for it, as well as to see who else is sniffing around her doorstep." (Understanding of local power players, monetary compensation, potential weapon.)
[X] The day remains young--go look for the basics, like accommodations and local resources.
[x] "I am meeting Maheswaran and Endless Battle halfway through next week. It would be pleasant to serve something from the surface at the meeting. Ascend to the Yasherits Forest and bring me as much of a healthy boar in as best a condition as you can get it." (Understanding of local geography, introduction to other important Locusts, money.)
[x] The day isn't getting any longer--go do the preliminary casing for your job from Dial.
[X] "The University is always sponsoring digs in the southeast, and I have of late taken an interest in what they've been excavating. Join a delve and bring me the most interesting artifacts." (Understanding of history and the University, monetary compensation, potential artifacts.)
[X] The day isn't getting any longer--go do the preliminary casing for your job from Dial.
[X] "The University is always sponsoring digs in the southeast, and I have of late taken an interest in what they've been excavating. Join a delve and bring me the most interesting artifacts." (Understanding of history and the University, monetary compensation, potential artifacts.)
[X] "An impoverished inventor in Great Men has supposedly created a new weapon design. You are to make her an offer for it, as well as to see who else is sniffing around her doorstep." (Understanding of local power players, monetary compensation, potential weapon.)
[X] The day isn't getting any longer--go do the preliminary casing for your job from Dial.
Understanding local power player will help us avoid stepping on the wrong toes. A new weapon would be a nice bonus.
[X] "An impoverished inventor in Great Men has supposedly created a new weapon design. You are to make her an offer for it, as well as to see who else is sniffing around her doorstep." (Understanding of local power players, monetary compensation, potential weapon.)
All of the options seem to allow money, and artifacts, mystery options, and other Locusts are secondary to A) Being able to defend ourself, and B) Not making enemies.
[X] The day remains young--go look for the basics, like accommodations and local resources.
Start with the basics, build our way up! We need a place to stay, and knowing what there is to take advantage of is critical!
I'd rank boar-hunting as the least fun and crazy weapon bidding as the most. Figuring out how to ghost through the Scab Palace - or at least get in and out without much bloodshed or infamy - is a good idea, and doesn't quite seem like it'll happen if we vote for taking care of it before finding a bolthole.
That said, I'd be happy enough to case the weapon-bidding job first. Doesn't sound too dangerous, and any fighting between bidders will plausibly not be our fault. Plus, speed might help a lot.
[X] "An impoverished inventor in Great Men has supposedly created a new weapon design. You are to make her an offer for it, as well as to see who else is sniffing around her doorstep." (Understanding of local power players, monetary compensation, potential weapon.)
[X] The day isn't getting any longer--go do the preliminary casing for your job from Dial.
[X] The day remains young--go look for the basics, like accommodations and local resources.
[ ] "An impoverished inventor in Great Men has supposedly created a new weapon design. You are to make her an offer for it, as well as to see who else is sniffing around her doorstep." (Understanding of local power players, monetary compensation, potential weapon.)
[ ] The day isn't getting any longer--go do the preliminary casing for your job from Dial.
You hustle out of the Embassy and find a corner near the entrance to huddle in and get your thoughts in a row. Inventions always kind of interested you, though you never had the patience to sit down and put things together. The patience, or maybe the time--you don't get a lot of opportunities to sequester yourself and focus on building and experimenting when you're young and weak and surrounded by people who want to prove they're not as weak as you are. With that in mind, combined with a vague dissatisfaction with your loud, unreliable six-shooter, you chose the weapons job. Maybe you'll be able to figure out who moves and shakes, as well as exactly how money works.
You're not too worried about the job for Loupe right now--you have nine entire days to carry it out, and smash-and-grabs never take much time at all. And you can always find somewhere to squat when you actually feel tired. Which leaves one priority for the day: to get started immediately on finding the inventor and scoping out what this job actually entails. An important question remains: where the hell is Great Men? You have a lot of options, but you've spent enough time talking to people for now, and it's honestly weirding you out. So it's time to return to one of your favorite pastimes--wandering around until you see something relevant to your interests! Truly, the sport of queens.
Thinking about what you used to love doing reminds you of home, and of:
[ ] Your old crew. One of the only relationships not built on a mercenary basis or mutual screwing-over that your people tend to form, crew are people with complimentary strengths and weaknesses who band together and watch each other's backs. The ones formed before first outing tend not to last, but they were close to you, and you miss them.
[ ] Your old partner. Being full of hormones and nervousness makes the tail end of schooling a hot mess, but partnerships tend to form up in the morass of backstabbing. They were close to you, you watched out for each other, you shared a squat--and then
-[ ] They died.
-[ ] They stabbed you in the back.
[ ] Your perpetual loneliness. You were never able to form crew, to find a partner, to band together with anyone for long. You've spent all your time being able to rely on, ultimately, no one else but you.
-[ ] And you want to change that. Maybe someone else, someone who isn't Vesakh, might work with you!
-[ ] And you're fine with that. You don't need crew, you don't need anyone but yourself.
You shake the memories from your head, adjust your pack on your back, make sure your awful gun is within reach, and head out for the edge of the Locusty neighborhood. It's too close to home, for now, and you didn't come here to look at home-but-weirder. You came to see the world! Or at least the part of it sunk into this big weird hole in the skin of the earth. You:
[ ] Head northwest, towards the central pillar, with the lights and machines and lifts and vertiginous buildings.
[ ] Go northeast, towards where the land slopes off into the dark waters of the Unfound Sea, and the docks and bridges there.
[ ] Go due south, where it smells like hot metal and booze and aggression, carried to you on warm winds over the sea.
[ ] Go west-southwest, where the snapping and crackling you heard from within the station is just about audible.
