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Palace of Greed, El Dorado (Library of Ruina)

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LinkOnScepter said:
[X] Fix up the holes in my current outfit. Yeah, I'm a Scarecrow, but that doesn't mean I need to walk around with glaring openings in my armor. That stuff's supposed to protect me.
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Gonna veto this, unfortunately, since being ratty, and tattered is the Scarecrow's whole uniform code. The appearance is also purely cosmetics (hence the optional part).
 
I do wonder if Karrion is in any way related to the... the other spider-like augmented that make black fabric.

Also, I am honestly for adding up to one of the Physical skills. After all, Lily is a fighter above all. She takes the hits for her clients and teammates.
It may be favored... but that makes it even better. XP costs don't change, so it only means we can punch above our weight class.

Say, Endurance. We get +1 from clothing, level up our skill to 3, we end up with a total Endurance of 4, which means... 2 armor? Is that how it works?
If that is so, we get a total of -4 damage reduction.
See our first fight:
SoothingCoffee said:
Cool Girl, and Hood Man Charge in. Lily rolls for Stealth. Hard Difficulty. 1d10+1. Needs 7 to Win. Rolls exactly 7 (6+1). While Ran is distracted by Hood and Cool, Lily goes in. 1st Strike is Free due to Stealth. 11 (9+2 (Melee)). 11 – 5 (Armor): 6 Hit. Ran looks surprised but looks barely hurt. Ran strikes with leg. Lily's defends: 6 (4+2). Ran rolls: 14 (6+8). 14 – 6 - 1(Armor/Endurance): 7 Hit. Health remaining: 20 - 7 = 13.
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This upgraded Lily would get hit with only 4 damage, leaving her at 16 HP. She'll be Wounded, rather than Heavily Wounded. In narrative terms, I believe she'd be... either still standing, or at least land on her own legs, rather than sliding on the floor.

In short, vote for Endurance is a vote for a stoic badass Lily, standing there like a wall in front of her clients.
She's a Scarecrow, after all. Why would she be bothered by some angry birds pecking at her?

[X] Endurance
 
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[X] A grey topcoat.

[X] Negotiation

Topcoat goes over the suit. Makes sense. I'm leaning toward Negotiation, or Insight because being better at talking or more perceptive are both good. My concern is that Lily will offend someone eventually, seeing how abrasive she can be even in low-stakes situations.

Mao is still an excellent foil to her surly junior. Workshop people are neat! Really get the sense that everyone is more than capable of violence, when things come to that. Of course Kai would pick something that weirds Lily out. It'll make their bonding moment even more rewarding. Karrion seems nice, maybe a bit lonely from pursuing her work. Looking forward to more!
 
[X] Negotiation

Less 'open mouth, insert foot moments' while talking to employers. No opinion on clothing appearance here though.
 
SoothingCoffee said:
Gonna veto this, unfortunately, since being ratty, and tattered is the Scarecrow's whole uniform code. The appearance is also purely cosmetics (hence the optional part).
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That's fine with me, I like the scarecrow aesthetic! Speaking of aesthetics, let me try my hand at crafting one for Lilly...

[X] Write in: A tattered black tailcoat with dark purple vest. A threadbare undershirt rests below the vest, with missing buttons on the collar.

It's not far from what we are wearing in our character art, but I don't think we need to be too complicated with this. Does this work for you guys?

[X] Endurance
 
Adhoc vote count started by SoothingCoffee on Mar 1, 2021 at 11:20 AM, finished with 11 posts and 8 votes.
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Calling the Vote. Looks like Endurance won. There's not a lot of votes for the fashion, so I'll make an additional voting here:

[] Stick with Vanilla. Tattered black jacket, vest, and stitched up trousers, alongside a popped-open collared red suit.

[] Kynecho's. Patched up grey topcoat, and torn-up black trousers, stray threads sticking out of the seams. Untucked, and unbottoned-top red shirt with half-torn black tie.

[] Bladesguy's. A tattered black tailcoat with dark purple vest. A white threadbare undershirt rests below the vest, with missing buttons on the collar.

If there's no vote -- or there's a tie, I'll flip a coin/throw a dice.
 
[X] Kynecho's. Patched up grey topcoat, and torn-up black trousers, stray threads sticking out of the seams. Untucked, and unbottoned-top red shirt with half-torn black tie.
 
[X] Stick with Vanilla. Tattered black jacket, vest, and stitched up trousers, alongside a popped-open collared red suit.
 
[X] Stick with Vanilla. Tattered black jacket, vest, and stitched up trousers, alongside a popped-open collared red suit.
 
[X] Kynecho's. Patched up grey topcoat, and torn-up black trousers, stray threads sticking out of the seams. Untucked, and unbottoned-top red shirt with half-torn black tie.
just my taste...
 
[X] Bladesguy's. A tattered black tailcoat with dark purple vest. A white threadbare undershirt rests below the vest, with missing buttons on the collar.

I'm kinda obligated to vote for myself.
 
[X] Kynecho's. Patched up grey topcoat, and torn-up black trousers, stray threads sticking out of the seams. Untucked, and unbottoned-top red shirt with half-torn black tie.
 
Calling the Fashion Vote, and it looks like there's a tie between Kynecho's and Bladesguy's. First vote to break the tie wins. Failing that, I'll flip a coin.
 
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Week 1 - Appetizer
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    • It's already evening when you got back to the apartment building, and exhaustion settles deep into your bones the moment you laid eyes on it. It has been two days – the longest you've ever been without settling foot down here. It looms over you like a living, breathing monster. You'd rather die than to ever admit it, but there's something inside your core that warms up at its sight; you're its hostage for a good ten years, and you've come to grow used to it. It scares the living shit out of you, like chains locked around your limbs, holding you back, dragging you down. Eighteen. Fucking. Years. You want to go up, but this is all that you know – what if you're gonna be here for another ten years? A couple days ago, you thought you were moving up; now that you're a Fixer, you could leave this behind, you believed. But your first mission was a fucking joke, and your head is still spinning from today – Mao throwing two mills at you like they're chump change, and Kai, and Karrion –

    What if you don't got what it takes?

    Your head spins, eyes glancing down to your side, at the box of brownies in your hand, courtesy of Sun. How much would they cost? You've never set foot into a bakery, but you've passed by them a few times. Five-kay for a loaf of bread, twice for the fancy ones. A box filled with brownies; you're guessing gonna cost about thirty. Mao, and Mori treated you with chicken rice porridge earlier. It was fucking delicious. A flavorful broth possible only with the use of TimeTrack device, and whole fucking mountain of shredded chicken, and toppings; scallions, chopped-up you tiao, fried peanuts, tong cai, shrimp crackers, and a spoonful of chicken fat. Each bowl was fifteen thousand, and Mao and Mori grabbed seconds – and you think you're gonna get sick.

    You shake your head.

    Even though you know there's a good couple dozen people living here, the corridors of the apartment feel empty, and quiet as always. Unlike last time, Landlord Lin's not here to greet you. There's some relief there, and you get to your room without problem. You fumble for your key, and practically throw yourself inside, dropping to the familiar dusty floor of your room. It smells of you – blood, and that ever-present stench of filth, and poverty. You're more tired than you thought. Groaning, cursing under your breath, you drag yourself up to your feet – and freeze halfway through the process. There, on the floor, is a letter.

    Suddenly, you're very much awake.

    It's a normal looking thing. Rectangular. White. Something is written on it: your name. Full name – Lily, followed a word you've long forgotten, recalled only until now. Ice grips your heart as your eyes fall to the center of the letter. There's a stamp, and you immediately know who's the sender: The Head.

    Your heart skips several beats. "S-shit," you mutter, looking over your shoulders. You throw your body, slamming the door shut with your shoulder, hastily locking it shut. "Shit shit shit," why? Why did they send a letter to you? You – you already paid your tax, didn't you? You made sure of it. You don't mess with the Head, so you make sure to be a good little girl, see, and you never missed a single month. You never got a strike, and they never sent you a letter – so why?

    You scrabble to the letter. Your hands shake as you try and fail to open the letter. "Shit, come one!" you end up tearing the envelope – but that doesn't matter. The inside's what matters the most, and you carefully read each, and every word written there –

    –noticed that–

    –your Fixer yearly income is estimated –

    –increased taxation –

    –failure to pay will –

    Oh.

    The paper slips from your fingers, and you collapse down, staring at the ceiling. "Oh."

    You slam your fist down to the floor.

    "Oi!" a neighbor replies, punching at the wall. "Shut up –"

    "Fuck off, or I'll beat your ass!" you shout – and you don't get any reply. "Fucking pussy," you mumble under your breath, closing your eyes. In. Out. You roll over to take another look at the paper, and exhale. "That's a lot."

    [Goal: Pay Your Tax or Else – Pay 500,000 Ahn monthly. Failure to pay will induce penalty from the Head. Failure to pay three times, and the Head will visit you. This Goal will last as long as the Head exist.]

    Your mind's already starting to run on how to plan your budget for the week.

    Article:
    You have 253,150 Ahn – that's a lot of money, but apparently not "a lot" enough. And here you thought you could live in relative luxury. Fucking shit.

    Plan Meal for the Week (Choose 1):

    [] Extreme (0 Ahn): It's… well. It's not a living. Barely a living – but you just need something to fill your stomach. Water's free. You'll have to dumpster dive, and maybe see if there's some wild edible grass you could cook. Or mug some nearby Rats. That works too, though you don't expect much from them either. [Receive Status: Starving – -5 to Max Health, and Sanity Point for the Week. You Take 1.5 More Damage from Attacks. Receive Temporary -1 to one of your Favored Skills (1d3).]

    [] Turtling (5000 Ahn): Your usual affair. Rice porridge seasoned with salt – and whatever else you can find on discount, and maybe scavenge out in the dump of some fancy neighborhood. It's not great, but you can live with it. [Receive Status: Hungry – You Take 0.5 More Damage from others]

    [] Healthy, and Fulfilling (35,000 Ahn): Rice porridge, but this time with proper seasonings, and meats, and vegetables. Maybe not even porridge – maybe you can eat rice as is with a side-dish, without turning it into sludge. Wouldn't that be nice? [Receive Status: Ready – You Deal 0.5 More Damage to others]

    [] Luxurious, and Nutritious (75,000 Ahn): You can… you can treat yourself a little, right? For once in your lifetime, and – fuck. You don't know. Eat whenever you're hungry. HamHamPangPang sandwiches, and that rice porridge Mao and Mori treated you to. Shit, maybe even pork belly? God. Please. [Receive Status: Energetic – +5 Max Health, and Sanity Points. Receive temporary +1 to one of your Favored Skills (1d3 Dice Roll).


    …​


    "Somebody didn't get a good sleep," Mori greets you, as you enter the Office. You stare at him, and he chuckles, leaning against his seat. "Though you're not the only one."

    You look around the room – Burke's back, but he's asleep on his chair, head against the headrest, mouth slightly open in a surprisingly quiet snore. Kai sits on the sofa, her back against you – the immaculate white hair from yesterday now carries a few wild strands. She turns her head, and a black eyepatch covers her artificial eye, Scarecrow Office's insignia etched on them. It was something she had requested from Karrion yesterday, and she's also wearing her new uniform: a long faded-blue jacket that might have once been pristine sky-blue now covered in soot, its tattered seams visible. Underneath that is a buttoned up white shirt in similar wear-and-tear condition, with an incongruously intact blue tie. You're both surprised at that, but at the same time, not. Compared to what others wear, she stands out, but considering it looks similar to what she wore during the Fixer Exam, you guess she's just sticking to her guns.

    As always, Boss sits on his desk – that crow with blood-red beady eyes perched on the rim of his hat. "Good morning," he drawls, the eyes behind his burlap sack locked with yours.

    "Uh," you shuffle awkwardly to the sofa. "Morning."

    He doesn't reply – and if anybody here finds that odd, he doesn't say.

    "You too, huh," you start out awkwardly, as you sit next to Kai. On the table, you note, is your new crowbar – looking like any normal crowbar, except for Knock Workshop insignia etched just above the handle-grip, the change from red to silver-grey, and… some weird fancy looking lines carved on either ends of the crowbar, almost like tentacles; or root. Next to that is your new uniform, neatly folded inside a plastic wrap, though nothing about it appears 'neat'. It's a tuxedo, Karrion called it, and you grimace at the sight. You've grown used to it, but it still bothers you – a black long trousers, almost greyish, and tattered black jacket splitting into down into swallow's tail, becoming several tails more by the cuts and splits marring ends. Then there's the purple vest, a smudged, and faded, but somehow visible floral patterns sewn on them, followed by a plain white threadbare shirt, its seams about to come apart, and the collar buttons gone.

    You'll get used to it, you suppose, and maybe you'll start to like it.

    You snort.

    You Lost Low Quality Fixer Uniform – +1 Armor

    You Gain a Medium Quality Fixer Uniform (Karrion-Made) – Tattered black tailcoat and trousers. Faded purple vest covered in equally faded floral patterns (lily), and white threadbare shirt, its top buttons popped out. +1 Endurance, +2 Armor

    You Gain Knock Crowbar (Knockbar) – +1 Damage. Applies Debuff: Off-Balance – On Hit, opponent receives -1 on their next move.

    Besides you, Kai nods, her flat line of a lip turning downwards ever so slightly.

    "That's rough, girls," Mori nods, sighing. "Nothing like a good scare than to go home and receiving a letter from the Head straight to your room, eh?" he shivers at that, staring off at the ceiling. "You're gonna have to get used to it, though. They jack up the tax every time you climb the ladder –" his lips curve slightly at that. "The Head really doesn't like parasites."

    "… Do you get used to it?" Kai asks.

    Mori grunts. "Hell nah. Even when I expected it, each letter scares the living shit out of me. Like," he glances down to both of you. "You never know with the Head, right?"

    "Yeah," you nod, grumbling under your breath. Speaking of – "Where's Mao?"

    "Her? Working."

    "What –" your eyes widen. "She's already working?"

    Mori grins, chuckling. With a grunt, he swings himself over, leaning forward. "Insane, right? Between you, and me, girls – and everybody in this room," he shrugs, smirking. There's something there in his eyes that make you grimace. "Mao's a damn monster. She's our rising star for a reason, yeah? I'm in this business longer than her, and she's already way ahead," he sighs, shaking his head. "But one moment, okay, she's buddy-buddy with the client, but the next, she treats 'em like strangers. We lost a client once," his face darkens at that. "And Mao was practically treating the client like a sister, but when the client died, she just sighed, and shrugged her shoulders."

    You frown – and despite yourself, you also find yourself glaring. "Ain't that the point, though?" you ask. "Fixers or not, people die all the time – we can't get attached. Yer making it sound like she did somethin' wrong when she didn't."

    Mori chuckles, shoulders rumbling. "Spoken like a true Fixer, eh? You're right, of course, but –"

    The crow squawks suddenly. The Boss lets out a stiff grunt. "Stop. Gossip."

    Mori freezes, a series of complicated emotions running through his face, before he lets out a sigh. Shrugging his shoulders, he leans back to his seat, that lazy smile back on his face. You eye him for a bit. "But yeah," he shrugs. "Mao's hard at work – took the job last night and went out to meet the client this morning. She doesn't look it, but she works hard."

    The image of Mao as someone who works hard clashes against what you (admittedly little) know of her – at the same time, recalling her interaction with Sun, it's surprisingly easy to meld them together.

    "Anywho, I got a few Jobs here that one – or two," he adds. "Of you could do. Canard to mid-level Myth – we're not gonna be sending you to death," he muses, smiling. "But don't underestimate them. Shit can always go wrong, and we Scarecrows always finish our job, yeah? Also, don't overwork yourself, got me? You're human, and there's a limit you can do."

    You fidget slightly under his stare. "Right. Gotcha."

    He hums, closing his eyes. "Cool. Cool. As long as you don't die out there."

    Article:
    Now we're in the Fixer Business proper! This is your First Week, and you have 6 AP. As a Fixer of the Scarecrow's Office, you need to at least take on Four Job Requests per month. This, of course, changes depending on the difficulty of the Job – but for Canards, or Urban Myths, you must do Four per Month. Jobs Take 2 APs, while other Side Activities will only cost you 1 AP.

    About Reward: The Office Takes a 25% Cut from the Pay. While the 75% is for you to take – however, if you have another Fixer with you, you'd have to split those 75%, though how that's split is up to you, and them.

    WARNING: If you take more than one Job in a Week, unless you bought special healing items, your Health and Sanity Points will only recover up to the threshold. (Example: If you're Wounded at 13 (Wounded), you will recover only up to 15 (Max Wounded) for the Next Job.)

    NOTE: Regardless of Injuries, you will receive Full Recovery going into the Next Week.

    You Have 6 APs!

    Jobs Requests (2 AP Each):

    Path to 8th​ Grade – 4 More Urban Myth Requests, or 8 Canards.

    [] Rats Be Gone (Canard):     In the Backstreets, people have their places. Syndicates normally dwell there, and Fixers dwell here. Before you got to be a Fixer, people would give you the stink eye when you step into a neighborhood that you obviously do not belong – and sometimes they would get violent. You can't even call them Syndicates. Just thieves, killers, and smugglers without any affiliation. Brian is the owner of a warehouse in the lower-grade corner of the Backstreets – and it appears that the Rats have gone up from the bridge they normally stay under, to squatting Brian's building. Brian wants you to "bodyguard" his warehouse. In terms of what Scarecrow does, the job is stretching the term "bodyguarding" or "protection", but it's one of those open job requests – and apparently kicking the shit out of Rats are something of a rite of passage. Who knew? Pay: 75,000 Ahn – After Cut.

    [] It's a Doggy Dog World (Canard):     People own pets. Somehow, that fact surprises you. There's a lot of people in the Backstreets, you suppose. Regardless, there's a dog – but the owner has died. However, the owner's family has decided to take the dog in before the owner's landlord kicks it out to the streets. Problem? The family lives in the other side of the Backstreets – five hours walk, to be exact. Ten hours, going back, and forth. But only six, from where you are, to picking up the dog, and then to the family. It checks out. Also, it can be dangerous, so there's that. Pay: 175,000 Ahn – After Cut.

    [] Neighbor(s) from Hell (Canard):     Mister Toko has cottoned onto the fact that one of his neighbors – or neighbors – might be trying to kill him. Cause? Noise complaints. All of which goes ignored by the Landlord since Toko paid extra for his rent and does so always on time. Something that his neighbors do not always do. It appears that Toko is something of a musician – and people are… sensitive of musicians after the Pianist Incident. One day, Toko caught one of his neighbors stalking him to his work. It might be his paranoia, but regardless, he's willing to hire a Fixer in case he's right. Pay: 350,000 Ahn – After Cut.

    [] Dreaming of You (Urban Myth):     Miss Ann has been having nightmares since… well, since a few months ago. That's nothing new, of course, and she did ignore it at first. However, it has gotten worse ever since to the point that she couldn't do her work – a teacher, of all things! – properly. Recently, she has woken up with cuts, and bruises on her body, and she has requested the Scarecrows to guard her from… whatever's causing this. Perhaps even from herself. Pay: 800,000 Ahn – After Cut, Before Split.
    -[] Go with Kai? (Recommended)

    [] Cursed Tourism (Urban Myth):     Hailey is a Nest Dweller who, for some godforsaken reason, came down here into the Backstreets to "sightsee". Everything went smoothly until he accidentally gathered the ire of a minor Syndicate called "The Burning Men" – strong enough to be above the Rats, but not large enough to be considered dangerous. Hailey has contacted the Scarecrows to escort him back up to the Nest Barrier. Pay: 1,050,000 Ahn – After Cut, Before Split.
    -[] Go with Kai? (Recommended)

    Side Activities (1 AP Each):

    [] Someone to Hang Out With?
    -[] Kai.     You catch Kai training(?) on the rooftop, and you can't help but watch. She doesn't seem to mind.
    -[] Mao. If there is one that you know about Mao, it's that she likes food. Alcohol is apparently another thing she likes, and – well, this would be the first time you drink.
    -[] Mori. Mori's weird. Not weird like Mao, and not weird in a way that you don't get. Still, you catch him tinkering in the Office with his arm, and you can't help but watch.
    -[] Burke. Of all the three, Burke is the least you know about, though that's not saying much. He likes reading, as it happens, when you walk into the Office with him, and the Boss.
    -[] Boss. Stepping into the Office, you realize that everyone is out – and the only one here is the Boss. Well. Shit.

    [] Burning Curiosity – For the first time in years, you've heard something about your parents – and that comes from Landlord Lin. You've already forgotten their face, their voice, and even their names. It doesn't bother you, no, but staring at the crumpled up doodling of them… loathe as you are to approach him, you gotta know.

    [] Sun Dance – One day, you stumble in to find Sun fidgeting inside the Office alone with the Boss. Her face perks up when she sees you, and for a second, you thought she's here for a job. Then she asks if you're free, and – she's testing recipes, and she needs a taste tester. Well. Mao did say you gotta build rapport with your client, and – who are you to refuse free food?


    Plan Voting Please!

    [] Plan Example
    -[] Plan Meal
    -[] Job
    -[] Job (if more than one)
    -[] Side Activities
    -[] Side Activities
     
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