Supervillain CEO (CK2 Quest)

Oshha · Aug 30, 2020

You are Leonardo Goodman, publicly respected CEO and secretly the Warlord of Winchester. One of the first capes to show up on the super scene almost ten years ago, it has been a long decade as you struggled to establish your dreams as reality.

An orphan, you grew up bouncing from foster family to foster family. Never settling down, you eventually found your place in the world between secondary school and college. A couple of patents and you had the cash to start up your own company. Legal emancipation and you had the legal ability to start your business, something you promptly did.

It was okay at first. You found your niche and began to work your way up in the world. Within a year, you were secure and by the time you finished collage, you were doing well enough that you disregarded university in favour of running your business full time.

Everything was fine at first. Your business was doing well and you continued to steadily expand it. You had found stability and prosperity that your childhood had lacked.

Then you realised that all was not right with the world. Things might have been okay for you, but there was so much corruption and inefficiency elsewhere. The rich and connected profited and increase their wealth while the poor suffered. They needless hurt others for purely selfish reasons and they were able to get away with it. It wasn't right and you resolved to do something about it. Taking inspiration from the handful of superpowered vigilantes that had been popping up over the world, you took action into your own hands to correct these wrongs.

You spent a month throwing together some gear, hired some expandable lackeys and took to the streets of Winchester, striking at the corrupt who abused their riches and connections to escape justice for their misdeeds. Alas, going up against those who had perverted the legal system to their own ends meant that they denounced you as a criminal, a villain who preyed upon the innocent that they supposedly were. It wouldn't have been a problem if a certain superpowered lady hadn't brought their lies hook, line and sinker.

They called you Warlord and her Sentinel and it was a beginning of a most interesting relationship. Enemies who fought for what they believed was right and just. You defied the law to punish those who escaped their rightful comeuppance while Sentinel fought to stop criminals and uphold the law.

But that was years ago and now you have won that little war of yours. Now your company has grown into a proper national corporation and you are the CEO of...

[] [CEO] Goodman Systems. Your company rose to prominence by being a defence contractor. You produced high quality equipment on the relatively cheap and you pioneered next generation weaponry. While you have grown beyond this into a true nationwide corporation, you remember your roots and when you took the field, you often did so wielding your own 'stolen' products. Boost to Martial, Gain Trait Veteran Badass.
[] [CEO] Goodman Corporation. Your company gained prominence thanks to your schmoozing. While initially had nothing particularly special to offer, your charming nature and silver tongue got you contracts and deals you would have missed out on. Thanks to your charismatic ways, you have grown into a proper nationwide corporation. Boost to Diplomacy, Gain Trait Charismatic Fox.
[] [CEO] Goodman Industries. Your company is built on the back of traditional industry. You build things and you make sure to build a lot of them, build them in quality and build them quickly. Gaining a reputation, you have factories and workshops for many different produces as you have grown into a true nationwide corporation. Boost to Stewardship, Gain Trait Industrial Baron.
[] [CEO] Goodman Limited. Your company was put together by more underhanded means. Lacking conventional means of gaining prominence, you took more technically legal routes and not so legal routes to improve your position. After years of building up your company, it is finally worthy of being called a nationwide corporation. Boost to Intrigue. Gain Trait Corporate Schemer.
[] [CEO] Goodman Technologies. Your company acquired prominence thanks to your inventions. Your mind is the main driving force beyond your company as you use it to produce the many designs and devices that you come up with. Now after hundreds of different inventions, your company has become a proper nationwide corporation. Boost to Learning Gain Trait Omnidisciplinary Scientist.

And while your company is your main asset and something you have cultivated into your greatest tool over the last decade, you have a loyal, dependable ally that you can reply upon.

[] [Ally] Your greatest creation is a truly sentient and sapient AI. While it will take the AI time to grow and mature, it will certainly be an invaluable asset. Unfortunately, it will take a lot of time since the AI is very bare bones right now.
[] [Ally] You are fortunate to have a loyal righthand woman. One of the more competent supervillains, White Dragon lacks any significant ambitions of her own and is content to serve as your trusted subordinate and the public face of your illegal endeavours.
[] [Ally] You may be an orphan, but you are not without family. Your sister is a few years younger than you, but after finishing university, she currently looking for a job. Already in the know about your more villainous activities, Helena is more than okay with helping you in the family business.

Of course, you also have Sentinel to worry about or at least you did. Your nemesis has been a longstanding thorn in your side, but a familiar one. To your immense frustration, she had done a good of putting a stop to your plans over the years, but now that has come to an end. Given that she is not dead, your only regret it is that Sentinel met her downfall at someone else's hands. On the upside, she is now at your mercy after you showed the intruder why they had made a bad choice is taking down your nemesis.

[] [Nemesis] Sentinel was battling some sorceress when she was stripped of her powers. You rolled up and deal with the spellslinger before anything worse could befall Sentinel, but your nemesis remains depowered.
[] [Nemesis] Sentinel was throwing down with some alien warlord when she found herself in over her head. You bailed her out and taught the alien which of you was the better warlord, but not before your nemesis was crippled beyond recovery.
[] [Nemesis] Sentinel made a bet with a powerful fae and to her dismay, she lost it. Fortunately for her, you weren't just going to lose your nemesis to some trickster and saved her butt. Less fortunately for her, you did so by taking the fae's place in the deal so now Sentinel is your loyal and obedient wife, something that neither of you are happy with.

***

So new quest, this time where you play as Leonardo Goodman, CEO by day and supervillain at night. It has been about a decade since supers started show up and apart from the presence of superpowers, magic and aliens, you are otherwise in a generic modern setting (for now). The quest starts when Leonardo has hit something of the big time after building up his company and having his nemesis defeat. While he is still currently a small time if competent supervillain, you will be in charge of his growth into a major threat.

Lacking any powers of his own, Leonardo is a tech-based called the Warlord of Winchester or just Warlord for short. His identity is still secret and he has never personally been caught or exposed. As far as the public, law enforcement and the government are concerned, Leonardo Goodman is an upstanding CEO and respected member of society and has nothing to do with the criminal Warlord. Now onto the votes.

The first one is regarding what sort of company Leonardo started out in and in which area he specialises in. The quest will be using CK2 stats and quest mechanics and while you pick which area he specialises in, Leonardo will be proficient in all of them. He invents his own gadgets (Learning), spent most of a decade as an active supervillain (Martial), kept that he is a supervillain secret for all of that time (Intrigue), runs a very successful business (Stewardship), has a respected reputation and plenty of connection (Diplomacy). Likewise, the company will have grown beyond its origins and won't be limited to what is chosen in the vote even if it is still somewhat based around that and is best at what is chosen.

The second vote is what sort of ally/companion you start out with. Pretty simple in terms of what you want. The third vote is more complicated. I figured that Warlord would need to have a nemesis to explain why they haven't been more successful, but that nemesis would also have to be removed now to explain why he is now being successful. My solution was for Sentinel to be taking down by a third party only for Warlord to come and 'rescue' her, but not before she paid a lasting price.

Now this quest will be focused on the British Isles and as I've said, the setting is generic modern with superpowers, aliens and magic though this will change over the course of the quest. The first age of superheroes and villains is coming to something of end and while it isn't entirely successful for the villains, the current status quo favours the villains more than it does the heroes. You can expect to be fending off superheroes just as much as you compete with fellow villains and it won't always be on the same playing field. Some other heroes and villains might run their own businesses, but you might have to deal with a powerful organised crime group or a self-sufficient vigilante who is more troublesome than they should be. And that isn't considering that the government gets to have a say in things and they haven't been defanged by the rise of supers.

Personality-wise, Leonardo is going to be an anti-villain or whatever the term is. This is because I don't want to do a quest with a straight up villainous protagonist so he will be principled as someone who believes in the greater good, even if that means committing lesser evils to achieve that greater good. He considers himself to be a supervillain only because he defies a corrupt society and otherwise believes himself to be a hero and one of the good guys.

The details of Sentinel will be determined by what is chosen for her fate, but she is a traditional superhero. Stopping criminals and bringing evildoers to justice is what Sentinel believes in and her powers are standard flying brick as brawn to Warlord's brains.

Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to. Feel to ask questions for more details and information.

Oshha · Aug 30, 2020

Name: Leonardo Goodman/The Warlord
Title: CEO of Goodman Corporation
Age: Born September 1986
Gender: Male

?

Diplomacy: 37
Martial: 27
Stewardship: 25
Intrigue: 22
Learning: 32

Traits:
Charismatic Fox: +15 Diplomacy, +10 to Persuasion Rolls
Experienced Villain: +5 Martial, +10 to Combat Rolls
Uncertified Genius: +5 Learning, +3 Stewardship, +10 to Research Rolls
Magical Knowledge: +3 Learning, +20 to Magic Rolls
Self-Taught Spellcaster: +2 Learning, +5 to Magic Rolls, Able to use Magic,

Items:
Warlord Power Armour: When acting as the Warlord, gain +10 to all rolls involving physical activity.
Fae Ring of Enforced Marriage: So long as you hold this, Joan Fowler cannot act against your interests and you have the ability to force her to carry out any deeds you desire and alter her mental state.
The Marble Mask: A mask made of marble that has a simple, but oddly exotic design. It has limited ability to grant wishes when worn though the user has no control over how the wish is fulfilled, only that their stated desire is fulfilled.

Name: Nasira Yusuf/White Dragon
Title: None
Age: May 1987
Gender: Female

?

Diplomacy: 15
Martial: 35
Stewardship: 20
Intrigue: 20
Learning: 8

Traits:
Experienced Villain: +5 Martial, +10 to Combat Rolls
Dragon Powers: Flight-capable, +10 to Combat Rolls,

Items:
White Dragon Power Armour: When acting the White Dragon, gain +10 to all rolls involving physical activity and has the ability to fly.

Name: Joan Goodman nee Fairchild/Sentinel
Title: None
Age: June 1986
Gender: Female

?

Diplomacy: 18
Martial: 25
Stewardship: 12
Intrigue: 26
Learning: 10

Traits:
Experienced Hero: +5 Martial, +10 to Combat Rolls
Flying Brick: Flight-capable, +20 to all rolls involving physical activity, +20 to Combat Rolls.

Items:

Oshha · Aug 30, 2020

Profits: +8
Wealth: 19
Reputation: 87/100 = You have a very good reputation for upholding your end of the deal and being a net benefit for the local community.
Prestige: 35/100 = You are well-known within the local region and those within your circles, but have yet to gain prominence beyond that.

Divisions:
Healthcare: +0 Profits.
Research: +1 Profits.

Traits:
Contract Maker: All DCs to make a contract are reduced.
Talented Office Workers: +3 to Stewardship Rolls
Talented Researchers: +2 to Learning Rolls
Crooks on the Payroll: +2 to Intrigue Rolls
Reliable Henchmen: +5 to Supervillain Rolls
Enhanced Security: +10 to Rolls against physical assaults or break-ins.

Technology:
Enhanced Water Purification I
Enhanced Air Purification II
Solar Power III
Electric Vehicles I

Business Organisations

With its headquarters located in Bristol, Lion Industries is a major player in turning raw materials into more accessible forms for enterprising individuals and other businesses to use. After recent and unexpected death of its previous owner Rufus Harrison, the current CEO of Lion Industries is the young Danielle Harrison. Lion Industries and its owners are suspected to be related to the Royal Lion, a local vigilante operating in Bristol.

Wallis Technologies is both old and new as while it has existed as a family business since before the First World War, it is only under its current CEO, Benedict Wallis, that it has gained its current stature in the business world. One of the biggest innovators in the world, Wallis Technologies is primarily set up in Wales with a very strong presence in the southern half of Wales. Wallis Technologies is suspected to be supplying various superhero vigilantes on the side and it is secretly believed that Benedict Wallis is using his company to bankroll a few of Britain's vigilante superheroes.

Joan has all, but confirmed that that Benedict Wallis and his company do support various superheroes across the country.

Hooded Treats is a major food chain with many restaurants across the country and at least one in every major city. Having recently begun to expand into the bed and breakfast business, Hooded Treats has its headquarters in the city of Nottingham.

Located primarily in the Midlands and having its headquarters in Birmingham, Lyon Industries is on its third CEO Grant Lyon. Producing a lot of machinery of varying size and nature, Lyon Industries is a well-off business, having carved out its own niche in the market.

Crawford Corporation is led by an ambitious man as CEO Xavier Crawford has made his desire for power and prestige quite open. Centred in Manchester, Crawford Corporation has seen a rapid rise over the past few years, but has also seen itself mired in rumours of corruption and ties to local players in Manchester's crime scene.

Operating primarily in Scotland, the Lyn Corporation is a rather recent player on the scene, founded by its mysterious and eccentric CEO Moira Lyn. Dabbling in a little bit of everything, the Lyn Corporation has seen plenty of success despite the fickle nature of its CEO.

Moira Lyn is actually a powerful fairy sorcress and the Crown Princess of Elphame.

Criminal Organisations

The Diamond Dominion is criminal organisation founded and led by the ruthless Diamond Knight. Having set up shop in the county of Dorset, Diamond Knight continues to expand his 'rule' and the man is willingly to trample over any who get in his way.

The Golden Order is a criminal organisation founded and led by the mysterious Golden Knight. With his two lieutenant Wardog and Warhound, the Golden Knight has taken the criminal underworld of London by storm over the last decade and currently rules over the capital's underbelly. Lacking the resources and forces to establish total dominance, the Golden Order rules by proxy and uses various street gangs to keep the streets of London under their control.

Originally a loose coalition of more conventional crime lords, a decade of being hammered and pounded by supervillains and superheroes on all fronts as turned the Consortium into a far more formal and organised group. No longer an alliance of convenience, the Consortium holds dominance in the north even if that influence continues to wane as more rivals rise against them with every passing year.

Operating out of Glasgow, the Glasge are ethnically Irish gang that drove the Consortium out of Glasgow. Having expanded into a proper criminal syndicate and begun to induct non-Irish into its ranks, the Glasge now wages as shadow war against the Consortium for the criminal underworld of Scotland.

Led by Black Storm and his right-hand woman Sear, the Storm Lords are a foreign supervillain group who have set up shop in Sussex and Kent before running out of steam. Now they struggle to hold into their foothold as their relatively overt nature has drawn an disproportionate amount of government and vigilante attention to them. The Storm Lords have a pseudo-feudal hierarchy to their organisation with Black Storm being the 'king' while other ranking members hold other noble titles such as 'Count', 'Baron' and 'Duke'.

Operating in the county of Norfolk, the Shrouded Scions are a dangerous mix of deadly cyborgs and a criminal syndicate. All of their full memories have some sort of cybernetic enhancement and the Shrouded Scions have used this advantage to dominate the local criminal underground.

Led by the charismatic and superpowered radical known as Redmund McNamara, the Irish Royal Army claims to be a breakaway from the Irish Republican Army, something the latter vigorously denies. The Irish Royal Army believes that Ireland needs to unify and institute a monarchy where a strong sovereign will lead Ireland to greatness and carve out a grand Irish Empire.

Government Organisations

The Queensmen are the official superhero team of the British government. Only boasting half a dozen members to its name, the Queensmen are a formidable force nonetheless and their official status means that they can freely call upon government support.

Formed a few years after the appearances of superhumans in 2006, MI9 is the government organisation responsible for dealing with superheroes and supervillains. Their duties vary from liaisoning with vigilantes to investigating supervillain plots to attempting entice superhumans into working for the government.

A recent political party that has formed since the appearance of superhumans, the Human Defence League is a reaction from more fearful and close-minded members of British society. Led by James Cromwell from Cromwell's hometown of Liverpool, the party rejects the abnormal no matter its source and seeks to 'put those freaks in their place where they can't hurt honest normal folk'. Whilst still a small party, they wield disproportionate influence to their size and it is rumoured that they don't limit themselves entirely to legal methods.

Oshha · Aug 30, 2020

Stat Numbers
These numbers tell you how good a character is at a certain thing. 10 is the average and you safely can assume that unless specified otherwise, a character will have a stat of 10.

0-5 = Terrible
6-10 = Poor
11-15 = Incompetent
16-20 = Competent/Average
21-25 = Skilled/Good
26-30 = Expert/Excellent
31-35 = Master
36-42 = Heroic
43-50 = Legendary (50 is the limit that a regular human can achieve and your upper limit)
51+ = Superhuman.

Actions
Example Action
[] Example Action
Description goes here
DC: ???. Cost: ?. Effect: ???

DC: What the players need to roll higher than to get a success
Cost: What resources you need to expend to take or complete an action.
Effect: What the action does when completed.

Critical Success = Increased success if the action passed the DC by over 50. A roll of 100 will always result in a critical success.
Critical Failure = Increased failure if the action fails the DC by over 50. A roll of 1 will always result in a critical failure.

Each Faction Leader adds their relevant stat as a bonus to all of their actions. Hero Units can grant their relevant stat as an additional bonus and the more powerful Hero Units can even make an additional action where their stats replaces those of the Faction Leader's.

Stat Descriptions
Martial: Improving your combat capabilities and launching combat operations.
Diplomacy: Diplomacy with outside factions and individuals.
Stewardship: Running things internally and sorting out anything in regard to how the organisation is run or set-up.
Intrigue: Counter-Intelligence and messing about with others covertly.
Learning: Research & Development where you deal with both matters of science and magic

Profits: Net profit that the organisation makes each quarter.
Wealth: Personal Wealth of the leader of the organisation.
Reputation: How high or low the reputation of the organisation is.
Prestige: How famous or infamous the organisation is.

Oshha · Sep 2, 2020

[X] [CEO] Goodman Corporation. Your company gained prominence thanks to your schmoozing. While initially had nothing particularly special to offer, your charming nature and silver tongue got you contracts and deals you would have missed out on. Thanks to your charismatic ways, you have grown into a proper nationwide corporation. Boost to Diplomacy, Gain Trait Charismatic Fox.
[X] [Ally] You are fortunate to have a loyal righthand woman. One of the more competent supervillains, White Dragon lacks any significant ambitions of her own and is content to serve as your trusted subordinate and the public face of your illegal endeavours.
[X] [Nemesis] Sentinel made a bet with a powerful fae and to her dismay, she lost it. Fortunately for her, you weren't just going to lose your nemesis to some trickster and saved her butt. Less fortunately for her, you did so by taking the fae's place in the deal so now Sentinel is your loyal and obedient wife, something that neither of you are happy with.

"You do realise this is your own fault," you say as you sit behind the desk in your office.

"It is the freaking fairy's fault," mutters Joan as she paces back and forth, but at this point her heart it isn't in as despite her pretence at denial, she has accepted the situation for all intents and purposes.

"You were the one who made the deal," says Nasira, "Be grateful that you did not marry that arsehole."

"Because being married to a different arsehole is just so much better," grumbles Joan.

"If you could point out how I've been an arsehole, I will do my best to correct my behaviour," you say smoothly, earning another glare from your new wife.

"And if you don't understand how this situation is better than the one you were previously facing, then you are a fool," adds Nasira, getting her own glare from Joan.

"If it helps, I am not particularly happy about how this has turned out either," you offer in an attempt to smooth things over, "I would rather not be forced into a marriage myself or have my secret identity revealed to my nemesis."

"And that is another thing!" declares Joan, "How can you of all people be the Warlord of Winchester?"

"Quite simply by being myself," you answer, "I made no secret of my desire to better the world in either of my identities even if I have kept both separate to avoid unfortunate complications arising from the connection between them being known."

"You are a supervillain," protests Joan, "That is making things better, it is making them worse!"

"For many supervillains, that may be the case, but not for I," you retort, "I can provided you a list of how I have improved the lot of society's unfortunates as the Warlord if via illegal methods."

"The ends don't justify the means," says Joan, back to glaring at you.

"Indeed they don't, but my means are merely illegal not wrong," you shoot back, "Society is corrupt and sometimes that corruption needs to resolved by working outside of society's enforced rules."

"Breaking the law is never the right thing," growls Joan.

"Slavery," states Nasira, drawing the attention of both yourself and your new wife, "It has historically been legal. Would you say that isn't right to free slaves who are legally enslaved by their owners?"

"Of course not, but that is slavery," replies Joan, "Of course it is wrong."

"I'm afraid we will have just to table this subject for the time being since we do have another matter that I want to address," you say before the argument can progress further, "As far as the world is concerned, you and I have eloped Joan. How do you plan to explain that to your family?"

"Ah shoot," groans Joan, apparently only just realised that aspect of the situation, "They are not going to take it well."

"Hmm, do they know about your other identity?" you inquire and Joan shakes her head, "In that case, I suggest we pretend to have been secretly dating and use our time in our other identities as the time periods that we went on dates and socialised with each other. And since you were the one who made the deal with the fairy, you get to be the one who decided that we should elope."

"That's not fair," protests Joan, giving you another glare and something that you should start getting use to as you foresee a lot of them in your upcoming future.

"It is completely fair," you reply, "You choose to make the deal with the fae so you get to be the one who choose to elope in our cover story."

"I hate this," declares Joan and you take it as her conceding the point without admitting it.

"As I said before, I am not happy with our situation either," you say, "Now unless you have something else to discuss, feel free to go about your business."

You have barely finished the sentence when Joan marches out of your office.

"That could have gone a lot better," comments Nasira and you give the Arab woman a look, "Well, it could have."

"Could have gone a lot worse as well," you say, "At least we got our basic cover story agreed upon. Fortunately our darling Sentinel cares about her secret identity enough that she is willing to work with me to uphold it."

"Do you trust her?" asks Nasira.

"To a degree," you say, "She dislikes us and our supervillainy, but she is still a hero and has her own interests to look after. I will trust her to prioritise her own well-being and doing heroic deeds over bringing us down so long as we don't provoke her into doing something rash or deepening her dislike. Speaking of which, we will definitely need to keep my wife away from our more shady deals. Knowing that we are a villain is one thing, but seeing first-hand could push her into doing something stupid."

"I understand," says Nasira before glancing out the window, "Now, I would like to give you a quick report before I go pray. Things haven't been set back too much by recent events. If anything, having Sentinel out of our hair has allowed them to progress more than originally expected. That said, we shouldn't count on this state of affairs. Once it gets around that Sentinel is no longer interfering with our operations, we should be prepared for some other superheroes to fill the gap."

"Right, let me know if you need me to divert anymore funds to our secret department," you say, "Likewise business has been going rather well on the legal side of things. Our reputation remains pristine and while we are still mostly limited to Hampshire, we got some real opportunities to break out into different parts of the country."

"Good to hear, now before I go, Black Storm is fortifying while Diamond is getting ambitious-not a problem now, but I have to go so bye," says Nasira, walking out the door with that final word, leaving you alone with your thoughts and work.

Letting a quiet sigh at how things have been going, you pull your emails and get back to your day job.

Use Plan Voting. You may use White Dragon to boost a single action.

Diplomacy Actions (Two Available)

[] Lobby Politicians
Lobbying is a traditional thing to do for the wealthy and you are sure that you can make plenty of use from having more influence in the political arena.
DC: 50. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: Increased Political Connections.

[] Promotional Campaign
Promoting your services and products is something every business needs to do if they want to thrive and yours is no exception. Run some additional advertisements to improve your image and get more sells.
DC: 65. Cost: 0. Effect: Possible Increased Profits, +1 Prestige.

[] Look for International Contracts
You are doing pretty well here in the British Isles, but there is almost certainly more options waiting for you aboard.
DC: Scaling. Cost: 0. Effect: Scaling.

[] Donate to Charities
Donating charity is always a good thing and you know some trustworthy ones that do some good work. Makes some donations to the needy and let word of it get around.
DC: 30. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: +1 Reputation.

[] Reach out to Another Business
There are plenty of other businesses out there, some potential rivals while others are potential partners. See if you can turn some of them into actual partners or at least open up communication with them.
DC: Varies depending on target. Cost: 0. Effect: Varies depending on target
-[] Lion Industries DC40, Wallis Technologies DC40, Hooded Treats DC50, Lyon Industries DC50, Crawford Corporation DC55, Lyn Corporation DC75.

[] Reach out to your Fellow Criminals
You are not the only supervillain out there and some of the more powerful regular criminals can be counted in the same leagues. Reach out to another crime lord.
DC: Varies depending on target. Cost: 0. Effect: Varies depending on target
-[] Diamond Knight DC60, Golden Knight DC65, Consortium DC75, Storm Lords DC80, Shrouded Scions DC75, Glasge DC80,

[] Reach out to the Fairchilds
The downside of having secret identities is that as far as your new in-laws are concerned, you and Joan have suddenly decided to elope. Time to smooth over any ruffled feathers and get to know this family that you have unexpected become a part of.
DC: 50. Cost: 0. Effect: Have dinner with your new in-laws.

Martial Actions (One Available)

[] Found a Security Company.
With all of the supervillains running about and your good reputation, nobody will mind if you get some private security.
DC: 40. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Gain a PMC.

[] Recruit Henchmen
As a supervillain, it is important to recruit talented individuals to fight on your behalf.
DC: Scaling. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: Recruit Reliable Henchmen.

[] Crush Local Crime
Hampshire has plenty of minor criminal organisations in it. Time to smash them to pieces.
DC: 60. Cost: 0. Effect: Eliminate Organised Crime in Hampshire.

[] Hunt Down Vigilantes.
Pesky superheroes can be troublesome for your more illegal operations. Go and hunt down any in the area.
DC: ???. Cost: 0. Effect: Deal with local superpowered vigilantes.

[] Fortified Your Operations
Upgrade your current security measures so anybody going after you has a harder time of it.
DC: 50. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Improved Security.

Stewardship Actions (One Available)

[] Found a Healthcare Division.
The NHS is good and all, but why not found your own healthcare division to provide paying customers with quality care?
DC: 50. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Increased Profits, Gain a Healthcare Division.

[] Found an IT Division.
You already got an in-house IT Department so take that a set further and expand it into a proper IT division.
DC: 50. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Increased Profits, Gain an IT Division.

[] Begin Weapons Manufacturing.
While you secretly make weapon and other combat equipment, you don't so openly. Change that and turn your company into an arms dealer.
DC: 50. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Increased Profits, Gain a Warfare Division

[] Setup Production Facilities.
While you could rely upon external suppliers, having some serious internal production facilities would boost your company's profits and capabilities.
DC: 30. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Increased Profits.

[] Improve Administrative Practices
Take some time to look over how you run the company and see if you can find and implement improves to how things are done.
DC: 50. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: Increased Profits.

[] Recruit Corporate Talent
You are always on the search for new talent to bring into the company.
DC: Scaling. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: Recruit Corporate Talent.

Intrigue Actions (One Available)

[] Bribe Hampshire Politicians
Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council and Portsmouth City Council. While you won't be able to pay off all of them, you can bribe enough of the elected officials to get him your bidding
DC: 50. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Own the majority of the elected officials in Hampshire.

[] Bribe Hampshire Constabulary
As much as you dislike it, there is plenty of corruption within the local police. Still, if it is there, you might as well be the one to benefit from it.
DC: 50. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Own the Hampshire Constabulary.

[] Subvert Local Crime
Hampshire has plenty of minor criminal organisations in it. Either bend them to your will or break them if they refuse to comply.
DC: 50. Cost: 0. Effect: Take control of organised crime in Hampshire.

[] Recruit Criminals
While you don't like crime, it is a staple of your life now. Go looking for some useful under the table assets to recruit.
DC: Scaling. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: Recruit Criminal Talent.

[] Sabotage a Rival.
While overt methods can draw unwanted attention, you have plenty of covert ways to hurt your enemies and rivals.
DC: Varies depending on target. Cost: 0. Effect: Varies depending on target
-[] Lion Industries DC40, Wallis Technologies DC120, Hooded Treats DC35, Lyon Industries DC50, Crawford Corporation DC80, Lyn Corporation DC20, Diamond Dominion DC75, Golden Order DC75, Consortium DC75, Storm Lords DC80, Glasge DC70, Shrouded Scions DC80, Irish Royal Army DC80,

[] Spy on a Rival.
Spying on a rival is a traditional thing to do be it one of your fellow CEOs or one of your fellow supervillains.
DC: Varies depending on target. Cost: 0. Effect: Varies depending on target
-[] Lion Industries DC50, Wallis Technologies DC120, Hooded Treats DC50, Lyon Industries DC60, Crawford Corporation DC90, Lyn Corporation DC40, Diamond Dominion DC50, Golden Order DC50, Consortium DC45, Storm Lords DC70, Glasge DC70, Shrouded Scions DC80, Irish Royal Army DC75,

Learning Actions (One Available)

[] Develop Laser Weaponry.
You have developed the odd energy weapon here and there over the years, but you have to produce any standardised designs or even reproducticable designs for such things. Time to change that.
DC: 60. Cost: 0. Effect: Unlock Laser Weaponry.

[] Research AI
While you are a long, long way from producing a sapient AI, there are plenty of ways that you can improve your current computers and further your knowledge in the field of artifical intelligence.
DC: 60. Cost: 0. Effect: Improve AI Technology.

[] Research Genetics
Genetics are quite interesting, especially if you pay attention to the rumours that superpowers come from having the right genes. Time to further the field of genetics.
DC: 65. Cost: 0. Effect: Improve Genetic Knowledge.

[] Research Robotics
Machines are a fact of modern life and a major thing behind current standards of living. Improving your mechanical knowledge and expertise can only help your business.
DC: 65. Cost: 0. Effect: Improve Robotics Knowledge.

[] Research Green Technology.
While the world is still a few years away from the point of no return, you are uncomfortable about how close that point is and you dislike what reckless industrialisation and capitalism has done to the planet.
DC: 60. Cost: 0. Effect: Improves Green Technology.

[] Develop Power Armour
You, White Dragon and a few others supers on both sides use power armour, nobody has cracked the ability to reliably create suits of power armour. This is certainly an opportunity that you can take.
DC: 75. Cost: 0. Effect: Gain Mass Production of Power Armour.

[] Develop Hovercraft
The current hovercraft used in the world just aren't good enough by your standards. You want something that can actually fly or is more efficient to use.
DC: 60. Cost: 0. Effect: Unlock Hovercraft.

[] Develop Space Travel
The final frontier. You always wanted to go space and who knows what wonders and opportunities could be waiting up there. Look into viable ways to travel beyond Earth's atmosphere.
DC: 75. Cost: 0. Effect: Unlock Spacecraft.

Personal Actions (Two Available)

[] Spend time with Joan
You got something of involuntarily wife that you can't afford to just let go. Try to get to know your old nemesis better as a person and sort out your complicated relationship.
DC: ???. Cost: 0. Effect: Improve your relationship with Joan Fairchild.

[] Spend time with Nasira
In addition to being your righthand woman, Nasira is also your oldest and closest friend. Take some time to hang out with her.
DC: 0. Cost: 0. Effect: Enjoy some time with your best friend.

[] Improve your power armour
There are a few ways in which you could improve your power armour. Take the time to implement one of them.
DC: 75. Cost: 0. Effect: Upgrade your Warlord Power Armour.

[] Improve Nasira's power armour
There are a few ways in which you could upgrade Nasira's power armour. Take the time to implement one of them.
DC: 75. Cost: 0. Effect: Upgrade Nasira's White Dragon Power Armour.

[] Study the Fae Ring.
While magic is a bit outside your realm of experience, you do have access to a magical artefact. Take some time to study it.
DC: 75. Cost: 0. Effect: Greater understanding of the Fae Ring of Enforced Marriage.

***

I don't have much to say here. Things are just getting started so there just isn't that much to talk about yet.

Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to. Feel to ask questions for more details and information.

Oshha · Sep 5, 2020

[X] Plan: Opening act
-[X] Reach out to the Fairchilds
-[X] Donate to Charities
-[X] Crush Local Crime
--[X] White Dragon
-[X] Recruit Corporate Talent
-[X] Recruit Criminals
-[X] Research Green Technology
-[X] Spend time with Joan
-[X] Spend time with Nasira

[-] Donate to Charities
Donating charity is always a good thing and you know some trustworthy ones that do some good work. Makes some donations to the needy and let word of it get around.
DC: 30. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: +1 Reputation.
Rolled: 11+37 = 48 (Success)

Despite your origins, you have become a rich man and one of the perks of being rich is that you can donate a decent amount of money to charity. While you primarily do it to help out others in this corrupt and unfair society, such donations have the pleasant side-effect of making you look better in the eyes of the public. Having done this plenty of times since you started up your business and having a desire to know that your money will actually go to a good cause, you have a shortlist of reliable charities that you are comfortable donating to.

You split your donations across multiple charities for different things such as cancer research, looking after disabled children and supporting the homeless. The money you give will be a drop in the bucket compared to what the needy actually require, but better a drop than nothing at all.

Gain +1 Reputation

[-] Reach out to the Fairchilds
The downside of having secret identities is that as far as your new in-laws are concerned, you and Joan have suddenly decided to elope. Time to smooth over any ruffled feathers and get to know this family that you have unexpected become a part of.
DC: 50. Cost: 0. Effect: Have dinner with your new in-laws.
Rolled: 1+37+10 = 48 (Critical Failure)

It was a simple and effective plan. Set up a dinner with the Fairchilds and then win them over with your charming personality. While not as rich as you, the Fairchilds are old money and Marcus Fairchild makes a good amount of income from his work as a lawyer while his adult offspring are all quite successful themselves. Joan is actually the youngest of six siblings and the least successful as someone who does volunteer work for charity.

Unfortunately it fell apart at the first stage as Joan's parents refused to have anything to do with you. You aren't entirely sure if Joan's parents are upset with her, you or both of you, but they certainly do not approval of your 'elopement' and current marriage. You aren't sure if it is because they felt that they were left out of the loop or if they disapprove of you as her husband, but things have broken down between Joan and her parents. They haven't exactly disowned her or anything like that, but the correct term to describe their relationship is now estranged and judging from how Joan has now started living off of your money, you suspect that she has been cut off from her parent's money.

Joan's parents, Marcus and Noelle Fairchild, disapprove of the marriage and possibly you as well. Joan and her parents are currently estranged.

[-] Crush Local Crime
Hampshire has plenty of minor criminal organisations in it. Time to smash them to pieces.
DC: 60. Cost: 0. Effect: Eliminate Organised Crime in Hampshire.
Rolled: 39+27+35+10 = 111 (Critical Success)
[-] Recruit Criminals
While you don't like crime, it is a staple of your life now. Go looking for some useful under the table assets to recruit.
DC: Scaling. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: Recruit Criminal Talent.
Rolled: 5+22+10 = 32 (Success)

While you may be a supervillain, breaking the law has always been a means to an end in a corrupt society and you only did what you have done in service of a greater goal. Not like these parasites on society who get by preying upon the suffering of others and harming their fellow members of society. Fortunately for you and unfortunately for them, you have the White Dragon working for you and while your best friend is no mastermind, she is very good at kicking butt.

It is kind of fun to spend your time on this task as while you crushed some rivals in the past as the Warlord, you never made a concentrated effort to actually deal with the crime problem plaguing the county. Working from behind the scenes, you identify the various criminal groups and their weak points while Nasira goes in and does the dirty work. With the worst of the scum and their leadership, you just have White Dragon kill them and disappear the body so nobody will find it. At least not until it is unrecognisable. For most of the criminals, you settle for having White Dragon beat their arses around for a bit whilst dismantling their operations by physically destroying their stuff and providing evidence to the police to get key individuals arrested.

Even if the individuals involved still live for the most part, the organisations themselves have been destroyed by the end of it. No more protection rackets, no more illegal drugs supply lines going through the county and no more fencing. You still got petty criminals and independent crime to worry about and you doubt you will ever be able to fully stamp those out, but there is no more organised crime for now. And while it is only for now, it will be rather difficult for anyone else to set up shop as despite the lack of competition, between you and White Dragon, there is nothing pre-existing for them to take advantage of.

And while this was all going down, you took the opportunity to do some recruiting. Amongst the ranks of Hampshire's criminals, there are a few individuals that catch your eye. The reliable sort of criminal that while it would be stretch to call them principled, they do have standards. Combine that with some competence and you got some decent recruits for your more shady and, well, illegal endeavours.

Unfortunately, you are unable to get that many of them between your high standards and White Dragon doing a number on the potential recruitment pool. Still, you do get enough that certain future endeavours will be a bit easier.

Organised Crime has been wiped out in Hampshire.
Organised Crime will find it harder to move into Hampshire or rise within it.
Gain Organisation Trait Crooks on the Payroll: +2 to Intrigue Rolls

[-] Recruit Corporate Talent
You are always on the search for new talent to bring into the company.
DC: Scaling. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: Recruit Corporate Talent.
Rolled: 34+25+10 = 69 (Success)

Between locating your targets in your anti-crime campaign and looking into environmentally friendly technology, you have also taken the time to look into getting some new talent onboard. While your standard recruiters are no slouches, they lack the special touch that you have.

Some special offers here, some directed advertisement at desirably talented individuals alongside pushing your usual efforts more aggressively and Goodman Corporation has hired plenty of talented and skilled workers across various departments.

Gain Organisation Trait Talented Office Workers: +3 to Stewardship Rolls
Gain Organisation Trait Talented Researchers: +2 to Learning Rolls

[-] Research Green Technology.
While the world is still a few years away from the point of no return, you are uncomfortable about how close that point is and you dislike what reckless industrialisation and capitalism has done to the planet.
DC: 60. Cost: 0. Effect: Improves Green Technology.
Rolled: 90+27+10 = 127 (Critical Success)

The first problem you encounter is deciding which green technology to tackle since you quickly realise there are more options than you initialise realised. There is renewable energy, purifying contaminated things, recycling and other things to ensure long term sustainability.

In the end, you find yourself working on the second of those as you come up with ways to make contaminated air and water safe to breathe and drink respectively. Given that methods for doing those things already exist, you decide not to re-invent the wheel and work on ways to make methods currently in use more efficient and effective.

In the end, you create designs to do four different things. The first two are water purification systems, the first one is a large immobile design for large scale purification while the second one is the same system except scaled down to be portable so it can be carried about by a single person. The other two designs are like the first two except for purifying the air instead.

All in all, some good work especially when the media finds out about what you been up to.

Gained Technology Enhanced Water Purification I
Gained Technology Enhanced Air Purification I
Gain +1 Reputation, +1 Prestige.

[-] Spend time with Joan
You got something of involuntarily wife that you can't afford to just let go. Try to get to know your old nemesis better as a person and sort out your complicated relationship.
DC: ???. Cost: 0. Effect: Improve your relationship with Joan Fairchild.
Rolled: 81+10 = 91 (Success)

"Why I am moving in with you again?" grumbles Joan as the two of you enter your home, carrying the boxes of Joan's stuff with your wife carrying the majority thanks to her super-strength.

"Appearances," you answer promptly, "If we are actually a loving couple who eloped, then we would be living together and since I am a billionaire who owns his own house while you are a volunteer charity worker who lives in a rented apartment. It would be completely inappropriate for me to move with you so you are moving in with me."

"Ugh," groans Joan as she looks around for the closet place to dumb her boxes, "Anything else you expect me to do for appearances?"

"Some public affection, going on a few dates and acting like we are actually a lovey-dovey couple when in front of others," you tell her, "Nothing too onerous, just enough to keep up our cover story."

"I want to make some comment about you keeping your hands to yourself, but you always do," says Joan as scowling, but not at you for a change, "One thing I appreciated about you, the Warlord that is, is that you never crossed certain boundaries and you always drew the line at the unacceptable stuff."

"I am not an evil person Joan, no matter what some might have you believe," you say as you put our own set of boxes down, "Breaking the law has always been something I've done because the law failed to let me help people."

"If we don't follow the law, we don't get justice and society breaks down," retorts Joan, "If rule of law ceases to exist, we get any anarchy and chaos."

You bite back a counterargument that rule of law isn't a good thing if it leads to the needy suffering so the well-off can profit. While you have some perfectly good points to roll out, you aren't looking to get into a fight with Joan. The two of you are in an enforced marriage and as the sensible, long term thinker, it is up to you to take the steps to make this unfortunate state of affairs.

"Putting that particular debate to one side, what is happening between you and your family?" you inquire, "It has been quite clear to me that they disapprove of our marriage and you are currently at odds with them, but I do not know far the situation has gone."

"They cut me off from any family funds and we aren't on talking terms," answers Joan, once again frowning though not at you this time, "They don't approve of our marriage, but honestly, that is only because they feel that I kept them out of the loop. If they had been involved in the, well, build up that didn't actually happen, they would certainly prove of you, being a successful and respectable billionaire. As things are, they are all, but outright calling me a gold digger and trophy wife."

"Like I would take a trophy wife," you scoff, "Even if I had some romantic inclination, I would only consider someone who equal me."

"I suppose I count as that?" says Joan, pausing as she gives you an odd look.

"Of course," you tell her, "You might lack my brains, but you can match me in spirit and exceed me in different areas. You certainly spent the better part of the last decade proving your ability to keep up with me."

"I suppose I have," says Joan before frowning again, "I still can't believe they think that of me."

"Are you going to be okay?" you inquire, "I won't pretend to personally understand matters of family, but I know enough to realise this sort of fight must be difficulty for you."

"It is my parents fault for being so...so whatever that they are being is called," replies Joan as her frown becomes a scowl, "I hope they get over it, but after what they've said to me, I am not exactly in the mood to be the one who makes the first steps to making amends for what happened. At least I can use this as an excuse to be more cagey with everyone else on the grounds I am afraid of getting another bad reaction."

"Do you think you will get another bad reaction?" you ask her, "And it is anything I can help with?"

"Not particularly and that is to both questions," states Joan, "Irvin is going to stand by our parents to suck up to them, but Abby and Alex will side with me. Not sure about everyone else though. Honestly, this is my fight to, eh, fight. I just need you to look good and respectable to give my arguments some firm footing and to provide me with a safety net now that my parents want to take away mine."

"That I can do," you promise her, "I have plenty of money spare that I can give you and I've already prepared your own personal room here. In fact, the differences in wealth mean that I can provide better for you than your parents could. At least in material terms. I will be the first to admit I am not one for family so I suspect I would be poor fit for providing that type of comfort."

"Yeah, you would," agrees Joan, staring at you, "I don't get you. How can you be both Leonardo Goodman and the Warlord of Winchester? Which one is the real you?"

"Both are the real me," you tell her, raising an eyebrow at her, "

[-] Spend time with Nasira
In addition to being your righthand woman, Nasira is also your oldest and closest friend. Take some time to hang out with her.
DC: 0. Cost: 0. Effect: Enjoy some time with your best friend.

Rolled: 21 = 21 (Success)
"We should do this more often," says Nasira as the two of you go walking in the New Forest, "It is good to be out in the countryside, away from the city and surrounded by nature."

"We're too busy," you reply with a regretfully shake of your head as you trail along behind her, "Too much work to do and I refuse to be one of those lazy bums who lay about using their wealth to indulge themselves instead of helping those in need."

"Only because you are a workaholic," says Nasira and you know she is rolling her eyes even if you can only see the back of her head, "Someone with more reasonable goals or a more reasonable schedule could find more space to enjoy some time with their friends."

"Those people don't want to fix the world," you shoot back before looking around, "Think we might see some deer today?"

"We might, but it is unlikely," replies Nasira, "Ponies are the only animals we are likely to see. Possible cows or even some horses if there are people out riding around here."

"A shame," you say before another thought occurs to you, "This isn't true wilderness. We're in the countryside, but it is tame. We have paths and buildings dotted about and there are no threatening predators out here. These lands might not be completely tame, but they certainly aren't wild."

"Fancy visiting somewhere wild someday?" asks Nasira, "You certainly got the means to do so."

"If the opportunities comes up," you answer, "If we are business somewhere and there happens to be a spot of proper wilderness nearby, I won't turn my nose up at the opportunity, but at the same time, I will not expend previous time and resources on a mere whim."

"You are such a sourpuss Leo," says Nasira and you roll your eyes, "Oh look! A bridge."

"What is it with you and bridges in the New Forest?" you mutter, shaking your head as Nasira runs over to the wooden bridge.

"They're cool and you get to see the stream going underneath them," answers Nasira without actually answering your question, "Leo, look around for some good twigs. We can do stick racing."

"Sure, why not," you say back as you begin to look some suitable twigs.

***

Random Event Roll = 6 (Wallis Technologies approaches Goodman Corporation regarding green technology.)

As news of your new innovations gets out, you got the responses that you expected. A boost regarding public opinion over your new environmentally friendly designs, offers from various local governments to implement them and plenty of praise from those invested in a greener future.

What you were not expecting was an offer from Wallis Industries, made by Benedict Wallis himself. It turns out that your semi-rival was quite impressed by what you had come up with and having interested in the future of the world, he was interested in a joint venture.

It was tempting. You were good, your company was good, but it couldn't be denied that Wallis Industries was the leader in innovating new technologies. You certainly do more together than you could alone, but at the same time, it would mean giving what little advantage your company held in that area up to Wallis Technologies and you were certain that the nature of his company meant the Wallis would benefit more from this than you would.

[] Accept the offer. (Goodman Corporation and Wallis Technologies share new green tech innovations with each other, Reduced DCs for researching green tech.)
[] Reject the offer. (No changes)

***

This took longer than I expected it to and hoped it would take. That can be put primarily down to the personal actions as over half the time I spend on this update was done working on them. The downside of using characters who already have an established in-universe is that it can be a bit of struggle do that relationship justice when showing it for the first time. Even know I'm not too happy with the outcome for Nasira's action as I feel it could take do with some work.

Speaking of relationships, I am not going to have them mechanically set up and keep it all narrative. You will need to keep an eye on your relations and work on maintaining them without having some stats to judge how well or badly you are doing.

And before anyone freaks out over the single digit random event roll, I used a D6 for the random event roll.

Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to. Feel to ask questions for more details and information.

Oshha · Sep 8, 2020

[X] Accept the offer. (Goodman Corporation and Wallis Technologies share new green tech innovations with each other, Reduced DCs for researching green tech.)

"You look good in a suit," you tell Joan as your wife and best friend join you in your office.

"Thanks, I suppose," replies Joan, "You look good in one I suppose. You too Nasira."

It has been a few months since the whole marriage incident taking place and while things are far from good between you, Joan has settled down a fair bit. Enough that she isn't actively fighting you anymore and while you would like to put it down to your good character, you suspect that it is as much because of her parent's treatment of her and her adjusting to the new situation than it is because of anything you've done.

Nonetheless, you are grateful that Joan has downgraded her resistance to demanding that you take her out on regular dates as your treat and insisting that you buy her fancy clothing. The former is something you are happy to indulge her in as you find them enjoyable and they strengthen your cover story while the latter is something you handle by you making it a requirement that she has to wear the clothing around you and at least once a month.

"Thank you," replies Nasira before smirking, "Though I must confess that you look far better than I. What's your secret?"

"Thank you?" says Joan hesitantly, "I don't try to do up my looks, I'm just naturally this good looking."

"So good genetics," muses Nasira, "A shame that you can't do anything about that. Still, if you find yourself in need of a partner for a body swap adventure, I'm game."

"Thank you?" says Joan again before shooting you a look, "Is that a thing that happens? Or you can do?"

"I'm not one of those mad science types so it is out of my area of expertise," you tell her, "Someone else might be able to pull it off. They are certainly have in the past as we all know that you know first-hand."

"I beg your pardon?" says Joan, doing a very good job of looking like a confused innocent and doing so well enough that you might have been fooled if you didn't know better."

"Four years ago, you and the Sapphire Knight," you tell her, "I knew you well enough by that point to figure out what happened."

"I hate that you are so smart," grumbles Joan though her heart clearly isn't in it, "Okay, so what were we here for again?"

"General catch up meeting," answers Nasira as she straightens out of her skirt, "The last few months have been good. Our various charities donations have been successfully received and there has been no sign of them being misused so far. Recruitment drives have also seen success as we have picked up a good many talent individuals across multiple departments. While we have seen no significant increases in revenue, profits have been up overall.

Our new innovations in the realm of environmentally friendly technology have proven to be successful and we are already getting offers to implement them. Beyond that, the initial cooperation between us and Wallis Technologies is going well despite a few teething issues. Everyone wants it to work about and neither of us are holding back anything. At least on the green technology. There are a few things I suspect that Benedict Wallis is working on with those extra efficient solar panels that his egg heads have come up with."

"Ben is quite smart and even if his research is done by smarter people he has on his payroll," says Joan.

"The rumours are true then, I take it," you ask her, giving her a glance over the familiarity with your sort of rival.

"Like you don't know that they are already," replies Joan with a roll of her eyes, "It might be a secret, but it is an open secret for anyone in the business. And speaking of our business, don't think I haven't noticed what you to have been up."

"And just what exactly have we been up to?" inquires Nasira.

"I might not be a part of your little schemes, but I am still an active superhero," says Joan, "I can darn well notice when someone has been taking axe to all of the organised crime groups around, especially when that person is the White Dragon, Ms Yusuf."

"I'm not sure what you are talking about," replies Nasira, adopting a polite, innocent look and tone, "I am legitimate businesswoman who has no involvement with any supervillains or any other sort of illegal behaviour."

"Stop teasing her Nasira," you tell your best friend before turning your attention to your scowling wife, "Yes, the Warlord eliminate all of the organised crime groups operating in Hampshire. Any reason you brought it up?"

"Why did you do it?" demands Joan as you and her stare at each other.

"I'm not sure to be honest," you admit, "They were a blight upon society that I decided to remove because it was within my power to do so and I deemed it a good use of my resources and time. There was no overarching plan, but I suspect I will make this work to my advantage."

"You really expect me to believe that you don't have some big plan?" scoffs Joan, "Don't treat me like I'm stupid Leo! You always have a plan."

"And that plan is improvising, winging it, making it up as I go along," you answer, "No plan survives contact with the enemy. The way I get things done is to come up with a goal and align things in my favour as best I can so I can swing a plan as needed."

"You know, sometimes I can almost forget that you are a supervillain," says Joan, "And then you just go and do something like this."

As she gets up and marches out of the room, you make no response. There simply isn't anything to say.

Diplomacy Actions (Two Available)

[] Lobby Politicians
Lobbying is a traditional thing to do for the wealthy and you are sure that you can make plenty of use from having more influence in the political arena.
DC: 50. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: Increased Political Connections.

[] Promotional Campaign
Promoting your services and products is something every business needs to do if they want to thrive and yours is no exception. Run some additional advertisements to improve your image and get more sells.
DC: 65. Cost: 0. Effect: Possible Increased Profits, +1 Prestige.

[] Look for International Contracts
You are doing pretty well here in the British Isles, but there is almost certainly more options waiting for you aboard.
DC: Scaling. Cost: 0. Effect: Scaling.

[] Donate to Charities
Donating charity is always a good thing and you know some trustworthy ones that do some good work. Makes some donations to the needy and let word of it get around.
DC: 30. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: +1 Reputation.

[] Reach out to Another Business
There are plenty of other businesses out there, some potential rivals while others are potential partners. See if you can turn some of them into actual partners or at least open up communication with them.
DC: Varies depending on target. Cost: 0. Effect: Varies depending on target
-[] Lion Industries DC40, Wallis Technologies DC40, Hooded Treats DC50, Lyon Industries DC50, Crawford Corporation DC55, Lyn Corporation DC75.

[] Reach out to your Fellow Criminals
You are not the only supervillain out there and some of the more powerful regular criminals can be counted in the same leagues. Reach out to another crime lord.
DC: Varies depending on target. Cost: 0. Effect: Varies depending on target
-[] Diamond Knight DC50, Golden Knight DC75, Consortium DC85, Storm Lords DC90, Shrouded Scions DC95, Glasge DC90,

[] Smoothing things over with the Fairchilds
While things have initially gone poorly with the Fairchilds, you are confident that you can smooth things over with your new in-laws. Though Joan's siblings will be easier to sway than her parents.
DC: 60/90. Cost: 0. Effect: Improve relations with your new in-laws.

Martial Actions (One Available)

[] Found a security company.
With all of the supervillains running about and your good reputation, nobody will mind if you get some private security.
DC: 40. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Gain a PMC.

[] Recruit Henchmen
As a supervillain, it is important to recruit talented individuals to fight on your behalf.
DC: Scaling. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: Recruit Reliable Henchmen.

[] Hunt Down Vigilantes.
Pesky superheroes can be troublesome for your more illegal operations. Go and hunt down any in the area.
DC: ???. Cost: 0. Effect: Deal with local superpowered vigilantes.

[] Fortified Your Operations
Upgrade your current security measures so anybody going after you has a harder time of it.
DC: 50. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Improved Security.

Stewardship Actions (One Available)

[] Found a Healthcare Division.
The NHS is good and all, but why not found your own healthcare division to provide paying customers with quality care?
DC: 50. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Increased Profits, Gain a Healthcare Division.

[] Found an IT Division.
You already got an in-house IT Department so take that a set further and expand it into a proper IT division.
DC: 50. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Increased Profits, Gain an IT Division.

[] Begin Weapons Manufacturing.
While you secretly make weapon and other combat equipment, you don't so openly. Change that and turn your company into an arms dealer.
DC: 50. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Increased Profits, Gain a Warfare Division

[] Setup Production Facilities.
While you could rely upon external suppliers, having some serious internal production facilities would boost your company's profits and capabilities.
DC: 30. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Increased Profits.

[] Improve Administrative Practices
Take some time to look over how you run the company and see if you can find and implement improves to how things are done.
DC: 50. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: Increased Profits.

[] Recruit Corporate Talent
You are always on the search for new talent to bring into the company.
DC: Scaling. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: Recruit Corporate Talent.

Intrigue Actions (One Available)

[] Bribe Hampshire Politicians
Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council and Portsmouth City Council. While you won't be able to pay off all of them, you can bribe enough of the elected officials to get him your bidding
DC: 50. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Own the majority of the elected officials in Hampshire.

[] Bribe Hampshire Constabulary
As much as you dislike it, there is plenty of corruption within the local police. Still, if it is there, you might as well be the one to benefit from it.
DC: 50. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Own the Hampshire Constabulary.

[] Establish Local Crime
The deficit of organised crime that you have left in the county means that as the Warlord, it would be pretty easy if somewhat expensive to establish new groups that are loyal to you and take their marching orders from you.
DC: 30. Cost: 5 Wealth. Effect: Establish new organised crime in Hampshire under your control.

[] Recruit Criminals
While you don't like crime, it is a staple of your life now. Go looking for some useful under the table assets to recruit.
DC: Scaling. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: Recruit Criminal Talent.

[] Sabotage a Rival.
While overt methods can draw unwanted attention, you have plenty of covert ways to hurt your enemies and rivals.
DC: Varies depending on target. Cost: 0. Effect: Varies depending on target
-[] Lion Industries DC40, Wallis Technologies DC120, Hooded Treats DC35, Lyon Industries DC50, Crawford Corporation DC80, Lyn Corporation DC20, Diamond Dominion DC75, Golden Order DC75, Consortium DC75, Storm Lords DC80, Glasge DC70, Shrouded Scions DC80, Irish Royal Army DC80,

[] Spy on a Rival.
Spying on a rival is a traditional thing to do be it one of your fellow CEOs or one of your fellow supervillains.
DC: Varies depending on target. Cost: 0. Effect: Varies depending on target
-[] Lion Industries DC50, Wallis Technologies DC120, Hooded Treats DC50, Lyon Industries DC60, Crawford Corporation DC90, Lyn Corporation DC40, Diamond Dominion DC50, Golden Order DC50, Consortium DC45, Storm Lords DC70, Glasge DC70, Shrouded Scions DC80, Irish Royal Army DC75,

Learning Actions (One Available)

[] Develop Laser Weaponry.
You have developed the odd energy weapon here and there over the years, but you have to produce any standardised designs or even reproducticable designs for such things. Time to change that.
DC: 60. Cost: 0. Effect: Unlock Laser Weaponry.

[] Research AI
While you are a long, long way from producing a sapient AI, there are plenty of ways that you can improve your current computers and further your knowledge in the field of artifical intelligence.
DC: 60. Cost: 0. Effect: Improve AI Technology.

[] Research Genetics
Genetics are quite interesting, especially if you pay attention to the rumours that superpowers come from having the right genes. Time to further the field of genetics.
DC: 65. Cost: 0. Effect: Improve Genetic Knowledge.

[] Research Robotics
Machines are a fact of modern life and a major thing behind current standards of living. Improving your mechanical knowledge and expertise can only help your business.
DC: 65. Cost: 0. Effect: Improve Robotics Knowledge.

[] Research Green Technology.
While the world is still a few years away from the point of no return, you are uncomfortable about how close that point is and you dislike what reckless industrialisation and capitalism has done to the planet.
DC: 50. Cost: 0. Effect: Improves Green Technology.

[] Research Improved Purification.
While the world is still a few years away from the point of no return, you are uncomfortable about how close that point is and you dislike what reckless industrialisation and capitalism has done to the planet.
DC: 50. Cost: 0. Effect: Improves Purification Technology.

[] Research Solar Power.
Wallis Technologies has some major advancements on how to make solar power more efficient and you can already think of a few ways that these methods could be improved on.
DC: 75. Cost: 0. Effect: Advances Solar Power Technology.

[] Develop Power Armour
You, White Dragon and a few others supers on both sides use power armour, nobody has cracked the ability to reliably create suits of power armour. This is certainly an opportunity that you can take.
DC: 75. Cost: 0. Effect: Gain Mass Production of Power Armour.

[] Develop Hovercraft
The current hovercraft used in the world just aren't good enough by your standards. You want something that can actually fly or is more efficient to use.
DC: 55. Cost: 0. Effect: Unlock Hovercraft.

[] Develop Space Travel
The final frontier. You always wanted to go space and who knows what wonders and opportunities could be waiting up there. Look into viable ways to travel beyond Earth's atmosphere.
DC: 65. Cost: 0. Effect: Unlock Spacecraft.

Personal Actions (Two Available)

[] Spend time with Joan
You got something of involuntarily wife that you can't afford to just let go. Try to get to know your old nemesis better as a person and sort out your complicated relationship.
DC: ???. Cost: 0. Effect: Improve your relationship with Joan Fairchild.

[] Spend time with Nasira
In addition to being your righthand woman, Nasira is also your oldest and closest friend. Take some time to hang out with her.
DC: 0. Cost: 0. Effect: Enjoy some time with your best friend.

[] Improve your power armour
There are a few ways in which you could improve your power armour. Take the time to implement one of them.
DC: 75. Cost: 0. Effect: Upgrade your Warlord Power Armour.

[] Improve Nasira's power armour
There are a few ways in which you could upgrade Nasira's power armour. Take the time to implement one of them.
DC: 75. Cost: 0. Effect: Upgrade Nasira's White Dragon Power Armour.

[] Study the Fae Ring.
While magic is a bit outside your realm of experience, you do have access to a magical artefact. Take some time to study it.
DC: 75. Cost: 0. Effect: Greater understanding of the Fae Ring of Enforced Marriage.

***

New turn and a few new options. In case you are wondering, things are better between Joan and Leo, but one of them is a superhero while the other is a supervillain who had dozens of people killed over the past three months. Bad people for sure, but giving her moral leanings, she can't help, but get angry at your villainous actions. Especially if you didn't have any long term plans involved.

Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to. Feel to ask questions for more details and information.

Oshha · Sep 14, 2020

[X] Plan: Resetting a foundation
-[X] Promotional Campaign
-[X] Smoothing things over with the Fairchilds
-[X] Recruit Henchmen
--[X] White Dragon
-[X] Setup Production Facilities.
-[X] Establish Local Crime
-[X] Research Green Technology.
-[X] Spend time with Joan
-[X] Improve Nasira's power armour

[-] Promotional Campaign
Promoting your services and products is something every business needs to do if they want to thrive and yours is no exception. Run some additional advertisements to improve your image and get more sells.
DC: 65. Cost: 0. Effect: Possible Increased Profits, +1 Prestige.
Rolled: 15+37 = 52 (Failure)

While your company's name didn't need any improving, its brand recognition did as while highly thought of by those that knew about you, that circle was unfortunately limited. To this end, you have your marketing department come up with new ways to promote your business.

Unfortunately, their efforts misaimed and/or mistimed. You aren't sure if you were just late to this round of the game, but by the time you entered your target areas, the bulk of your potential customers had already been snatched up by your competitors.

Your promotional campaign was only partially successful and failed to be profitable.

[-] Smoothing things over with the Fairchilds
While things have initially gone poorly with the Fairchilds, you are confident that you can smooth things over with your new in-laws. Though Joan's siblings will be easier to sway than her parents.
DC: 60/90. Cost: 0. Effect: Improve relations with your new in-laws.
Rolled: 53+37+10 = 100 (Success)

With how bad things went with the patriarch and matriarch of the Fairchild family, you decided that when you take another swing at the matter of in-laws to start with your wife's siblings rather than her parents.

You approach Abigail Fairchild and Alexis Fairchild first. As Joan expected and hoped, both Abby and Alex were supportive of their sister's marriage, especially since you and Joan made sure to keep them from suspecting anything untoward about it. A few chats and you feel ready to move onto the next part of the plan, which was to approach Marcelle Fairchild. Another few friendly conversation and offering to set up some gigs for Marcelle's only mildly successful band.

With the younger Fairchild siblings won over in December, you moved onto the eldest two in January. While both of them being semi-successful in the acting industry, Breanne Fairchild proved to be the easier one to win over. Not really aligned with either Joan or their parents, Breanne was quite susceptible your charm offensive and didn't take long to bring her into Joan's camp.

Irwin on the other hand was a harder sell. Despite his friendly exterior, the man was the selfish, self-serving sort at heart and while he bore no ill will towards Joan, Irwin's primary interest was in keeping the good books of his parents so he could retain access to their money. Fortunately, your successes with the rest of the Fairchild siblings meant that he was open to your persuasions and he fell in line after you pulled a couple of strings to get him his most successor job to date.

Having swayed all of the Fairchilds in the younger generation, you took another swing at Marcus and Noelle Fairchild. You aren't sure if it is because the marriage has been in place for almost half a year now without any sign of fraying or because you managed to win over the rest of the family, but the elder Fairchilds are more receptive to your overtures this time around.

You have a couple dinners with them and while things are tense, your good behaviour combined with your good reputation is enough that they don't seem to think ill of you anymore. Unfortunately, you weren't able to completely patch things up between Joan and her parents, but the nature of the matter means it is because the Fairchilds and not an outsider like you even if you have married into the family. Neither Joan nor her parents want to be the first to concede in their prior argument and while they are back on speaking terms, things are still strained.

You have managed to get on good terms with all members of the Fairchild family.

[-] Recruit Henchmen
As a supervillain, it is important to recruit talented individuals to fight on your behalf.
DC: Scaling. Cost: 1 Wealth. Effect: Recruit Reliable Henchmen.
Rolled: 27+27+35 = 89 (Success)

As a capable supervillain in her own right, you leave Nasira to find some suitable talent for your more shady endeavours. As is usually the case, the White Dragon doesn't disappoint you and over the last few months, she has picked up a veritable bunch of loyal and competent minions. After picking an initial few from the criminals secretly on your payroll, Nasira branched out into other parts of the country. While Hampshire might be cleared out, the British Isles have plenty of reliable thugs and Nasira is about to pick up a good couple dozen natives and even a handful of foreign individuals looking for a better future in the country.

Gain Organisation Trait Reliable Henchman: +5 to Supervillain Rolls

[-] Setup Production Facilities.
While you could rely upon external suppliers, having some serious internal production facilities would boost your company's profits and capabilities.
DC: 30. Cost: -1 Profits if successful. Effect: Increased Profits.
Rolled: 46+25+3 = 74 (Success)

While the Goodman Corporation has never lacked for those willingly to handle production on its behalf, you have decided to make things more in house. It is just sensible planning to not leave your business dependent on other business even if said other business is a partner and not a rival. So you decided to make some investments and expand the businesses that Goodman Corporation got involved in. While you have begun the construction of a few new sites, it would be some time until they got fully operational so the bulk of what you did came from buying out existing businesses and adding them to your own company.

Net change of +1 Profits.

[-] Establish Local Crime
The deficit of organised crime that you have left in the county means that as the Warlord, it would be pretty easy if somewhat expensive to establish new groups that are loyal to you and take their marching orders from you.
DC: 30. Cost: 5 Wealth. Effect: Establish new organised crime in Hampshire under your control.
Rolled: 27+22+2 = 41 (Success)

You don't like crime, but it is better to have it under your control where it is relatively restrained than let it run wild and untamed. Who knows what sort of monsters could arise if things are left to their natural course?

Unfortunately, you did too much of a good job in some ways. Sure, the devastation that White Dragon wrought has allowed you pretty much a free hand in organising your new crime syndicate, but in other ways, building from scratch is hurting you as it slows things down and costs a pretty penny. There are no pre-existing networks and groups to hijack or take advantage of, but there are plenty of ex-criminals floundering about.

You wrap most of them into your new organised along with some new blood and then have anyone who doesn't play ball executed. A bit harsh, but there is a life of crime for you and it gives you the control that you desire. None of these petty criminals want to get into a fight with the Warlord of Winchester and his White Dragon.

All in all, it goes well if not as well as you could have hoped. You have your crime syndicate in place, but right now, it consists of a whole load of local gangs that happen to answer to you.

You have established the beginnings of a criminal syndicate under your control in Hampshire.

[-] Research Green Technology.
While the world is still a few years away from the point of no return, you are uncomfortable about how close that point is and you dislike what reckless industrialisation and capitalism has done to the planet.
DC: 50. Cost: 0. Effect: Improves Green Technology.
Rolled: 33+27+10+2 = 72 (Success)

Having worked on improved purification techniques during Autumn and having acquired the foremost advancements in solar power from Wallis Technologies, you decide look into a new branch of environment friendly technology. After going through a few ideas, you eventually settle on the concept of electric cars. The concept had been around for some time, dating as far as over a century ago, but for various reasons they never gained popularity.

You decided to change that. While Goodman Corporation wasn't in the business of producing cars, it was certainly something it could do and to that end, you had your scientists work with their counterparts at Wallis Technologies to develop new generation of electric cars.

Gain Electric Vehicles I

[-] Spend time with Joan
You got something of involuntarily wife that you can't afford to just let go. Try to get to know your old nemesis better as a person and sort out your complicated relationship.
DC: ???. Cost: 0. Effect: Improve your relationship with Joan Fairchild.
Rolled: 91+10 = 101 (Critical Success)

"This has gotten way too normal for me," says Joan as she walks into the kitchen, still wearing her superheroine costume, a full-body purple jumpsuit with golden boots, belt and gauntlets while a purple mask covers the upper half of her face, "You know that we aren't actually married right?"

"Define married," you reply from where you are cooking a dinner for the two of you, "Our marriage would fit plenty of historical definitions and it certainly fits the fae definition."

"Ugh, don't remind me of that guy," grumbles Joan as she leans against the worktop, watching you work, "What are we having for dinner by the way?"

"Salmon fillets with potato wedges, sweet corn and broccoli," you answer.

"Huh," says Joan, "Not exactly my tastes, but I've learnt to trust your cooking. Speaking of which, why does a billionaire like you cook or even know how to?"

"I wasn't always a billionaire," you point out, "I learnt to cook growing up and had to once I was living on my own. Now I could afford to eat out or get takeaway or just pay someone to cook for me, but I don't because I like to cook."

"I just got takeaway or got some microwave meals, sometimes something I can throw in the oven for fifteen or twenty minutes," says Joan, "Mum and Dad always had a cook or two working for them growing up so I never learnt it as a child. When I got my own place, I just kept up getting someone else to do it. Heh, I guess I am still am."

"You are," you confirm, "What was on your mind when we said that we weren't actually married?"

"We don't love each other," states Joan with a wave of her hand, "We got forced into the marriage and we didn't get married because we were in love with each other."

"That is called arranged marriage," you say, "Unfortunately common for much of history and still commonplace in some places to this day."

"Whatever," replies Joan, "The worst and best of this is how nice you are. It would be a good thing, but then you go and make it all terrible by being evil."

"I am criminal not evil," you reply back with a frown, "Those are two separate things even if they can overlap."

"Then explain why I am unable to deal with the new gangs popping because they are part of your operations?" demands Joan, glaring at you while your own frown deepens.

"I am filling a void that would be filled by a worse person," you counter, "As our society stands, crime will continue to rise and appear no matter how often we beat down on it. By taking control of it, I am able to limit its excesses while I am in control."

"Sounds like a pretty good excuse to explain away being a crime lord," retorts Joan as she folds her arms.

"Ideally I would undertake social reforms to minimise the conditions required for crime to arise, but that is a long time away," you tell your wife, turning to face her, "In the meantime, I need to expand my influence so I can help more people and I need to use my influence to help those that I can. For taking control of the local organised crime, I am able to prevent those that turn to crime from needlessly preying upon the innocent.

Yes, it is far from ideal, but that is just the sorry state of modern society. We need proper social systems in place to care for the fortunate, we need to care for people so they don't need to turn to illegal methods to get by in life. We need to shuffle society's wealth downwards so it stops making its way up to the elite and starts making its way down to the masses. We need to-hmph!"

You are quite startled to find Joan embracing you a hug, the suddenness of it reminding you that your wife has super speed whilst her indominable grip on you reminds that her strength is also strength. The last unexpected reminder that Joan counts as being buxom leaves you with an unwanted blush on your face through fortunately Joan isn't in a position to see the redness of your face.

"If only you weren't a supervillain," mutters Joan before releasing you and leaving the kitchen with the same speed that she used to hug you.

[-] Improve Nasira's power armour
There are a few ways in which you could upgrade Nasira's power armour. Take the time to implement one of them.
DC: 75. Cost: 0. Effect: Upgrade Nasira's White Dragon Power Armour.
Rolled: 60+27+10 = 97 (Success)

While you got plenty of use out of your own armour over the years, Nasira got far more mileage out of her power armour as the White Dragon. After being refined over the better part of the last decade, the power armour was impressive as it provided a substantial degree of protection and empowerment. The armour plating itself could stand up to armour-piercing bullets and super strong fists whilst granting the wearer a degree of enhanced strength and reducing the amount exertion required for physical activity. Continuous upgrades and improvements over the years had greatly enhanced those capabilities from what they started out as, but there is always room for more upgrades.

[] [PA] Sonic Weaponry. Install some sonic blasters in the wrists of the armour.
[] [PA] Flight. Upgrade the armour so it is capable of flight.
[] [PA] Supercharge. Grant the armour the ability to overcharge itself to temporarily boost its capabilities.

***

Random Event Roll = 2 (Lyn Corporation approaches Goodman Corporation.)

To your surprise, you get another offer, but this time it is from Moira Lyn from Lyn Corporation up in Scotland. Your fellow CEO wants you and your wife to come and visit her or for her to come and visit you and your wife. She doesn't mind either way but would prefer the former.

You don't trust the woman. Her company has been too whimsy and erratic, but successful despite that lack of focus. The woman herself is an oddity and you've been in your other business long enough to pick up when an individual isn't a normal person. And while you have no evidence, Moira Lyn is most certainly no ordinary individual.

[] [Lyn] Accept the offer and go to Scotland with Joan.
[] [Lyn] Accept the offer and invite Moira Lyn to Hampshire.
[] [Lyn] Reject the offer as you want nothing to do with this crazy woman.

***

I wanted to do better justice to bits involving Joan and the Fairchilds, but the nature of CKII quests means I can only put to so much that. Unless I am willingly to do mini-turns or interludes, but frankly, I don't have the time to expend that amount of effort minor stuff like this.

By the way, the main sticking point between Joan and Leo is that one is a superhero while the other is supervillain. Until you find a way to overcome that, you are always going to need to be wary of that obstacle.

Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to. Feel to ask questions for more details and information.

Oshha · Sep 19, 2020

[X] [PA] Flight. Upgrade the armour so it is capable of flight.
[X] [Lyn] Accept the offer and go to Scotland with Joan.

Despite your wariness of the woman and knowing there is more to her than is publicly knowledge, you decide to accept the offer of the CEO of Lyn Corporation and arrange a trip to Scotland to visit Moira Lyn. The first step was getting Joan's agreement since you weren't going to force her to come with you and frankly, you doubted you could even if you were the sort of person that inclined to do so. Fortunately for your plans, Joan is more than happy to take the chance to visit Scotland, even if it is part of a business trip.

After that, you wrap up anything urgent or that requires your direct attention for the time being whilst turning over company affairs to Nasira while you let White Dragon handle Warlord's ongoing operations. As you often do, you find yourself appreciating the loyal and capable subordinate that you have in Nasira as without her to help you out, your job would be a lot harder. You would definitely manage, but a lot of your success over the years is owed to Nasira's reliable support. The final preparations is a simple matter of booking a double bedroom in one of the nicer hotels in Edinburgh and arrange for your private jet to take you there.

Arriving in Edinburgh in the morning and your meeting with Moira Lyn being in the late afternoon, you book an early lunch for you and your wife at a restaurant before spending the earlier half of the afternoon visiting Edinburgh Castle. One thing that you and Joan both have in common is an interest in historical sites and the majesty that is Edinburgh Castle is perfect for the both of you in that regard. While you are bit on edge thanks to the upcoming meeting with Moira Lyn, it is an enjoyable trip and if it wasn't the fact that you were so busy, you would definitely be making more trips like this with Joan. Edinburgh has plenty of sites that you don't have time to check out on this trip and that isn't even including the other parts of the country.

Unfortunately, things don't stay as a normal trip as on your way to the headquarters of Lyn Corporation, you and Joan have an unexpected encounter.

Running into trouble?
Random Roll: 29

Given this is one of the nicer parts of town, you weren't expecting to have half a dozen thugs surround you and Joan even if you were passing through an alley between some houses. Armed with assorted melee implements, these street soldiers clearly don't have good intentions towards you and their apparently leader confirms this suspicion of yours when he opens his mouth.

"Weel, weel, weel. Whit dae we hae 'ere lads?" says the man with a most annoying accent, "A tae o' rich folk it seems. Howfur aboot ye twa come wi' us peacefully 'n' we'll hae na trauchle? th' gaffer wants tae hae a bawherr blether wi' ye."

Ah, a kidnapping it seems. From your point of view, this is a very bad idea for them given just who you and Joan actually are, but what they can see, you must appear as just a pair of rich individuals. Still, this is awfully ballsy of them to be so blatant and in this part of town as well.

"Yeah, I am not dealing this nonsense from someone who has a malfunctioning tongue," says Joan as you try to figure out what to do with this.

Joan vs Thugs.
Martial Opposed Check: 31+25+20+20+10 vs 17+10

Joan moves in a flash with that superhuman speed of hers. As she systemically takes down all six thugs, you can barely track her and even then that is only because you have years of experience of doing so. The thugs have no chance as your wife's speed means they can't hit her, her toughness means that she wouldn't be harmed if they could hit her while her strength means that they all go down.

"And now we are done," declares Joan as she comes to a stop next you, dusting off her hands in a way that is somewhat over-dramatic in your personal opinion.

"I must say, I am quite impressed by how deftly you handled that," says a pleasantly singsong voice of a woman and both you and Joan spin around to face the speaker.

The woman is standing there at the other end of the alley and you tense up. Tall, blonde, curvy and beautiful, Moira Lyn is dressed in a red business skirt-suit and has a delighted grin on her face that just seems out of place to you given the current circumstances.

"Who are you?" demands Joan, preparing herself for another fight as she apparently doesn't recognise your fellow CEO like you do.

"Moira Lyn, CEO of Lyn Corporation, at your service," replies the other woman, doing a curtsy, "Now if you would come with me."

And before either of you can reply, Moira snaps her fingers and the world vanishes around you.

Leo understanding the unnatural.
Learning Check, DC100: 98+27-10 (Unfamiliar with the supernatural) = 115, Success

No, not vanishes. It shifts and whirls and even before you appear wherever you are going, you recognise the signs of teleportation, having experienced a few times over the years. And not only do you know that you are teleporting, but you also recognise this particular type of teleportation as while you have only experienced this particular version twice, both of those times are the last time that you got to experienced the sensation of being teleported.

Half a year ago when you went to confront Lord Elorshin in the Kingdom of the Faeries and then when you returned to Earth with your newly wedded wife in tow. This is faerie teleportation magic and that certainly explains a lot about Moira Lyn and what is so off about the CEO of Lyn Corporation.

You have no time process that revelation or what it means as the teleportation is over and the three of you are in what is apparently the office of Moira Lyn. You resist the instinctive urge to tense up as you realise that all of you have gone from standing to sitting from the teleportation effect. You cannot afford to show weakness before this woman.

Leo's First Impression.

Diplomacy Check, DC50: 93+37+10+10 (Understood the magic) = 150, Double Critical Success

Quickly getting to your feet, you bow before Moira Lyn, all without breaking eye contact.

"It is an honour to finally meet you Miss Lyn," you tell her with one of your charming smiles, "And it is a pleasure to finally get confirmation that you are a fairy."

"You noticed?" says the woman with a knowing smirk.

"I am not the most experienced with affairs of magic and the supernatural, but the very recent display confirm something that I had already suspected for some time now," you reply, "While you have done a good job of fooling most folk, others such as myself have been more than able to pick up on your oddities."

"Eh, I guess that was going to happen with me not taking this entirely seriously," says Moira with a dismissive wave of her hand, "What is the point of having fun in the mortal realm if you are going to be stuffy and overly serious?"

"I must confess I do not know that particular path in life as it is not for me," you say, "Duty comes first for me and I take everything most seriously."

"Well, it seems to work for you," replies Moira.

Joan's First Impression.
Diplomacy Check, DC50: 28+18 = 46 = Failure

"Wait, wait, you are a fairy?" interrupts Joan as she stares at Moira, quite clearly tense at these unexpected circumstances and not knowing what is going on, "Like that git Ee-lore-chin?"

"Yes and no," answers Moira with a grin at your wife that makes you more than a little nervous, "I am one of the Fair Folk, but that is all I have in common with that sod Elorshin. That and an affinity for magic though my skill most certainly outstrips whatever he had."

"Oh, okay," says Joan, seemingly mollified before tensing up against as something else occurs to her, "Hang on, did you set up that mugging?"

"In a manner of speaking," replies Moira and Joan starts to puff up, "Local gang that has been getting confident thanks to the local criminal underworld currently being on the rise. It was also a kidnapping for ransom and it would have taken place without my intervention. I just nudged it towards you to see how you react and I must say that I am pleased with how things turned out."

Seeing Joan getting geared up to let Moira know her displeasure, you decide that you ought to intervene before things get out of hand. Putting a hand on her shoulder, you make her pause before she can launch into a tirade.

"Miss Lyn, may I presume that you have dealt with the would-be kidnappers?" you ask your nonhuman host.

"Of course," answers Moira with her smile widening into a big smirk, "I figured that since they are a bunch of muggers most of the time, they could spend some time as mugs. Pretty poetic right?"

"That is one word for it," you say neutrally, keeping a firm grip on your wife's shoulder and willingly whatever control over her that your ring gives you to keep her quiet, "Now I presume that you invited us here to talk business."

"I supposed we could do that," muses Moira, briefly looking serious for a moment, "But we can get to that in a moment. You're impressed me and you make such a cute couple so I'm going to offer the pair of you a boon, courtesy of myself, Crown Princess Moira of Elphame."

Moira Lyn, CEO of Lyn Corporation and Crown Princess of Elphame is offering a free boon.
[] Politely decline it. You do not trust whatever gift Moira has to offer you.
[] Write-in. (Subject to QM veto)

***

So a bit of interlude where the first part will be this boon vote while the second part will be doing a business deal with Moira before you get to Turn 3. For the record, Leo is painfully aware that Moira is a lot more powerful than himself or Joan, at least in their current circumstances. I was originally going to go straight to the business deal, but then Leo went and made a really good first impression on Moira and I figured that being who she is, Moira would offer Leo something.

For the vote, you got the option to turn down this free boon or you can write-in an option. Normally I would provide some more default options, but I want to see what you guys come up with.

Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to. Feel to ask questions for more details and information.

Oshha · Sep 21, 2020

[X] Knowledge of magic.

"Magical knowledge," you answer after thinking over a few ideas, including just declining.

In the end, you go for knowledge as while this boon is stated to be free, that says nothing about how it might be twisted to Moira's amusement. Outside of info-hazards or biased perspectives or selective knowledge, magical knowledge is the safest thing to ask for. And given how the supernatural is becoming a more common occurrence, you have no doubt that the knowledge you are asking for will come in handy.

"A suitable gift," muses Moira before snapping her fingers.

You wince at the sudden influx of knowledge in your mind, almost doubling over by the onslaught of knowledge filling your head.

"Are you okay?" demands Joan, torn between looking at you with concern or glaring at Moira.

"I am fine," you reassure her, "I just wasn't prepared for all of the knowledge that I just received."

"If you say so," replies Joan, your wife relaxing a bit even as she shoots a distrusting look at Moira.

"Now that is dealt with, let's move onto business," says Moira cheerfully, apparently indifferent to your momentary distress, "What can you tell me about Lyn Corporation?"

What does Leo know about Lyn Corporation?
Stewardship Check, DC50: 20+25 = 45, Failure.

You think about it as you try to remember just what Lyn Corporation has been getting up to here in Scotland. They got plenty of influence and wealth that you put down to Moira using her magic to acquire while their business ventures are quite varied if you are being generous and whimsy if you are being honest. Lyn Corporation has their fingers in too many pies for you to have tracked what they have been up to in detail. You knew something was off due to how successful they had been despite their fickle nature of their attention, but you now know that is due to Moira's nature as what amounts to being a supernatural reality warper.

Unfortunately, none of that actually tells you what Lyn Corporation is up to or rather what current venture their impulse focus is currently fixed upon.

"I'm afraid not much," you admit, "I know that you have got many different eggs in different baskets and you have been oddly successful despite your lack of consistency, but the exact details I haven't been about to pin down."

"That's fair," agrees Moira sympathetically, "I don't know half of what my company has been getting up to either."

You resist the urge to scowl or sigh even if that bit of news isn't exactly surprising.

Talking Moira into a good deal.
Diplomacy Check, DC60: 11+37+10 = 58, Failure.

You spend the better part of the hour discussing potential deals with Lyn Corporation and possible collaborations between your respective companies. Unfortunately for you, this particular business discussion is unlike any you previously had. Moira isn't a business person and has only a vague idea of what her company is actually getting up to. Normally that wouldn't be a concern as you would use her lack of knowledge and your charm to lead her towards a conclusion that either benefited you or was mutually beneficial depending on how much you liked the other party.

With Moira, that isn't an option. The fairy princess is too fickle in her attentions, too whimsy to lead down a single path. She jumps about from idea to idea and while you finally reach an accord with her, it is nowhere near as good as you would like.

What deal do Leo and Moira come to?
[] [Business] Moira agrees to use the accounting services of Goodman Corporation for Lyn Corporation. Gain +1 Profits with potential increases depending on how well Lyn Corporation does.
[] [Business] Moira lets you borrow some of her more talented employees for your own purposes. Boost Talented Office Works, Talented Researchers and Crooks on the Payroll by 1.
[] [Business] In exchange for White Dragon helping her with a job, Moira promises to give you a magical artefact from her family's vaults. Gain a powerful magical artefact in exchange for Nasira being unavailable for the upcoming turn.

Joan confronting Moira on her villainy
Diplomacy Check, DC75: 4+18 = 22, Critical Failure.

Unfortunately, what should have been a peaceful end to a day that turned out acceptably even if things hadn't gone as well as you had hoped was turned on its head by Joan playing superhero. While you admired and respected your wife, you are left wondering she is picking another fight with a powerful fae given how it turned out for her last time. Especially since Moira is significant more dangerous than the other guy.

"You said that you turned those muggers into mugs," says Joan in a quiet, but determined voice as you head towards the door, "How often do you do that sort of thing?"

You barely stop yourself from wincing at the sound of Joan's words. This is not a fight that you should be picking if only because you doubt your ability to win it.

"Every now and again," answers Moira, "Sometimes it is just lawbreakers who mess with me, other times it is annoying customer or disobedient employees. Occasionally I just need to disappear someone for a bit to carry out my plans."

"Joan…" you start in a warning tone, but she just ignores you.

"And when do you turn them back?" demands Joan, floating just above the ground, her hands clenched into fists.

"I do it when both remember to do so and feel like doing so," answers Moira, giving Joan a look of mild interest.

"That is unaccept-mphh!" starts Joan, but she cuts short as her body freezes in place and it takes a plastic shiny.

As you watch your wife shrink down, her clothing changes into her Sentinel costume while her stance changes into a hands on hips, chest pushed out pose. On the ground where Joan Goodman was hovering, now stands a plastic figurine of the Sentinel.

This sort of thing was what you hoped avoid today when you found how who Moira truly is. Now it has happened and you feel angry at the sight of Joan, your wife, being reduced to an object. It is not just any anger either, no, it is the cold fury that you feel when you see the more corrupt and harmful practices of society first hand. It is the rage that chills your body into a calm and lets you focus your mind on just what needs to be dealt with.

Leo gives a warning.
Diplomacy Check, DC100: 74+37+25 (Cold Fury) = 136, Success.

As Moira floats Joan up onto her desk, you look the faerie in the eye.

"Petty criminals are one thing that I am willingly to ignore," you tell her as you stare each other down, "But my wife is another matter entirely as the late Lord Elorshin learnt the hard way."

For a moment, there is silence and you can feel Moira giving you her full attention as she assesses you.

"I will deliver to your shared home tomorrow morning after I decided a fitting way to humble her," finally says Moira, "You can tell anyone who asks that she accepted an offer from me to spend some time as a personal guest of mine.

Deciding that is all that you will get out of her, you give her a curt nod before leaving.

Your jet is already heading back to Winchester within the hour, you onboard it.

***

True to her word, Moira does deliver Joan back to you the next morning. A package arrives and you swiftly open it to find a note alongside a purple silk dress with golden trimmings. Even without the note, you figure out just what or rather who the dress is.

As for the note, it is a politely written message stating that Joan will return to home within a week's time and a suggestion to wear her often to avoid boredom on Joan's part. Plus a warning that excessive boredom for an object that used to be human can be damaged upon their psyche, damage that carries over if they ever return to human.

Said warning is backed up by your own new magical knowledge though your own knowledge also states that it would take more than a week for any permanent damage to set in and spending too long as an item can result in similar harm to the victim's mind.

Using Leo's new knowledge.
Learning Check, DC100: 67+30+20 = 123, Success.

Speaking of that newfound knowledge, you put it to use by giving a more detailed examination of the magic behind Joan's current form, to either find any waiting surprises and potentially a way to end the change early.

Unfortunately, you are unable to find the latter as Moira's magic is just too powerful and well-woven for you to stand a chance at breaking it or even countering it. Perhaps you might have a shot with more experience and knowledge, but for now, it is out of your reach.

That said, you do find a couple of additional spells that Moira neglected to mention in her note. The first that the dress is meant to flatter Joan's figure and anyone wearing her will gain that figure to flatter even if means making a woman out of a man. The second is that if Nasira specifically wears Joan, then your best friend will gain a copy of your wife's body.

The second spell is a bit concerning when you remember the conservation that the women in your life had on body-swapping while back. It is either just a coincidence or Moira had a way to find out about Nasira's mild desire. Regardless, you will offer Nasira the chance to look after Joan for the week.

Now you just have to decide how you will handle Moira putting you in this situation.

[] [Revenge] Plot your revenge. Moira make a mistake when she reduced your wife to a plaything of hers and you will make her regret it.
[] [Revenge] Let it go. Moira is a powerful wielder of magic and not someone to be trifled with, even by you.
[] [Revenge] Discuss it with Joan when she turns back and go with whatever she decides. She's the one who was wronged after all.
[] [Revenge] Write-in.

***

So a somewhat successful update with update as despite your mixed luck with the rolls, you got a couple of things out of this affair, arguably three if you count getting knowledge on Moira Lyn. Speaking of her, I hoped I have done a sufficient job of portraying her as an inhuman being who cares for humans as playthings to amuse her, especially since this quest doesn't have her half-sister to moderate her behaviour. The occasional mortal can impress her enough for Moira to start treating them like a fellow person, but the vast majority of humanity is treated being beneath her and their desires are secondary to her own. She isn't an actively evil villain, but she is certainly a villain who will commit evil on a whim without a regret or second thought. She is also meant to be rather horrifying as while she is a generalist sorceress, Moira does specialise in transformation because she enjoys having that power over others and sense of control over them.

All in all, dealing with her is a double edged sword and you are somewhat unfortunate to have drawn her attention this early in the quest.

Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to. Feel to ask questions for more details and information.

Supervillain CEO (CK2 Quest)

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