Remove ads

Shadows of the Past

Reader mode
Hm... I thought people would be more eager to recruit her. Next up then Tlamaca and turning your loot into equipment I guess.
 
[X] Recruit Xochi
-[X] Sympathize with her over how stupid the Anenqui's policies are to make it standard practice not to look out for one another.
-[X] Tentatively broach on whether she'd like to stick with you a bit longer.
-[X] We'd treat her like an actual ally and friend and won't leave her for dead, as we've already demonstrated.
-[X] She'd be the direct beneficiary of top-notch medical healing now that we're at Medicine 4 (thank you XP).
-[X] Equally split loot.
-[X] Plenty of adventure with us, and we can also provide expertise against the various spirits we might encounter.
 
Last edited:
[X] Recruit Xochi
-[X] Sympathize with her over how stupid the Anenqui's policies are to make it standard practice not to look out for one another.
-[X] Tentatively broach on whether she'd like to stick with you a bit longer.
-[X] We'd treat her like an actual ally and friend and won't leave her for dead, as we've already demonstrated.
-[X] She'd be the direct beneficiary of top-notch medical healing now that we're at Medicine 4 (thank you XP).
-[X] Equally split loot.
-[X] Plenty of adventure with us, and we can also provide expertise against the various spirits we might encounter.
 
On second thought... @Azel, does Yaxkin think there's any benefit to making the full recruitment pitch later? We could use now to lay down the groundwork.
 
MTB said:
For now you wrote an invitation. I think Xochi would react ~ "let's try it out".
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I wrote a full recruitment pitch because I laid out all the benefits of sticking with us. An invitation is probably better in this case because it's less committing and gives her more freedom to back out if she's uncomfortable. Since we're splitting the loot with her we could even frame it as "extending her contract" so she has a good excuse to toss at her fellow mercenaries.
 
Duesal said:
I wrote a full recruitment pitch because I laid out all the benefits of sticking with us. An invitation is probably better in this case because it's less committing and gives her more freedom to back out if she's uncomfortable. Since we're splitting the loot with her we could even frame it as "extending her contract" so she has a good excuse to toss at her fellow mercenaries.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Okay, I meant, you wrote it intended as a recruitment pitch, and I think Xochi will accept it as an invitation - because we don't know each other for very long just now.
After we spend some more weeks/months based on that 'invitation', our relationship will either end or mature into full-on adventurer buddies.
 
[X] Recruit Xochi Revised
-[X] Sympathize with her over how stupid the Anenqui's policies are to make it standard practice not to look out for one another.
-[X] Tentatively broach on whether she'd like to stick with you a bit longer.
-[X] We'd treat her like an actual ally and friend and won't leave her for dead, as we've already demonstrated.
-[X] She'd be the direct beneficiary of top-notch medical healing now that we're at Medicine 4 (thank you XP).
-[X] Equally split loot from whatever adventures we go could qualify as paying to "extend her contract" if she needs an excuse, and surely it'd be better than being stuck in the city the entire time.
 
Last edited:
[X] Recruit Xochi Revised
-[X] Sympathize with her over how stupid the Anenqui's policies are to make it standard practice not to look out for one another.
-[X] Tentatively broach on whether she'd like to stick with you a bit longer.
-[X] We'd treat her like an actual ally and friend and won't leave her for dead, as we've already demonstrated.
-[X] She'd be the direct beneficiary of top-notch medical healing now that we're at Medicine 4 (thank you XP).
-[X] Equally split loot from whatever adventures we go could qualify as paying to "extend her contract" if she needs an excuse, and surely it'd be better than being stuck in the city the entire time.

@araa @Artemis1992 @MTB @djd

Here's a revised plan. Full recruitment here and now might be going too fast. So the next best thing is seeing if she wants to adventure with us some more. The more time we spend with her the easier she becomes to fully recruit.
 
Last edited:
Duesal said:
Here's a revised plan. Full recruitment here and now might be going too fast. So the next best thing is seeing if she wants to adventure with us some more. The more time we spend with her the easier she becomes to fully recruit.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I think if we don't overemphasize the 'paid as a merchant' angle, that'll happen on its own. Just evolving into a friendship/adventurer business relation.
 
[X] Recruit Xochi Revised
-[X] Sympathize with her over how stupid the Anenqui's policies are to make it standard practice not to look out for one another.
-[X] Tentatively broach on whether she'd like to stick with you a bit longer.
-[X] We'd treat her like an actual ally and friend and won't leave her for dead, as we've already demonstrated.
-[X] She'd be the direct beneficiary of top-notch medical healing now that we're at Medicine 4 (thank you XP).
-[X] Equally split loot from whatever adventures we go could qualify as paying to "extend her contract" if she needs an excuse, and surely it'd be better than being stuck in the city the entire time.

We could also sa that we teach her on spirits and/or healing if she teachs us more fighting/archery, no?

Nevill said:
Alright, I think I need to step back and ask what exactly we are thinking here. What is our goal?

Suppose we recruit her. What is our plan for her? Just a reminder, we are supposed to travel to Nonotzale soon to continue apprenticing under Matlal, or so I believe our goals are. Do you want Yaxkin to take Xochi with her?

I just can't wrap my head around bringing someone we barely know to a conspiracy that relies on secrecy to survive. We had to kill a person to earn entry - that's how they test loyalty. Do you think they will be more lenient to Xochi just because a sixteen years old vouches for her despite only knowing her for two weeks? Furthermore, do you think Unity (who might or might not be behind the raids she was hired to stop) is a better fit for Xochi than the Anenqui? They are pretty cold-hearted bastards themselves, far as I reckon.

Xochi is cool and all, and would be a wonderful traveling companion if all we wanted is to travel. But I am guessing we want to drag her in the shadow war business?

Sometimes you have to ask not 'how', but 'should you'?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Like I said plenty of time before, I don't actually want to go there. The way the votes go we probably will, but we shouldn't limit us because of them, even the ones who want to go mostly see them as a place to learn things we can't learn elsewhere, or that would be too dificult to learn with the Wise Men, so we aren't and won't be part of theyr "shadow war", unless sporadically to get benefits, while having companions we can rely on for later aligns with our character goals of raiding ruins and learning of the past, thus making Xochi for the long run better than Unity.


Duesal said:
I never said that Xochi's decisions were smart or prudent. Ironically enough, the spirit fight we just won would have qualified as "too much" and she would have been fully justified in running away. I'm glad she didn't, though. What I was saying was that there's a happy medium that can be achieved. You don't have to be a cold heartless bastard who doesn't give a damn about his companions, or a self-sacrificing maniac. You can help your companions and look after them up to the point where doing so becomes suicide. That's what I meant by smart and prudent, since just not being an asshole when it comes to the people you work with tends to pay off in the long run.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

And that is what I sayd in my previous post, man ;) Take a look, I just sayd the best is knowing when you should help or let go, but it's not possible to teach this, you can't have every foot soldier carrying a risk assesment list that go on and on for each situation and variation, so the larger groups just have to take a more generalist approach and choose one, like "If there is true risk to your life, just leave". This can be cruel, but can be effective, and can also lower morals, that's the thing with big decisions, they are never purely good.
 
Remove ads
Chapter 41: Wealth
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Recruit Xochi Revised
    -[X] Sympathize with her over how stupid the Anenqui's policies are to make it standard practice not to look out for one another.
    -[X] Tentatively broach on whether she'd like to stick with you a bit longer.
    -[X] We'd treat her like an actual ally and friend and won't leave her for dead, as we've already demonstrated.
    -[X] She'd be the direct beneficiary of top-notch medical healing now that we're at Medicine 4 (thank you XP).
    -[X] Equally split loot from whatever adventures we go could qualify as paying to "extend her contract" if she needs an excuse, and surely it'd be better than being stuck in the city the entire time.

    1.6.17.10.10.4 - 4th of the White Storm​

    Truth for truth, you answer her in turn about your goals. "I want to travel and learn. So many things to see, ruins to explore, that I think I will live most of my life on the roads." Xochi just nods while terribly unsurprised about your answer. "I was just wondering if you would like to accompany me for some more of that? From what you told me about the Anenqui, they sound..."

    "Like a bunch of self-centered assholes?" The deadpan look she has while interrupting you speaks volumes about how much she believes that to be true. Whatever happened between her and the Anenqui must have been quite bad to breed that kind of resentment.

    "I was going to say 'idiots', but yes." You pause for a moment to give Xochi time to interject something, but she just looks at you intrigued and so you go on. "It's nice to travel with you and we make for a good team. You are a good fighter and I can patch us up if something goes wrong. Even split the spoils between us, like we did with Fleshy. What do you think?"

    The answer is swift, she obviously doesn't need long to think about your offer. "Sure. I see literally not a single reason why I wouldn't agree to that. However, I would really like to stay in Tlamaca and rest for a bit before going out again. No point in earning all that money when I can't enjoy it now and then."

    "Of course. I think a few weeks of nothing trying to kill me sounds lovely." And so you reach out to each other and shake hands to the seal the deal. Two wanderers vowing to journey on together.


    Survival (DC 250):
    Yaxkin: 97 + 50 (Intelligence) + 60 (Constitution) + 80 (Survival) + 15 (Living off the Land) = 302
    6 degrees of Success
    Making great time, journey takes 3 days.

    Perception:
    Yaxkin: 17 + 50 (Intelligence) + 60 (Concentration) + 80 (Perception) = 207
    Nothing

    Endurance DC 250 (150 Base, 50 from helping Xochi, 50 from being packed down):
    Yaxkin: 59 + 60 (Strength) + 60 (Constitution) + 80 (Endurance) = 259
    1 degrees of Success
    No slow down.


    Healing Xochi
    Day 1
    Medicine (DC 140):
    Yaxkin: 17 + 50 (Intelligence) + 50 (Intelligence) + 80 (Medicine) = 197
    6 degrees of Success

    -1 Wound Dressing
    2 Wound Dressings remaining

    Xochi:
    Healing Check
    9 + 7 (Constitution) - 2 (Wound Penalty) = 14
    Healed two wounds. Wound Penalty now -1
    23/35

    Day 2
    Medicine (DC 120):
    Yaxkin: 33 + 50 (Intelligence) + 50 (Intelligence) + 80 (Medicine) = 213
    10 degrees of Success

    -1 Wound Dressing
    1 Wound Dressing remaining

    Xochi:
    Healing Check
    10 + 7 (Constitution) - 1 (Wound Penalty) = 16
    Healed two wounds.
    25/35

    Day 3
    Dressing still holds

    Xochi:
    Healing Check
    8 + 7 (Constitution) - 1 (Wound Penalty) = 14
    Healed two wounds.
    27/35
    Survival - 23 XP
    Perception - 70 XP
    Endurance - 88 XP
    Medicine - 52 XP

    Strength - 88 XP
    Constitution - 111 XP
    Intelligence - 197 XP
    Concentration - 70 XP

    1.6.17.10.10.6 - 6th of the White Storm​

    You return to Tlamaca in good time, given that Xochi is still slowed down by her wounds quite a bit, though your luck doesn't last. The gate guards are much more alert than when you left, something apparently having them on high alert right now. Even though you took great care to wrap the parts of the Fleshweaver into tarps and cloaks to make it a bit less obvious, they adamantly demand to inspect your belongings.

    Charm (DC 200):
    Yaxkin: 1 + 50 (Charisma) + 50 (Charisma) + 60 (Charm) = 161
    Utter failure.

    Xochi: Intimidate
    82 + 70 (Dexterity) + 60 (Concentration) + 70 (???) = 282
    vs.
    16 + 70 (Strength) + 60 (Concentration) + 50 (???) = 196

    Retry:
    Charm (DC 200):
    Yaxkin: 44 + 50 (Charisma) + 50 (Charisma) + 60 (Charm) - 20 (Retry) = 184
    2 degrees of Failure

    "Now, that looks quite a bit like something from a spirit." The guard intones it as if speaking to a particularly dull child, making you take an immediate dislike to him. His cronie is meanwhile fingering around on Xochi's bandaged back, allegedly to see if she hides something below the strips of cloth.

    You just sigh and nod, knowing already how this will go. "Yes, it is. How much for you two to keep quiet?"

    That he clenches his teeth together and looks at you with fury is the first sign that you probably should have formulated this differently. "Look, jungle brat, I don't know how the inbred bunch of tribals handle things where you come from, but here in Tlamaca, the laws of the Wise Men mean something. This is contraband and I'm going to seize all of that. That armor too, for you probably murdered its previous owner."

    Now it is your turn to become furious, though as you glance over to Xochi, that gives way to confusion. The other guard is standing between the two of you with his back to you, making it hard to see Xochi over his shoulder. You do notice though that the sheath on her hip is empty and the broad grin she wears is eerily reminiscent of her expression when she tried to kill a spirit with an arrow. The other guard sounds a bit nervous as he speaks. "I think you shouldn't be that harsh on them. These fine ladies probably just didn't know any better."

    Xochi just nods slightly and speaks very slowly. "Right you are. We are just two hunters coming to the city with the spoils of our last trip. Found that armor among the remnants of the Fleshweaver's last meal and thought we could sell the parts of him that my friend didn't cut to ribbons."

    The man in front of you looks a bit confused, which you exploit to get a few words in edge wise. "I'm sorry if I offended you, but I thought that you just had to pay for the privilege of selling these things here." It's not quite lying through your teeth, merely reframing the facts to make them sound a bit more above board.

    Seeing his companion stand stock still, the guard starts to look a bit worried as he addresses you again. "Fine. Two Tlaltepoztli. From each of you. Then we will forget this and let you in."

    It's all that you can do to not grind your teeth as you hand over the hard-earned bronze token, but better this than starting a fight here. Especially since two other guards on the wall have already taken a vested interest in your little chat. As you go on, you idly wonder about the difference between the city guards and common bandits, struggling to come up with something after this.


    To avoid having to bribe any further guards, you take a detour through the slums and avoid the main roads, let alone the marketplace, like the plague. While more than a few actual thieves and cut-throats eye you on your way, none feel like approaching the two obviously armed woman. Thus it is early evening, the sun already beginning to set, when you arrive at Noche's home. The greeting here is a lot warmer, even if the smith seems quite troubled at the presence of spirit parts in his home. Not because of any fear of them, they are harmless bones after all, but due to their forbidden nature in Tlamaca. Neither is he terribly keen to sound out his acquaintances for a skilled enough carve to turn them into arms, the special nature of the bones making that list rather short already, yet he relents quickly, probably hoping to get the stuff out of his house as fast as possible that way.

    While Xochi retells the intrigued Ixtli about what you two were up to, you show Noche the armor you found. Sadly it's in a pretty beaten up condition and rather corroded from spirits knows how many years laying in that cave, so repairing it is pretty much a lost cause. That doesn't mean that it is worthless, through, the bronze alone being worth a tremendous fortune, but forging you a new armor would still cost a lot.


    What will you do with the armor and the parts of the Fleshweaver?

    Armor:
    [] Have it repaired as good as possible. (Gain Simple Light Bronze Armor, DR 1, Cost: Free)
    [] Pay for additional material to repair it properly. (Gain Regular Light Bronze Armor, DR 2, Cost: 70 Tlaltepoztli)
    [] Use it as raw materials for Noche to forge a new armor. (Gain Exceptional Light Bronze Armor, DR 4, Cost: 180 Tlaltepoztli)

    [] Repair it, but buy some chainmail in addition. (Gain Simple Medium Bronze Armor, DR 2, Cost: 70 Tlaltepoztli)
    [] Have it repaired fully and add chainmail. (Gain Regular Medium Bronze Armor, DR 4, Cost: 180 Tlaltepoztli)

    [] Have the armor fitted to you. (Reduces Armor Penalty by 1 point, costs 10 Tlaltepoztli for Light and 20 for Medium armor)

    Spirit parts:
    - 3x Fleshweaver Leg
    - 1x Fleshweaver Armor Plate
    - 1x Fleshweaver Fangs
    [] Sell the parts.
    -[] Leg - 35 Tlaltepoztli each
    -[] Armor Plate - 60 Tlaltepoztli
    -[] Fangs - 25 Tlaltepoztli

    [] Have a dagger made from a leg. (Gain Masterwork Bone Dagger, Gain 15 Tlaltepoztli from leftover materials sold)

    [] Have a longbow made from a leg. (Gain Exceptional Longbow)
    [] Have a longbow made from a leg and pay for a master artisan. (Gain Masterwork Longbow, Cost: 80 Tlaltepoztli)

    [] Have a sword made from a leg. (Gain Exceptional Bone Sword)
    [] Have a sword made from a leg and pay for a master artisan. (Gain Masterwork Bone Sword, Cost: 80 Tlaltepoztli)

    [] Have a shield made from the armor plate. (Gain Exceptional Light Bone Shield)
    [] Have a shield made from the armor plate and pay for a master artisan. (Gain Masterwork Light Bone Shield, Cost: 60 Tlaltepoztli)

    [] Have arrows made from the fangs. (Gain 60 Masterwork Bone Arrows)


    AN: Sorry for the delay, but I needed to tuck in early yesterday.
    The armor is currently worth roughly 70 Tlaltepoztli. I wasn't kidding when I said that metal armor costs an arm and a leg.

    If there is something else you would like to make from Fleshy's remains, tell me and I will price it.

    Voting by plan please.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • @Azel
    [] Use it as raw materials for Noche to forge a new armor. (Gain Exceptional Light Bronze Armor, DR 4, Cost: 180 Tlaltepoztli)
    [] Have it repaired fully and add chainmail. (Gain Regular Medium Bronze Armor, DR 4, Cost: 180 Tlaltepoztli)

    What's the advantage of the medium armor?
     
    Last edited:
    If we sell all of the Fleshweaver material we can get a total of 190 Tlaltepoztli. Though I think the thread at least wanted to make a masterwork bow from one leg which would cost 80 Tlaltepoztli and reduce the total profit by 35.

    Edit: Check the front page, medium armor has double the damage resistance but also has double the armor penalty of medium armor. If we do get the light armor, we should spend the extra 10 Tlaltepoztli for the custom fitting to reduce the armor penalty to nothing.
     
    Last edited:
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top