Lana was briefed directly after attending the Tranquility raid and is the reason we have Full access to Arbalen proper. Unless she is a better actress than I give her credit for, she should be clean herself, regardless of her Piety.
@Macchiato@OneirosTheWriter Have you given thought to how the Dale mini-turns will interlock with the larger turns? I recognize they're supposed to be mostly self-contained for a variety of reasons already enumerated, plus they move on a smaller time-scale, but will these turns ripple out to the main action and vice versa? Ie, if for whatever reason we deliberately vote to have someone checking on Teuv stuff overall or specifically in the Carentan region, do the results of that apply bonuses or offer information into the Dale turns? Or likewise vice versa, can information found in the Dale turns be acted on as leads elsewhere (say next door in Capo)?
@Macchiato@OneirosTheWriter Have you given thought to how the Dale mini-turns will interlock with the larger turns? I recognize they're supposed to be mostly self-contained for a variety of reasons already enumerated, plus they move on a smaller time-scale, but will these turns ripple out to the main action and vice versa? Ie, if for whatever reason we deliberately vote to have someone checking on Teuv stuff overall or specifically in the Carentan region, do the results of that apply bonuses or offer information into the Dale turns? Or likewise vice versa, can information found in the Dale turns be acted on as leads elsewhere (say next door in Capo)?
Well, for one thing, the budget is drawn from your main turn funds. There will be a section, for example, for Apollo's chief-level actions, some of which will put a call up to main turn level for reinforcements and resources.
Other than that, yes, if there are main turn actions taking place in Arbalen (or across Carentan region) then there will likely be an impact upon the Dale turns, running from simple narrative stuff, to someone being available for fights, to dice modifiers (not necessarily positive depending on what you are doing), and things like that.
Mechanics Note - 1 Agent, 1 Action for this. Destination only matters insofar as you may need permission to operate there. Money still applies.
====
"I forgot how much I don't miss this place," muses Candice as she walks off the gangplank, onto the dock.
"This is so much prettier than I ever imagined Arbalen would be," comments Janie as she looks up at the hill in the center of the city. Circling the hill was a wall, topped by greenery and dots of colours: the eponymous flowers of the Roses Ward, where the wealthy live. The impressive castles of the Royal Army and Navy, the Pit and Cloister, rose to the left as they looked into the city. Out of sight are many other sections of the city, and just visible behind the hill of the Roses Ward can be seen the top of Miriel Keep, centrepiece of the Garden Castle.
There is a bustle and colour among the people and city, a dizzying array of colours. Across the dock front, there are great cloth garlands strung along and between buildings. Tall banners bear curious symbols. The red moon on bone white of the Dale hangs from great columns that line the street leading deeper into the city. At the main crossroads a wood post stood, strewn with flowers. Fetishes hang from many wrists or necks, little wooden tokens in different shapes and designs.
"Where to first, Capriccio?" asks Lea Tsu.
"I told you, don't call me Capriccio here, call me Apollo," complains the Minor House Lord as he walks up next to the four women who would be his agents.
"Yes, Apollo," drawls Janie.
"Righ-"
"Of course, Apollo," she continues dryly. "Whatever you say, Apollo."
"Shut up." The older man fixes her with a dark glare. "Lana made clear we were to report to the Garden Castle the moment we arrive. I don't want to start this mission at loggerheads with the local House."
"That's assuming we won't have to purge said House," opines Audrey, a little hesitantly as she intrudes on the conversation of nobles.
"As if I would be so lucky," sighs Candice.
"We trust Lana, if not anyone else in this city yet, so that is who we meet," decrees Apollo. "Now come on, there will be a carriage waiting."
Arbalen Turn 1 Options - Early Winter
They were ushered away from the main keep when their carriage came upon the Lily Gate, directed to an building in the outer ring of the castle. It was a simple square, single-story building, and they wondered what could be there. Two young nobles wait outside. One is a beautiful young man, and Janie gives him an appreciative look-over. The other is a young woman with fierce eyes and solid-looking armour.
"Capriccio Apollo, we've been expecting you, please, come inside quickly," the young man says, gesturing them onward. He continues to speak as they follow and escape the late summer sun. "I am James Mei, Executive of Minor House Mei and Secretary to Lana Antilles."
"I am Theresa Osprey, heir to my House and Secretary to Marcus Dale," greets the other noble with a nod.
Apollo straightens up, face betraying some surprise upon discovering the young man was a peer, and the woman nearly so. "An honour to meet you both," he replies. "Forgive if I do not introduce my agents until I am sure we are in private air."
The two secretaries exchange a glance. "Of course," says James. He leads them into the building, which turns out to contain a small hall with a few desks and tables, but little else save for a stairwell leading down into the ground. Apollo grunts but follows the secretaries into depths below.
"Oh shit," mutters Candice. "We're meeting in the dungeon?"
"Is that what this is?" asks Lea.
"Has all the hallmarks," replies Janie.
"Evie would smile to see me now," mutters Candice.
The area that has been excavated for this dungeon is shockingly expansive. They are led through another floor before they exit into a hall, and then further into a chamber with a large table. Inside they find Lana Antilles and Marcus Dale, the Executive and Marshall. Apollo and his agents each bow as Lana walks towards them. Only Candice refrains, if only just. The Symphonia Consort is a former commoner, and visibly has to fight the urge to make her abeyance to the rulers of her ancestral home.
"Welcome to Arbalen," says Lana gravely. "I'm assured by your lieges that the five of you can help us turn the tide against this Teuvian menace." She looks over each Tellar agent in turn and presses her lips together thinly. "Well, I certainly hope so."
"We are here to fight Teuv and keep them from Sartier," replies Apollo. "Symphony Antonia impressed on me: that is our only objective. If you trust us in nothing else, trust us in that."
Lana turns to exchange a look with her co-ruler, and then a quick nod. She turns back. "Alright. As it turns out, while I was away, the problem, if not to its fullest extent, was realised." She gestures to a thin man of about thirty. "This is Victor Dale, one of two Elite Songweavers in Greater Carentan."
The man nods to them. "I was investigating the mists that were growing ever thicker and fiercer, especially in the highlands," he began. "And we made the discovery that these mists map to the presence of those who wield the power of Teuv. The lands of House Laine, in particular, where the Vincennes ravaged last year, have been enveloped by these mists."
"When we realised how fast it was growing, we knew something was afoot," says Mezzo Marcus, speaking up for the first time. His eyes sweep over the group, slow and steady. "When Lana here returned with news of the visions of that Soothsinger, we were not surprised."
Lana face is intense as she speaks again. "I want these skulking rats obliterated," she says. "As the Executive of this House, I will put our resources behind you."
"I would suggest for now keeping your efforts quiet however," says Marcus. "The Teuvians know what resources we have, know who our agents are. The longer they are unaware of you, the longer you will hold the upper hand."
"Yes, Mezzo," says Apollo. "I had already planned to work out of a base within the city, rather than from the castle."
Lana and Marcus share another look. "Good," the Mezzia says after a moment. "Alright, I'll leave you with our Justice and Spymaster to go over the current state of play, and to help you arrange a house to operate from. Good luck, Capriccio Apollo, and your agents."
The two house rulers move to depart. As he passes Candice, however, Marcus turns and remarks, "So curious that Antonia would send her Consort to me, after forcing me to send my own Consort to her. How is Amelia?"
"I make sure that she and the babes are treated with every courtesy," replies Candice, voice high with nerves.
"Good," says Marcus simply. "Until we meet again, Consort."
(Free Action - Must Pick One) Do you set up in...
[ ] The Roses Ward
- Where the wealthy live, at the top of the hill in the city. It gives you easy access to the noble movers and shakers of the city. [Bonus to diplomacy actions]
[ ] The Tulips Ward
- The gentry and the merchants live in the Tulips Ward, a place with many businesses and professions easily accessible, including the neighbouring bazaar. [Bonus to Stewardship actions]
[ ] The Carnation Ward
- Home to the nightlife of Arbalen, a home base in the Carnation Ward provides you many places to hide and work in the shadows. It gives you easy access to the sneaks, cut-throats, and information brokers. [Bonus to intrigue actions]
====
You have FOUR agents available. You may apply ONE agent to an action. Each agent may only take on ONE action.
Budget: 10,000g starting funds from Tellar
Income: 2,000g from Dale, 2,000g from Tellar, per turn
Forces: none
Assets: Home Base
Vassal House Dale - Full
Minor House Mei - Grudging
Minor House Thane - None
Minor House Yin - Grudging
Minor House Osprey - None
Minor House Laine - Grudging
Minor house Bolden - Full
Martial Actions
[ ] - There Will Be Blood - Once a Province begins the slide into a full-blown revolt, it takes on a life of its own. The importance of an individual pales, the cause becomes all. Even a slain leader simply means a martyr for the cause, especially for a religious uprising. If Sarah Asteron is right that things have hit the tipping point, then there will be blood. Someone needs to survey the province to give you an headstart. [60% base chance of success, 500g, Martial Test, chance of combat, will gain bonuses to chance of holding strong-points in event of revolt, option to fortify]
-[ ] Write in: District to survey (must be giving Full cooperation)
[ ] - Reinforcements Have Arrived - The Vice-Marshall of Dale is a woman named Belinda Hornvale, who also serves them abroad as an agent. For now, however, she will be remaining local, as the crisis brews up around the province. Developing a working relationship with the Vice-Marshall and her office may prove crucial to running the pointier end of your fight with the local Teuvians. [55% base chance, 200g, Martial/Diplomacy test, gain access to Dale martial assets, unlocks new options]
[ ] - Learning Steel - In Usone Bay, under House Yin, there is a famous school of the sword arts. You would wager that any prospective revolt would have an interest in their students to bolster their ranks. Perhaps a visit would turn up some leads? Or even a potential ally for the hard fighting to come. [55% base chance, 200g, gain information, chance of turning up a melee asset]
Diplomacy Actions
[ ] - Hob-Nob - A winter tournament season is beginning at the enclosed Ridderken Arena, and many nobles like to spend their time watching the bouts, safe from the chilly winter rains. Even the Minor House nobles will come to the city for these events. It also provides your agent with a nice cover for being in Arbalen; no local would doubt your interest in their prestigious tournament. And in the process, you can forge links to the movers and shakers of the city. [55% base chance, 1,000g, meet the important local nobles, potentially find assets among the contenders]
[ ] - Sweet-Talk - Send your agent to the Court of the Minor House to present your credentials from the Dale and spin a cover-story of Vincennes agents that you are tracking down. Less likely to be believed, but also less likely to ruffle feathers. [40% base chance, 1 turn, Get change in level of cooperation in a given Minor House upward by 1 level (None->Grudging->Full)]
-[ ] Spin a Cover Story - You don't necessarily trust this House, and worry that anything you tell them may get leaked to the Teuvians. But perhaps you don't need to tell them the whole story? Or, well, any of the story. [Change to 40% base chance, 200g, but target House will not be aware of your true intentions]
[ ] - Join In The Chorus - Take a stroll down to the Arbalen Pit, which the Royal Army in the east calls home, and meet the commanders. The Symphony Guard are professional heavy infantry, sworn to defend Sartier against outside influences. But they are not incorruptible, and you know that any Teuv plan to deal with Arbalen also needs a plan to deal with this base. [45% base chance, 500g, Outreach to Royal Army to allow greater access to their base and resources]
Justice Actions
[ ] - Justice League - Not just Dale, but each of the Minor Houses have their own Justice with resources and responsibilities. It would be helpful if you could bring these people together to meet with you and discuss the pending problem. [50% base chance, 500g, Diplomacy Test, gain access to Arbalen province Justice assets]
-[ ] Write in: Exclude Houses
[ ] - Claiming Jurisdiction - Use the authority at your disposal to force one of the Minor Houses to open their doors to your work. It will allow you more direct access in future turns to the province, but may chafe the locals. [60% base chance, 1 turn, Diplomatic Test, Force change level of cooperation in a given Minor House upward by 1 level (None->Grudging->Full), chance of causing aggravation]
-[ ] Write in: Minor House to approach
[ ] - What Shall We Talk About? - There are already Teuvian followers in the dungeon at Garden Castle, just cooling their heels and waiting for some earnest sort to come along to talk to them. Perhaps if you go cure them of their loneliness, all sorts of secrets might fall out? [50% base chance, 0g, conduct interrogations of Teuvian-captives already held by House Dale, may gain information]
Intrigue
[ ] - Collaboration - The spymaster of the Dale is a young man by the name of Shannon Kim, a commoner of some talent. He is well known for being proficient with his agents, and has had his finger in many an unfortunate and sticky end. If he can be trusted, he could provide valuable assets. [50% base chance, 200g, establish working relationship with the Dale spymaster, gain assets and options]
[ ] - A Knife In Shadow - You know, you're rather on your own out here. Perhaps you can turn up some useful sorts in the Carnation Ward who can help you open the right door. Or right safe. Or right throat. [60% base chance, 1,000g, attempt to recruit a new intrigue asset from within Arbalen] (This will be a newly rolled agent, and may be difficult to vet)
[ ] - Tourism - You're on unfamiliar ground, dealing with unfamiliar people. Maybe it would be best to have an agent take a tour of the major towns in Arbalen and report back as to what items of interest there are? [40% base chance, 500g, gain new options, updated district information]
Stewardship
[ ] - On The Boardwalk - Spend some time in Valeigh Harbour, tracking the ships as they come and go bearing their cargo. Teuvian assets are no doubt coming in via the sea, and perhaps you can pin down which ships are plying this trade? [40% base chance, 200g, gain information, potentially interdict incoming resources]
[ ] - A Little Coin, A Little Steel - You're cut off from normal source of troops, but Arbalen has its own thriving community of sellswords who can provide you with a meatier striking arm. In particular, one with no noble strings attached. [50% base chance, 2,000g, 100 mercenary Men-at-Arms recruited]
-[ ] Double-Dose [40% base chance, 4,000g, 200 mercenary Men-at-Arms recruited]
Magic
[ ] - Black Cats - Superstition and belief in the old powers of the land in many ways appear to have opened the door to a ready acceptance of Teuvian missionaries. But why? What is it about these old traditions that lends itself to Teuv? More importantly, if you can find out which traditions have become particularly tied into Teuv, you will have a number of leads to follow. [50% base chance, 500g, learn about the old lore of Arbalen, gain leads on Teuv groups]
[ ] - Songwriters of the Dusk - Soothsingers are a figure of awe and terror in Arbalen, the elusive wanderers who can hear the whispers of the world around them as they tell of the future. There is no single Monastery like there is for other order like the Bladesingers have to train and regulate members. Rather, you are told that you simply know when you are a Soothsinger. Which, you'll admit, doesn't make a lot of sense to you. But you do know that these mystics could be powerful allies but powerful enemies. You should seek a few out, and find out which they intend to be... [40% base chance, 200g, make contact with Soothsingers of Arbalen, small chance of a lead on Veronica Nils, Teuvian Missionary]
Apollo
(Pick ONE thing for Apollo to focus on this turn)
[ ] - Show Your Cards - Arrange of meeting of the Minor House Lords that you think you can trust, and reveal the coming Teuvian assault. Gain greater cooperation and more assets from the Minor House Lords ... if you were right to trust them anyway. [60% chance, 1,000g, bump up access across all invited houses]
-[ ] Write in: Which Houses are invited.
[ ] - Unsheathing - Apollo will make a request of the Dale Mezzo to get a District declared a free fire zone, allowing the use of punitive raids, battlefield magic, or overt acts against the Courts in those Districts. This in effect becomes a declaration that the district is nearly in revolt, and is not taken lightly. [base chance varies according to what you have been able to prove about a district and the chances of saving it, Diplomacy Test]
[ ] - The Lords of the North - Great House Capo has an obvious interest in their vassals, and may be willing to offer you powerful aid. Of course, in Carentan help is seldom free, and do you really know who you can trust there? [???% base chance, 1,000g, opens up lines of communication to Great House Capo, with the possibility of aid, forces, agents, coin, but a multitude of risk]
[ ] - Request Aid - You aren't in this complete alone. Powerful forces are arrayed behind you, able to offer aid if you can make your case for more resources. There are a number of things you can ask for, such as...
-[ ] Gold Crowns - Money to grease the wheels, money to pay the swords, money to buy the bricks and mortar. It has to come from somewhere. [50% base chance, gain additional 5,000g from Tellar]
-[ ] An Additional Agent - This is a bigger job than expected, perhaps you can call in an extra pair of trusted hands? [20% base chance, request an additional agent from Court at Harper] (This chance will increase each turn, will pop an option up to the next main turn or mid-turn to pick a candidate from your existing list or check through the Minor Houses)
-[ ] Symphony Guard - [40% base chance, 200g, requisition 100 Symphony Guard soldiers from the Royal Army - will require telling the base commander that you are hunting Teuv and that you are here under authority from the Tellar Symphony]
-[ ] Border Force - Attempt to bring troops north from Logan Sarba's border force to aid your efforts. [40% base chance, 500g, gain 100-500 soldiers
[ ] - Hovering Boss - Apollo will spend his time this turn supporting his agents more closely, using his experience and talents to help them dodge pitfalls. [Automatic success, 0g, Apollo provides double dice-bonus for agent actions this turn]
X - Cry Havoc - It is time for war. Start it on your own terms. [Instructs Dale to Raise their Banners and summon all loyal forces to their side - the revolt begins] (Unavailable - Triggers not yet met)
Hmm, this is going to be a bit complex. I think it'd be better for Apollo to focus on getting aid, because if some of the other rolls fail, then this action might go from a sure winner to a failure:
[ ] - Unsheathing - Apollo will make a request of the Dale Mezzo to get a District declared a free fire zone, allowing the use of punitive raids, battlefield magic, or overt acts against the Courts in those Districts. This in effect becomes a declaration that the district is nearly in revolt, and is not taken lightly. [base chance varies according to what you have been able to prove about a district and the chances of saving it, Diplomacy Test]
I'm not going to submit a plan yet (though I already know what it would be), the purpose of this mid-turn is to give other people a chance to plan after all.
Instead I'm going to talk about what we want to get out of this. And I'm going to start it off with a statement that I just know people aren't going to agree with:
The purpose of this mini-turn is not to stop the Arbalen rebellion from happening. The purpose of this mini-turn is to trigger the rebellion at a time, and in a manner, which is advantageous to us.
Stopping the rebellion from happening gets us nothing (except maybe the gratitude of Houses Dale and Capo). If we succeed in triggering the rebellion at a fortuitous time, once we have our chips in order, not only do we have a rallying point for all of Sartier (a rallying point which puts all of Sartier behind us) we create an explicit us vs them narrative between the Sartieran noble class and Teuv making it far less likely they'll go traitor (there's nothing that quite puts a damper on faith as that faith having stirred up a peasant rebellion against other nobles). We then get to look good crushing the rebellion.
Then afterwards we get to go blatant in our efforts against the Teuv, allowing us to bring the big stick that is our military to bare (rather than playing intrigue games that, frankly, we're not very good at).
The important thing here is to have the rebellion be of a size that justifies our intervention, but not devastating enough that Arbalen (and House Dale) are irrevocably damaged. Some damage wouldn't be amiss though...
Jokes about being able to do simple aside, is this one understandable? Only four actions to pick, no multi-action turns, no council level bonuses, no influence points, no variability in the budget, etc.
There is the twist of access levels, but I think I marked that out clearly enough...
I have a pretty decent idea of what I would pick or, at least, what I would rule out, but as before I'll opt to refrain from posting that or full reasoning for obvious reasons.
Instead, I'll talk goals as well. Interestingly enough, while I came to roughly the same goal or conclusion as FriedIce, I took a completely different path and actually in some ways fundamentally disagree with his reasoning entirely.
Our goal should be to trigger the rebellion at such a point in time that we are best suited to capitalize on it and are at highest reasonable readiness as compared to Teuv infiltration and readiness. The limiting factor is that while I do actually think it desirable to defeat the rebellion entirely in small piecemeal Justice actions, I do not think such a thing is remotely possible--there will be large scale open bloodshed, our only recourse is to play triage and limiting and repair things as best possible.
Fundamentally, Capo and Dale are not our enemy here and not currently a huge problem in internal Sartieran politics. We shouldn't be trying to double deal and set things up to damage them at all if it were possible to avoid such a thing completely. The situation here is far too flammable to not give our best efforts to crush. Attempting to do things half-heartedly is likely to fuck us both from the standpoint of not putting appropriate maximal efforts against Teuv (the real enemy) but may trigger reprisals from Capo (best Intrigue agents who will be watching our own guys as a matter of course) depending on specific actions taken (or just loss of Relation/Rep, etc).
@OneirosTheWriter If, for whatever reason, none of Apollo's focus options are appealing, can none be chosen? Would doing so offer additional bonuses elsewhere (or be able to select a specific agent to offer more support to, or whatever)?
You don't have to choose any of Apollo's options, however, there are no further effects to leaving him idle. At least for the moment we don't want to introduce an further pseudo-agent like that.
You don't have to choose any of Apollo's options, however, there are no further effects to leaving him idle. At least for the moment we don't want to introduce an further pseudo-agent like that.
Maybe increase his bonuses by a small margin to reflect him being able to help out more directly? Otherwise he's just kind of... sitting there. I do have to say that my plan likely won't use him for anything, and I do not condone any laziness other than my own!
'Unfortunate set of accidents' => Gregory taking control
Leaders good reputation but not much control
Very Low
13/10
Yin
Grudging
Usone Bay
Maritime focused
Wealthy but dangerous
Sword school / proving ground
Celine Yin (Marshall)
Sebastian Yin (Executive)
Most competent of Minor House Lords
Moderate
11/10
Osprey
None
The Marshes
Frequently targeted for raiding / raids Vincennes
Aya Osprey (Marshall)
Bilal Osprey (Executive)
Boring, straight-forward leaders
Fair-minded sense of justice but not concerned with chivalry
Low
8/10
Laine
Grudging
Sereale
Between Southmarch and Mollandt
Host to Arnold Vincennes' vicious assault
People will be resentful and may be difficult
Sarah Laine (Marshall)
Patrick Laine (Executive)
Moderate
12/10
Bolden
Full
Holdmurgh
Borders Carentan (Capo)
Andrew Bolden (Marshall)
Maria Bolden (Executive)
Very young for positions (Andrew 'hotheaded')
Low
10/10
Mollandt is the problem child! Only two districts are cooperating with us! And one of them is pretty useless! Augh!
We need to get Mei to full cooperation ... because if we bring in troops across the border, they're in the way. We're probably going to have to deal with them, and if they're fighting us, they won't be fighting the rebellion. We should... also figure out a way to make amends for Vincennes because Laine is going to be pretty key to get to Mollandt.
We also need to make sure that Arbalen doesn't fall...
Candidates
Martial
Combat
Stewardship
Diplomacy
Intrigue
Magic
Piety
Chiv / Dread
Unique Traits
Candice Kettleblack
17
16
14
20
20
29
8
Dr 5
Married to Antonia Tellar; Consummate Spy; Child of Dale; Intrigued by Juexi
Janie Tellar
11
22
15
25
33
29
7
Ch 3
Loremaster; One with Shadows; Apothecary; Charismatic
Lea Tsu
32
23
17
23
16
9
3
Ch 7
Talented General
Audrey Suarez
12
28
17
25
22
22
7
Dr 1
Lawbringer; Commoner; Talented with Numbers; Schooled in Old Lore; Familiar with Spies
(Chief of Mission) Apollo Reynolds
BONUSES
8
?
11
7
9
2
10
Dr 3
Merchant; Court Manipulator
Budget: 10,000g
Income: 2,000g each from Dale and Tellar (4,000g)
Anyway, here's my plan.
[X] The Tulips Ward
Bonus to stewardship because all of our agents are terrible at it, and at some point, Apollo is going to have to do something and not lend his considerable 11 * 2 bonus.
[X] Apollo - Hovering Boss [Automatic success, 0g, Apollo provides double dice-bonus for agent actions this turn]
[X] Lea - Reinforcements Have Arrived [55% base chance, 200g, Martial/Diplomacy test, gain access to Dale martial assets, unlocks new options]
[X] Janie - Hob-Nob [55% base chance, 1,000g, meet the important local nobles, potentially find assets among the contenders]
[X] Candice - Tourism [40% base chance, 500g, gain new options, updated district information]
[X] Audrey - On The Boardwalk [40% base chance, 200g, gain information, potentially interdict incoming resources]
Turn: 0g + 200g + 1000g + 500g + 200g = 1900g
I sent Lea to talk to the Vice Marshall because Arbalen will be pretty key, and we should do that before we start poking around and surveying - the 1 of 2 (!) Full Cooperation - the district. I think if we do it the other way around, it ruffles feathers! Also, we'll need backup when the city goes up in flames.
This gives time to send Candice to survey the entire province. I sent her because she'a local so she should fit in better, her intrigue is only 2 less than Audrey, and I didn't want to put her on the magic research given her Intrigued by Juexi thing. Bah.
Janie isn't available to do the Tourism (intrigue) thing because she has to hob nob as our (tied) highest diplomatic agent, she's actually a noble (was afraid Audrey's commoner status might hurt her with other nobles), and anyway, hopefully, her high intrigue and apparent ability to find out gossip will stand her in good stead in evaluating the other important nobles. Also, this event seems time-locked to Winter so we can't really put it off.
And to round out the 'survey everything' to get situated in Dale, Audrey is sent to the docks to take advantage of Apollo's double bonus (22), our (tied) highest stewardship agent ( ), and hopefully, that Lawbringer / Talented with Numbers trait will come in handy.
I sent Lea to talk to the Vice Marshall because Arbalen will be pretty key, and we should do that before we start poking around and surveying - the 1 of 2 (!) Full Cooperation - the district. I think if we do it the other way around, it ruffles feathers! Also, we'll need backup when the city goes up in flames.
This gives time to send Candice to survey the entire province. I sent her because she'a local so she should fit in better, her intrigue is only 2 less than Audrey, and I didn't want to put her on the magic research given her Intrigued by Juexi thing. Bah.
Janie isn't available to do the Tourism (intrigue) thing because she has to hob nob as our (tied) highest diplomatic agent, she's actually a noble (was afraid Audrey's commoner status might hurt her with other nobles), and anyway, hopefully, her high intrigue and apparent ability to find out gossip will stand her in good stead in evaluating the other important nobles. Also, this event seems time-locked to Winter so we can't really put it off.
And to round out the 'survey everything' to get situated in Dale, Audrey is sent to the docks to take advantage of Apollo's double bonus (22), our (tied) highest stewardship agent ( ), and hopefully, that Lawbringer / Talented with Numbers trait will come in handy.
Not stating my own position yet still, but a couple notes for you to consider:
You need to pick a base location. Each, naturally, has its own merits and may be worth considering strengthening our weaknesses or doubling down on our strengths.
If you believe that Candice isn't trustworthy any more due to Intrigued by Juexi and as such do not want her to do magic research, you still have her taking an action to solo walk through all of the afflicted areas mostly out of sight of the others. Further, from a different angle, her Combat isn't anything special and she's a Songweaver, not a Spellsword.
Secondly, Tellar has its own House specialties, so regardless of an option's neutral attractiveness, it may be worth considering if there are instead action areas to stack up on as they would be areas where Dale locally would have had perhaps less effectiveness -or- vice versa there are areas to neglect simply because it's not in Tellar's wheelhouse and perhaps the data could be gotten another way at the moment.
Thirdly, it may be worth considering if there are any others that would need to be contacted or introduced to on the first turn prior to doing anything also in the name of ruffled feathers.
@OneirosTheWriter@Macchiato
May I ask if Belinda Hornvale and Shannon Kim are Chivalry or Dread? And who is Dale's Justice and are they Chivalry or Dread?
If Candice's Intrigued by Juexi trait was revealed, presumably this happened due to Hamid's sweep? Or a separate source? If it's the former, why did she not trigger her own blurb noting that and then further any action taken? Based on timing of the others, it doesn't seem as if being sent her here (taking place late enough) would have been an impediment.
While it would be slightly risky, would it be worthwhile to call most of the Justices to a meeting now given the seriousness of the situation? That seems like it would be best for combating the situation, it gives us more information about the provinces they're from and their reactions to the news, which we can subsequently spy on. With the information in hand, they may also share their suspicions of members of the court they're from. While undoubtedly some of those we invite will be Teuvian, unless the number that are Teuvian outnumber those who aren't we should still have a net-gain as the Teuvians are already spending actions preparing for a revolt while those who aren't Teuvian are unlikely to be spending actions countering them as they're currently ignorant of the scale of the threat and this would get them started at least.
A preliminary plan would be something like.
[ ] Audrey Suarez -- Justice League - Not just Dale, but each of the Minor Houses have their own Justice with resources and responsibilities. It would be helpful if you could bring these people together to meet with you and discuss the pending problem. [50% base chance, 500g, Diplomacy Test, gain access to Arbalen province Justice assets]
-[ ] Write in: Exclude Houses
Aubrey has lawbringer, familiar with old lore, talented with numbers and familiar with spies so she can both be of great use to the Justice meeting itself while being able to scout out the other Justices loyalties.
[ ] Janie Tellar - Collaboration - The spymaster of the Dale is a young man by the name of Shannon Kim, a commoner of some talent. He is well known for being proficient with his agents, and has had his finger in many an unfortunate and sticky end. If he can be trusted, he could provide valuable assets. [50% base chance, 200g, establish working relationship with the Dale spymaster, gain assets and options]
Janie here as she has the largest intrigue, and having a working relationship and access the Dale's spymasters resources will allow them to be utilized in scoping out the Justice meeting itself and what happens when they return home to give a clearer view of their province loyalties, scale of the threat we face, and how deeply and highly the Teuvians have implanted themselves.
[ ] Lea Tsu - Reinforcements Have Arrived - The Vice-Marshall of Dale is a woman named Belinda Hornvale, who also serves them abroadas an agent. For now, however, she will be remaining local, as the crisis brews up around the province. Developing a working relationship with the Vice-Marshall and her office may prove crucial to running the pointier end of your fight with the local Teuvians. [55% base chance, 200g, Martial/Diplomacy test, gain access to Dale martial assets, unlocks new options]
Martial is obviously her specialty, and we'll clearly need the aid and access to Dale's assets.
[ ] Candice Kettleback - Songwriters of the Dusk - Soothsingers are a figure of awe and terror in Arbalen, the elusive wanderers who can hear the whispers of the world around them as they tell of the future. There is no single Monastery like there is for other order like the Bladesingers have to train and regulate members. Rather, you are told that you simply know when you are a Soothsinger. Which, you'll admit, doesn't make a lot of sense to you. But you do know that these mystics could be powerful allies but powerful enemies. You should seek a few out, and find out which they intend to be... [40% base chance, 200g, make contact with Soothsingers of Arbalen, small chance of a lead on Veronica Nils, Teuvian Missionary]
We need to make contact with the Soothsingers so we can clarify their position, and like the Justice action, the Teuvian soothsayers are presumably already acting in aid of the revolt so we need to contact them to make sure those that aren't Teuvian start acting to our benefit. They also presumably have access to a great deal of information we can use, especially in conjunction with the other options being taken.
Candice is here as she seems ideal for the purpose. She has a magic specialty, is from Dale, and has a spy trait. The biggest concern is her being flipped, but given her stats and traits that was always going to be a concern and is simply going to be a case of RNG.
[ ] The Carnation Ward
- Home to the nightlife of Arbalen, a home base in the Carnation Ward provides you many places to hide and work in the shadows. It gives you easy access to the sneaks, cut-throats, and information brokers. [Bonus to intrigue actions]
Intrigue is obviously going to play a significant role here, as before the actual revolt occurs it'll be a game of discovering where ones loyalties lie.
Apollo's action I'm divided on, as I can see a couple that in various circumstances are helpful. The Minor Lord's action I'd prefer to do next turn after seeing the fallout from the Justice meeting, and then theres a choice between involving Capo or boosting the bonus to the rolls. Both are great given the influence and resources Capo has at it's disposal, and the bonus to rolls would be substantial as it'll also apply to the subrolls.
If Candice's Intrigued by Juexi trait was revealed, presumably this happened due to Hamid's sweep? Or a separate source? If it's the former, why did she not trigger her own blurb noting that and then further any action taken?
That was actually noted in the text itself although it was snipped from the results for reasons I forget now. It was revealed and she copped an unholy lecture about not messing around with Teuv from Antonia to scare her out of ever taking her interest further.
Shannon Kim, M27, Chiv 0
Belinda Hornvale, F30, Dread 4 (Recently gave birth to a young son, and the father is rumoured to be Mezzo Marcus Dale, incidentally)
Stephanie Dale, F57, Chiv 0
(This is Dale, after all, an extra point of dread comes at character creation )
While it would be slightly risky, would it be worthwhile to call most of the Justices to a meeting now given the seriousness of the situation? That seems like it would be best for combating the situation, it gives us more information about the provinces they're from and their reactions to the news, which we can subsequently spy on. With the information in hand, they may also share their suspicions of members of the court they're from. While undoubtedly some of those we invite will be Teuvian, unless the number that are Teuvian outnumber those who aren't we should still have a net-gain as the Teuvians are already spending actions preparing for a revolt while those who aren't Teuvian are unlikely to be spending actions countering them as they're currently ignorant of the scale of the threat and this would get them started at least.
"I would suggest for now keeping your efforts quiet however," says Marcus. "The Teuvians know what resources we have, know who our agents are. The longer they are unaware of you, the longer you will hold the upper hand."
Aubrey has lawbringer, familiar with old lore, talented with numbers and familiar with spies so she can both be of great use to the Justice meeting itself while being able to scout out the other Justices loyalties.
Responded to this one already, but given that perhaps there is incentive to stay quiet as much as possible, this would mean excluding a lot of houses. Trying to mass scout Justice loyalties on first meeting all at once isn't going to be practical.
Janie here as she has the largest intrigue, and having a working relationship and access the Dale's spymasters resources will allow them to be utilized in scoping out the Justice meeting itself and what happens when they return home to give a clearer view of their province loyalties, scale of the threat we face, and how deeply and highly the Teuvians have implanted themselves.
Intrigue is obviously going to play a significant role here, as before the actual revolt occurs it'll be a game of discovering where ones loyalties lie.
As a counterpoint, I will note that we are in foreign lands and will have to work with a variety of non-Tellar actors and get ducks in line, so Diplomacy is also a must. Further, tracking the money and other Stewardship type things is a time tested way of also finding certain categories of significant hostile assets.
If the problem could have been solved by just Intrigue, Dale would not have needed us.
That was actually noted in the text itself although it was snipped from the results for reasons I forget now. It was revealed and she copped an unholy lecture about not messing around with Teuv from Antonia to scare her out of ever taking her interest further.
[X] The Roses Ward
[X] - Reinforcements Have Arrived - The Vice-Marshall of Dale is a woman named Belinda Hornvale, who also serves them abroad as an agent. For now, however, she will be remaining local, as the crisis brews up around the province. Developing a working relationship with the Vice-Marshall and her office may prove crucial to running the pointier end of your fight with the local Teuvians. [55% base chance, 200g, Martial/Diplomacy test, gain access to Dale martial assets, unlocks new options]
-[X] Lea Tsu
[X] - Sweet-Talk - Send your agent to the Court of the Minor House to present your credentials from the Dale and spin a cover-story of Vincennes agents that you are tracking down. Less likely to be believed, but also less likely to ruffle feathers. [40% base chance, 1 turn, Get change in level of cooperation in a given Minor House upward by 1 level (None->Grudging->Full)]
-[X] Thane
-[X] Audrey Suarez
[X] - What Shall We Talk About? - There are already Teuvian followers in the dungeon at Garden Castle, just cooling their heels and waiting for some earnest sort to come along to talk to them. Perhaps if you go cure them of their loneliness, all sorts of secrets might fall out? [50% base chance, 0g, conduct interrogations of Teuvian-captives already held by House Dale, may gain information]
-[X] Janie Tellar
[X] - Black Cats - Superstition and belief in the old powers of the land in many ways appear to have opened the door to a ready acceptance of Teuvian missionaries. But why? What is it about these old traditions that lends itself to Teuv? More importantly, if you can find out which traditions have become particularly tied into Teuv, you will have a number of leads to follow. [50% base chance, 500g, learn about the old lore of Arbalen, gain leads on Teuv groups]
-[X] Candice Kettleblack
[X] - Request Aid - You aren't in this complete alone. Powerful forces are arrayed behind you, able to offer aid if you can make your case for more resources. There are a number of things you can ask for, such as...
-[X] An Additional Agent - This is a bigger job than expected, perhaps you can call in an extra pair of trusted hands? [20% base chance, request an additional agent from Court at Harper] (This chance will increase each turn, will pop an option up to the next main turn or mid-turn to pick a candidate from your existing list or check through the Minor Houses)
That was actually noted in the text itself although it was snipped from the results for reasons I forget now. It was revealed and she copped an unholy lecture about not messing around with Teuv from Antonia to scare her out of ever taking her interest further.
Oh, ok. Still, I'd rather not have her do further research in Teuv.
Shannon Kim, M27, Chiv 0
Belinda Hornvale, F30, Dread 4 (Recently gave birth to a young son, and the father is rumoured to be Mezzo Marcus Dale, incidentally)
Stephanie Dale, F57, Chiv 0
It's not as bad as that because, well, you're trying to make her work with you, rather than the other way around, and Chivalry people don't annoy Dread people as much as the reverse. Given this is supposed to be trying to keep things a little more simple, I wouldn't bother with that malus for this turn.
It's not as bad as that because, well, you're trying to make her work with you, rather than the other way around, and Chivalry people don't annoy Dread people as much as the reverse. Given this is supposed to be trying to keep things a little more simple, I wouldn't bother with that malus for this turn.
Oh, that's good to know. I was already rejiggering my mental plan to account for the malus. Will it kick in on future turns (and hopefully be announced along with any other rules changes) or not at all used on the mini-Turns?
(Not cripplingly but there would be a bit, it's a -5)
