No seriously, why would he? Sarba and Greater Etela are clean (and he'd know that). He might know the Teuvian connection for the Dale/Vincennes crisis but there's no reason for him to think that's anything other than a localised one off issue.
He has no clue that an entire region has been infiltrated so thoroughly by the Teuv that its about to rise up in revolt. Because only two groups know currently: Us and Dale.
The other reason why we should tell him is that it might get him to put a temporary stop to funding the bandits in Raleigh (or give us a roll bonus to our diplomacy next turn) if he knows that there are bigger things going on than his minor skirmishing with Raleigh.
No seriously, why would he? Sarba and Greater Etela are clean (and he'd know that). He might know the Teuvian connection for the Dale/Vincennes crisis but there's no reason for him to think that's anything other than a localised one off issue.
He has no clue that an entire region has been infiltrated so thoroughly by the Teuv that its about to rise up in revolt. Because only two groups know currently: Us and Dale.
The other reason why we should tell him is that it might get him to put a temporary stop to funding the bandits in Raleigh (or give us a roll bonus to our diplomacy next turn) if he knows that there are bigger things going on than his minor skirmishing with Raleigh.
I think that would be more than a little naive for him to believe Dale/Vincennes had a localized one off issue. When someone as highly placed as Arnold Vincennes defects and did a military move to support Teuv in another House's territory, Vincennes as a whole has a big problem, -and- you now know Dale has a problem. Why? Because he wouldn't have gotten to his position by being completely incompetent, so there has to have been some kind of coordination and info gathering also on the Dale side for him to know to kill someone anti-Teuv there to clear the way for local elements, which should now be assumed to exist. So now there are Teuv elements involved on both side of the border agitating...at that point there is the spectre of suspicion on all of Harper and Carentan due to their vassals. From his perspective, it could be localized to just these two, but any highly enough placed military officers in other Houses could have taken the opportunity to send their own guys to the area to keep things going.
Yes, he doesn't know it's quite as bad as it actually is, but he should still have some inkling that things are amiss.
Now, as for your other point, that is actually true, but politically I'm hoping he doesn't try to keep leaning on it as something about Tellar's attitudes about the gentry needing to be solved for real to avoid them going over to Teuv and this sort of thing cropping up more. (My concern is not actually about him being Teuvian or something like that, my concern is about him potentially being too righteous/chivalrous and fucking us because of that. I actually kind of trust Dread leaders more because they're a little more likely to do the practical thing, so we can at least appeal to their self-interest.)
I think that would be more than a little naive for him to believe Dale/Vincennes had a localized one off issue. When someone as highly placed as Arnold Vincennes defects and did a military move to support Teuv in another House's territory, Vincennes as a whole has a big problem, -and- you now know Dale has a problem. Why? Because he wouldn't have gotten to his position by being completely incompetent, so there has to have been some kind of coordination and info gathering also on the Dale side for him to know to kill someone anti-Teuv there to clear the way for local elements, which should now be assumed to exist. So now there are Teuv elements involved on both side of the border agitating...at that point there is the spectre of suspicion on all of Harper and Carentan due to their vassals. From his perspective, it could be localized to just these two, but any highly enough placed military officers in other Houses could have taken the opportunity to send their own guys to the area to keep things going.
That's actually a pretty hard logic chain to follow through to the end if you don't already know the end-state. We know the end-state, sure, so its easy but Sarba certainly doesn't. If it was a Capo general with Elite+ tier intrigue then I could see them working it out for themselves. But Logain Sarba's intrigue is only 'good'. Which I'm pretty certain isn't good enough to follow the logic chain through.
He might know something is up, sure. But he's unlikely to know that its on the scale of a full on Teuvian insurrection (and thus that he needs to take precautions for that) in Dale without us cluing him in.
Now, as for your other point, that is actually true, but politically I'm hoping he doesn't try to keep leaning on it as something about Tellar's attitudes about the gentry needing to be solved for real to avoid them going over to Teuv and this sort of thing cropping up more. (My concern is not actually about him being Teuvian or something like that, my concern is about him potentially being too righteous/chivalrous and fucking us because of that. I actually kind of trust Dread leaders more because they're a little more likely to do the practical thing, so we can at least appeal to their self-interest.)
*shrug* Chivalric leaders will do the honourable thing. If this was a rebellion on Tellar land then sure, we might be in for a lecture on treating our peasants better, but its not. So fundamentally even if we treat our peasants like shit its got nothing to do with it.
Besides, he's going to find out eventually when Arbalen explodes on him. Imagine how you'd react if your boss sent you to work in a place that was a powderkeg that he knew was about to explode and didn't tell you. Better to just tell him now and get it over with.
The fact that it might get him to stop funding bandits in Greater Harper for the duration of this crisis (it wouldn't be honourable after all) is just a bonus.
That's actually a pretty hard logic chain to follow through to the end if you don't already know the end-state. We know the end-state, sure, so its easy but Sarba certainly doesn't. If it was a Capo general with Elite+ tier intrigue then I could see them working it out for themselves. But Logain Sarba's intrigue is only 'good'. Which I'm pretty certain isn't good enough to follow the logic chain through.
He might know something is up, sure. But he's unlikely to know that its on the scale of a full on Teuvian insurrection (and thus that he needs to take precautions for that) in Dale without us cluing him in.
Yes, but my position is that in terms of actions to take, he doesn't need to know there's a full scale insurrection, because he has no actions he can feasibly take regarding that anyway, vs that he should realize that there are potentially Teuv sympathies in other houses and he needs to guard against that.
I do think you're underestimating 'Good' Intrigue slightly in regards to that logic chain (which I don't think is particularly complex, you just need to be properly wary of threats in general), but -if- you are then there's a case to be made that he shouldn't be told for fear of giving something away in reactions (controlled behavior and non-reaction should be harder overall).
*shrug* Chivalric leaders will do the honourable thing. If this was a rebellion on Tellar land then sure, we might be in for a lecture on treating our peasants better, but its not. So fundamentally even if we treat our peasants like shit its got nothing to do with it.
Besides, he's going to find out eventually when Arbalen explodes on him. Imagine how you'd react if your boss sent you to work in a place that was a powderkeg that he knew was about to explode and didn't tell you. Better to just tell him now and get it over with.
The fact that it might get him to stop funding bandits in Greater Harper for the duration of this crisis (it wouldn't be honourable after all) is just a bonus.
Well, the other Houses don't exactly quite see Tellar as their boss totally just yet. More to the point, please don't distort my position--I am not saying do not tell him period, I am saying it's pointless to tell him -right now-.
@OneirosTheWriter See, told you I'd do something. Let's hope this all doesn't spiral down into failure and defeat because my coin flipped the wrong way.
Edit: I should probably say I'm kidding here. I actually read through the discussion...mostly, and I liked this one better
Should be Dale Turn 2 results next (or 1-2 or whatever nomenclature) and then Tellar Mid Turn 4 Options, I think? (+evelyn interlude unless that supercedes/is separate in some fashion)
A thousand Hammerers, professional heavy infantry of House Dale, pour out of the castle like beetles even as the smoke dissipate from the shattered Customs House. The gatehouse garrisons go from linen livery and cudgels to armour and spears and Justices stream onto the streets. Stephanie Dale, warhammer resting easy in her wisened hands, leads Audrey Suarez, into the scene with a presence like a landfall.
Audrey's eyes go wide as she sees a very different sort of Justice to Carmen Rios swing into action, the grey-haired woman like a lion who goes to and fro, looking for whom she may devour. Her officers spring into action, and discover that a male Soothsinger had sung the fateful song. When she asks what the blazes the building's patrol had been doing, their bodies are found to give the eloquent answer. Worse, two aren't found at all.
The Soothsinger had help.
[X] Audrey Suarez - That Wasn't Very Nice - [45% base chance, Intrigue Test, 200g, pin down and attempt to remove a Teuv group asset]
[ ] - That Wasn't Very Nice - So someone went and serenaded the Customs House with a Song of Concussion by the Harbour. It made rather a mess. Justice Stephanie Dale is handling the investigation, but if you'd be willing to run down a lead on a potentially related group called the Children of the Hidden Moon, she would appreciate it. [45% base chance, Intrigue Test, 200g, pin down and attempt to remove a Teuv group asset]
Need 55+, Roll 64 + 22 (Audrey I) + 18 (Apollo I) + 15 (Lawbringer) + 5 (Outside Events) + 10 (Shannon Kim Cooperation) = 136, +36 to sub-rolls
Sub-Roll, Attempt Raid, 61+: 2 + 22 + 36 + 10 (Ridderken Duelist) = 70, raid bare success, casualties taken by Dale Enforcement Team
Sub-Roll, Personal Combat Performance: 65 + 31 (Audrey C) + 36 = 132, Audrey cleaned house
Sub-Roll, Leads to other groups, 81+: 57 + 22 + 36 = 105, success
Found lead to smuggling group "Silver Fishes"
Trustworthy men are in short supply.
So when she wants to get a reliable set of eyes to hunt the group that backed the Soothsinger in his attack, she turns to Audrey. Apollo gives the word and the young hopeful spends the next few weeks hunting Teuvian commandos through the Azalea Ward. It's risky work. She takes on an enforcement team of Dale Justices and marries them to her wit and hammer. Someone takes a swing at her in the first week, an arrow flashes just past the bridge of her nose, and she snarls and blows out the storefront the assassin hides behind with a soaring chorus.
One of her own attached Justices gets her alone and tries to put a dagger in her back, only to see his own face caved in by her warhammer. She may be young, but she knows to keep an ear out.
The Children of the Hidden Moon is traced down to a flop house, and Audrey plans her assault carefully. But she is young, and unfamiliar to Arbalen. She underestimates the fierceness with which these rebels will fight back. The assault is bloody, but it accomplishes its task. The Children of the Hidden Moon is no more and her hammer shines with the Thunderhymn as she lays about herself, pulping bone and splitting skulls. When it is done, she returns with half the team she set out with, and a valuable lead to the smugglers who supply the commandos.
"Job well done," says Stephanie when she returns.
"But I lost half the team!" protests Audrey.
"This is Arbalen; everyone dies."
[X] Janie Tellar - Courtly Graces - [variable base chance, 400g, visit a Court and assess the current Court Reliability, and the Teuvian Court Influence present, possibly uncover assets]
-[X] Mei
[ ] - Courtly Graces - The Court Nobles are always scheming, scheming, scheming. Janie and Apollo will both gleefully confess to this. As the mists roll in, this penchant becomes ... a bit more sinister. [variable base chance, 400g, visit a Court and assess the current Court Reliability, and the Teuvian Court Influence present, possibly uncover assets]
-[ ] Target House - must be giving at least Grudging cooperation.
House Mei [+Good First Impression, +Castle District, -Long Feud], Need 51+
Need 51+, Roll 35 + 25 (Janie D) + 14 (Apollo D) + 5 (Schmoozer) = 79, success
Sub-Roll, Avoid Scandals: 51+: 79 + 25 + 5 = 109, success
Sub-Roll, Investigate Assets, 81+: 99 + 33 (I) + 7 (One With Shadows) = 139
Verify inner Court at Southmarch is clean.
Uncover "Circle of Starlight" band of Town Revolutionaries and reveal to Cassandra Mei.
Castle Southmarch is a stronghold every bit as imposing as those that the Carlisle or Raleigh call home. Walls are sealed by stone, Longbowmen patrol the gates. Red and black flutter in the breeze like warning signs, a message sent to the Vincennes across the border: try us if you dare.
Janie plays the good tourist to the hilt, following up on good impressions when she met Cassandra and James Mei at the Arena the month before. James is still attending duties in Arbalen, but Cassandra is back there, overseeing Court and drilling her troops. She is a good host, and Janie enjoys her time around the Mei family. She has many promising things to say about their spymaster and family matriarch, Celeste Mei, who for all she is clearly a ruthless protector of her children, is also responsible for the thinner mists in Southmarch. Janie is soon sure that the Court itself is clean. While out on the town, though, she stumbles upon a group of possible revolutionaries, and passes that information to her hosts, earning considerable gratitude.
[X] Lea Tsu - Insurance Policy - [55% base chance, 400g, gain Logan Sarba asset]
[ ] - Insurance Policy - Logan Sarba has taken up the post of commanding the border peacekeepers between House Dale's province of Arbalen, and House Vincennes' province of Marlingtay. This represents many regiments of troops that are almost assuredly loy- ... well, almost assuredly Teuvian. Perhaps he'd be willing to open a line of communication? [55% base chance, 400g, gain Logan Sarba asset]
Need 45+, 71 + 23 (Lea D) + 14 (Apollo D) + 5 (General to General) = 104, + 4 to Sub-Rolls
Sub-Roll, Gain asset, "Intel from Logan" (Logan will pass intel to you), 61+: 59 + 23 + 4 = 86, success
Sub-Roll, Possible access to troop-requisitions, 81+: 73 + 23 + 4 +5 (General) = 109, success
Logan Sarba is a big bear of a man, the complete opposite of the delicate flower Mezzia Dane Sarba is reputed to be. In his mid-thirties, he is a powerful and imposing figure, and Lea spots him instantly among the crowd of the riverside village where the cross-Sartier force has set up their headquarters.
Lea is dazzled by the liveries and flags she sees, both of Majors and Minors. Nobles from a dozen houses are present, including now a solid contingent of Tellar forces: her nominal reason for being here. But first chance she gets, Lea gets a private audience with Logan. There she swears him to secrecy and reveals to him her mission in Arbalen, shocking the normally unflappable Sarbine commander. He tells you that his command has been quiet since last season's bandit battle. Neither Dale nor Vincennes soldiers have stirred, and apart from some unsurprising friction between fiesty nobles of rival houses, there has been no issues arising. When Lea approaches him on the topic of maybe borrowing his forces for anti-Teuv operations, he hems and haws and considers for a long, long time. Finally he agrees, with conditions. Only for limited operations, only in places where you have the full cooperation of the local House. But yes, it would be possible...
[X] Candice Kettleblack - Lost in the Mists - [40% base chance, 1,500g, Songweavers get a saving throw against ambushes, gain new research options]
[ ] - Lost in the Mists - You've been told that it was the way that the mists mapped to Teuvian activity that tipped off Victor Dale to the depth of the trouble they were in. Perhaps if he can teach you how to look for this unnatural reaction, you can get some warning when those forces are close? [40% base chance, 1,500g, Songweavers get a saving throw against ambushes, gain new research options]
Need 61+, Roll 97 + 29 + 4 = 130, +30 to Sub-Rolls!
Victor Dale is not very strong magically: his voice not so pure, his will not so implacable. His Elite Songweaving owes less to great prowess and more to a tremendous work ethic. Candice taps into his work ethic and love of learning to aid her attempts to study. It isn't easy, and it's a very short timeframe to try and learn this in, but the young Consort has established a rapport with Victor, and enlisted his aid in your cause. He is willing to provide his wisdom in magic to your cause.
Even better, as rainy winter gives way to brisk spring, Candice and Victor together make a breakthrough; a way to recognise when you are close to the source of these artificial mists.
Etela Comparisons: Boston/Melbourne Harbour/River Name: Balan List of Fortifications: Great West Citadel, Etela Pit, Balan Cloister, Balan Harbour, Balan Arsenal, The Three Sisters Bridge List of Landmarks: The Arsenal, The Forum, Balan Harbour, The Etela Market, The Ambassador's Quarter, the University of Etela, Shipwright's Guild Brief: Cosmopolitan jewel of Sartier, the largest city in population and sprawl, with a wealthy, educated population. The mightiest buildings are here, the vaulted Arsenal, the great hall of the inner Etela Market, the epic Forum, the towers of the University, and on and on. The buildings are larger, more ornate, and many bear the marks of Memphrabi influences.
Building Style: Large, tall, ornate, with Memphrabi style influences.
Description:
To understand the size and majesty of Etela within a Sartieran context, it must be understood that the Scholar-Lords of Memphrabi don't just say that Etela could be a Memphrabian city, they say so unbegrudgingly. Not one of the five regional capitals, of course, but if you ignore the style of dress and the accents, it would fit right in among the provincial capitals.
Etela is founded upon a port, in the north-east corner of the Ballaconno Sound, which is a large sheltered saltwater area. The port itself carries the name Balan Harbour. One of the things the harbour is most famous for is being perhaps the most well-defended bit of coastline in the world. The first thing visitors by sea come across is the mighty Three Sisters Bridge, stone spans strung between three imposing forts that rise up from the shallow harbour waters. To the north of the shore are a trio of large hills, of which the apex hosts the four-tiered Great West Citadel, mightiest stronghold in all of Sartier. To the south-east of the harbour is another rising, where the Etela Pit of the Royal Army has been built.
Arcing around the outside of the city is a series of impressive free-standing Guardhouses. On the shore line itself there there are more fortifications. In the centre is the Balan Arsenal of Etela, a complex of offices, warehouses, and most importantly, four enclosed slipways that produce Royals, the triremes of the Royal Navy. It is considered so crucial that it is surrounded by its own set of high walls that extend out into the bay, with great keep that serves as a sea-gate to access the area, big enough for a ship to row through. To the north of the Arsenal is Balan Cloister, the Royal Navy's western fleet base, itself naturally a considerable stronghold. To the north, sprawling on and on, are the public docks of Etela.
On the far side of Balan Cloister, sweeping around behind the Cloister and Arsenal, and up to the feet of the Great West Citadel, are the large estates of Etelan nobility and the super-wealthy of the city. Behind the civilian docks on the other side comes a thick "belt" of storage buildings and the many workshops and crafthouses that support the House shipyards. The city spreads out from the dock in between the very large area marked off by the defences. There are more multi-story buildings in the square kilometer behind the docks than in every other city in Sartier combined. A ways inland from the Arsenal, marking the edge of this built-up kilometer, is Miriel Hill. Set upon which like a crown is a great circular colonnade known as the Milerean. It overlooks the rest of the city and serves as the site of most of of the important rites of the Sonissimmo. At the foot of this hill are most of the immense civic buildings that Etela is known for, such as the University, the Sonoria (the Etelan Songweaving hall), and the Summit Hall. The further out you go from that hill towards the guardhouses, the poorer the neighbourhood, however, in Etela even the impoverished neighbourhoods seem respectable by the standards of most others.
There are many port cities in Sartier, but none are like Etela, the mighty city founded upon Balan Harbour. Jewel in the crown of Sartier, a place of learning, of magic, of business and industry. A city marked by the heights of four great fortifications. A city marked by the spires of amazing civic buildings, the sprawling shipyards, the ever-present creak and clatter of waterwheels. There is no city in all Sartier to match Etela, the shining heart of the nation. Respected for its maritime prowess by the Khironex, for its strongholds by the Kabilee, for its amenities by the Renmi, Etela is the best known of the Sartieran cities. Even arrogant and lofty Memphrabi give their respect to what Etela has accomplished.
And, of course, Tranquility fears it for the Royal Navy it supports.
The Balan Harbour is home to a large contingent of warships from Sonissimmo and its vassals, including even a small contingent from Timbre. In the broad belt that lays behind the Common Dockyards, which is everything east of the Arsenal, was a dizzying array of cargo-handling bays, shipyards, jetties, repair cradles, support workshops and other buildings. This district was referred to most commonly as the Tangle. Though Balan Harbour tipped its hat to Gambier, Bartier and Arbalen in terms of raw trade value, there was no greater collection of naval firepower than Balan.
As the centre of culture and learning in Sartier, as well as the largest of cities, Etela is blessed with a series of civic buildings that are the envy of the country. The Ambassador's Quarter, despite the recent change in administration, still thrives, with dignitaries, diplomats, and scholars from many lands. This Quarter exists in the upmarket part of town that exists around Miriel Hill. Adjacent to it is the horseshoe-like great hall of the Library of Etela. Across a major thoroughfare leading up into the Milerean is the majestic compound of the University. Surrounded by an octagonal stone wall, with tall spires at all eight corners, the university is formed by two vaulted halls that lead into a large square building, topped by an exquisite navy blue dome. Less majestic, but no less important, the area around Miriel Hill is also dotted with coffee houses, salons and public baths, catering to the scholars of the city, where open conversation flourishes.
The entertainment sector in Etela booms, with so many subjects who have disposable incomes. Some of the taverns are of staggering size, but there are also a number of theatres, halls for concerts, displays of art, a great Forum that lies between the Tangles and Miriel Hill, and any number of other ways to keep yourself entertained (dueling arenas, sparring yards, the jousting practice of the spellknights, etc). In terms of Pleasure Clubs, the most well known is the palatial Sonnet House, which offers no fancy services or intellectual activity, but the widest variety of the most beautiful and elegant men and women the city has to offer.
Stephanie Dale, warhammer resting easy in her wisened hands, leads Audrey Suarez, into the scene with a presence like a landfall.
Audrey's eyes go wide as she sees a very different sort of Justice to Carmen Rios swing into action, the grey-haired woman like a lion who goes to and fro, looking for whom she may devour.
Niiice. Glad my guess that the Lawbringer trait would help came into play. It should be a boon to the army vetting too next turn as a Justice-type action with Stephanie Dale.
Sub-Roll, Attempt Raid, 61+: 2 + 22 + 36 + 10 (Ridderken Duelist) = 70, raid bare success, casualties taken by Dale Enforcement Team
Sub-Roll, Personal Combat Performance: 65 + 31 (Audrey C) + 36 = 132, Audrey cleaned house
Sub-Roll, Leads to other groups, 81+: 57 + 22 + 36 = 105, success
Found lead to smuggling group "Silver Fishes"
The Ridderken Duelist bonus was so helpful - glad we picked that up last turn along with the good impression bonuses. Also...
Someone takes a swing at her in the first week, an arrow flashes just past the bridge of her nose, and she snarls and blows out the storefront the assassin hides behind with a soaring chorus.
One of her own attached Justices gets her alone and tries to put a dagger in her back, only to see his own face caved in by her warhammer. She may be young, but she knows to keep an ear out.
Audrey is a badass. Although when did Audrey get to 31 combat? I have her as 28 on my sheets?
And heck, yes, one combat Teuv group down and I think we may have found the group that the stewardship action to check incoming ships would have found... Although we may want to do that anyway with Juan because the smugglers probably need customs officials to look the other way to smuggle successfully.
Although, wait, the two officials already fled.
But they would still need to smuggle on merchant ships too probably. Hrm.
House Mei [+Good First Impression, +Castle District, -Long Feud], Need 51+
Need 51+, Roll 35 + 25 (Janie D) + 14 (Apollo D) + 5 (Schmoozer) = 79, success
Sub-Roll, Avoid Scandals: 51+: 79 + 25 + 5 = 109, success
Sub-Roll, Investigate Assets, 81+: 99 + 33 (I) + 7 (One With Shadows) = 139
Verify inner Court at Southmarch is clean.
Uncover "Circle of Starlight" band of Town Revolutionaries and reveal to Cassandra Mei.
Good job, Janie. This is fantastic news. Having Mei be compromised would be a gigantic pain given the amount of military assets they can throw around. I think one more turn of Hovering Boss to check a house before revealing at least a little of what's going on to verified clean houses will help.
So - the question is: send Janie to Yin or Laine next turn? Which one is going to be harder / needs Apollo's bonus more? I'm pretty sure Laine will get a bonus for good impressions but that'll probably be cancelled out by Arnold Vincennes' raid. Laine is pretty key because they're going to be on the frontlines against Mollandt and Veronica's group. On the other hand, it didn't seem like Janie got along well with the Yins, but Yin's House Leaders are explicitly noted as the most competent. They're also one of the closest to Arbalen so if they act quickly in the event of revolt, they could send reinforcements to Arbalen or let Capo through if they're told earlier.
The other option - Yin + Laine, call in House Leaders to let them known on Dale Mini-Turn 5. Laine + Mei + Yin is a pretty solid group and would probably bump our permissions up just in time for when we run out of things for Tsu to do (visit Sartier Army, check Arbalen). It would also let us send Janie to Bolden that turn where I expect the difficulty level to be relatively low (so she won't need the Apollo bonus as much).
She has many promising things to say about their spymaster and family matriarch, Celeste Mei, who for all she is clearly a ruthless protector of her children, is also responsible for the thinner mists in Southmarch. Janie is soon sure that the Court itself is clean. While out on the town, though, she stumbles upon a group of possible revolutionaries, and passes that information to her hosts, earning considerable gratitude.
Hrm. I did want to meet with the Mei Spymaster last turn too. Maybe passing on the news of the Circle of Starlight - which, ouch, sounds like a Teuv combat group with songweaver support - will increase the success chance on that action. I was thinking of sending Candice if there's nothing pressing on the magic front.
Speaking of agent choices, my thought was: Janie and Tsu are pretty well known so they're going to be followed, but as long as they act like their cover would indicate, they'll be overlooked (show people what they want to see). Janie is our bored Tellar noble, flitting around to various courts and seeing all the attractions of Dale, and Tsu is just doing the usual border and meet and greet stuff as a General. Candice, despite her station, and Audrey aren't as well known so I want to send them to do follow ups on the down low, all the nitty gritty stuff.
Need 45+, 71 + 23 (Lea D) + 14 (Apollo D) + 5 (General to General) = 104, + 4 to Sub-Rolls
Sub-Roll, Gain asset, "Intel from Logan" (Logan will pass intel to you), 61+: 59 + 23 + 4 = 86, success
Sub-Roll, Possible access to troop-requisitions, 81+: 73 + 23 + 4 +5 (General) = 109, success
Nice - border intel and possible troop requisitions. Pretty happy with that: we don't have a spy network set up and we only have a few agents so if we can recruit assets that will help give us leads in the first place, we can spend less time just randomly canvassing and more time doing the actual tracking down. Action economy is going to be pretty key, I think.
Finally he agrees, with conditions. Only for limited operations, only in places where you have the full cooperation of the local House. But yes, it would be possible...
WELL DONE, Candice. I have no idea what Victor's magic bonus is like, but it's almost certainly better than Apollo's rather dire magic bonus.
Even better, as rainy winter gives way to brisk spring, Candice and Victor together make a breakthrough; a way to recognise when you are close to the source of these artificial mists.
It would have been nice for our mini-agents to have picked up some more traits, but this was a ridiculously successful turn. Think we're in a good place to build on it for next turn.
Audrey's eyes go wide as she sees a very different sort of Justice to Carmen Rios swing into action, the grey-haired woman like a lion who goes to and fro, looking for whom she may devour.
Speaking of agent choices, my thought was: Janie and Tsu are pretty well known so they're going to be followed, but as long as they act like their cover would indicate, they'll be overlooked (show people what they want to see). Janie is our bored Tellar noble, flitting around to various courts and seeing all the attractions of Dale, and Tsu is just doing the usual border and meet and greet stuff as a General. Candice, despite her station, and Audrey aren't as well known so I want to send them to do follow ups on the down low, all the nitty gritty stuff.
That has mostly been the logic I have used in my assignments, so that matches up.
Looks like the Evelyn interlude might be coming up next, given the info dump.
Speaking of which, @OneirosTheWriter@Macchiato for how long had Sonissimmo been leading Symphony? Etela just seems to outclass the other cities by so much as de facto Sartieran capital that they've had awhile to keep working on it and build it up whereas the others seem to have just not bothered. (We know Tellar has different priorities but still)
Neg. Carmen is Rios's Executive and indications are that she was the inheriting one, so if she passes, that was why it was also a big deal there to also get Natalie's wayward daughter back just in case.
Charlie is also, if you remember, quite young, so to say that she's 'always' been Tellar's Justice wouldn't be accurate. When I said "in years past", I meant prior to quest start.
Speaking of which, @OneirosTheWriter@Macchiato for how long had Sonissimmo been leading Symphony? Etela just seems to outclass the other cities by so much as de facto Sartieran capital that they've had awhile to keep working on it and build it up whereas the others seem to have just not bothered. (We know Tellar has different priorities but still)
Hah. Makes sense. Well, I feel like if you're in the spymaster profession, you tend to have an incurable amount of curiosity and also little shame in satisfying it through underhanded means.
Hah. Makes sense. Well, I feel like if you're in the spymaster profession, you tend to have an incurable amount of curiosity and also little shame in satisfying it through underhanded means.
I wouldn't even characterize it as that. My position is that if you're the spymaster, you absolutely should be spying even on your neighbors and allies to get ahead of problems before they wander into your own District. (Outside of special historic relationships where basically all info is shared anyway, so you don't need to waste the effort and can mostly trust them.)
God damn those are some good rolls in the right places. So some Teuvian assets have been eliminated, more of our own have been developed, further leads to other groups, and one central court has been revealed as free from Teuv.
I'm a little confused about whether songweavers get a saving throw and asset : mist warning are the same though, as I thought the first one was intrinsic to the base option succeeding.
Excellent write up on Etela as usual, so I guess Evelyn's interlude is coming up next.
We'll see if she continues rounding into shape. Really needs another 5-10 more Diplo before she might approach viable Agent status. 'Okay' Intrigue and Elite Magic aren't actually that useful for getting things done, surprisingly.
We're facing seven Teuvian organisations, each of which will have a minimum of one action a turn they can take (I suspect, for example, that the Midnight Banner has three actions a turn - it has three agents after all). So, without including the actions contributed from any suborned Minor Houses, that's a minimum of seven actions (in reality its probably closer to eleven) that the Teuvian groups can take a turn.
House Tellar is contributing four actions a turn to this and Dale has one agent who is presumably working on this too. So five actions in total.
Even with the advantage that the Teuvians don't know we're onto them the action economy is currently tilted so far against us that we will struggle to make much headway. Luckily, we have a source of actions in our favour that we're not exploiting yet: The Minor Houses. Each one of them is likely to have at least one action they can contribute each turn.
Unfortunately we can't leverage this yet. We don't want to go loud yet and just telling all the Minor Houses has too much of a chance of what we're doing leaking out. However, we did just clear House Mei of any significant Teuvian infiltration. So, over the next couple of turns I would suggest that we clear (or attempt to clear) some combination of Houses Bolden, Laine and Yin of any suspect of having Teuvian infiltration. At that point we can brief however many of them we've cleared on the Teuvian threat, take the Justice League action and enjoy our actions per turn almost doubling.
Although, thinking about it @Macchiato, what has Belinda Hornvale been up to all this time?
More to the point, please don't distort my position--I am not saying do not tell him period, I am saying it's pointless to tell him -right now-.
