[X] Compromise: I'll make a note of any future "acquisitions" on Cassius's part and see that his pay is deducted accordingly.
[X] Conspiracy: I have no reason to make trouble now, but I wonder how the Alchemist's Guild will take to one of their journeyman engaging in petty theft?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
((apologies in advance, this whole segment was written while drunk))
"It is wise in this instance Sergeant. Tell me, what do you know of the inner workings of the Alchemist's Guild?" You answer. Regarding Willa in the shadow of the light cast from the door leading to the outside.
"Nothing, sir." Willa said after a moment.
"Well, conveniently I happen to have a few contacts within said guild, and know how they tend to take to thieves. More precisely I know what they do to them when they're caught. If Cassius wishes to hang himself, then I'd be more then happy to hand him all the rope he needs upon our return to the Bastion." You say. A thin line of a grin sneaking out onto your face as you did so. "In the meantime, if Cassius wishes to take his pay in pilfered trinkets, then pilfered trinkets will be all he receives once this expedition is at an end. That gemstone alone could be worth his entire portion of the profits from this expedition, so if you could keep an eye out to make sure nothing else disappears into his bags, I'd be ever so grateful."
"Consider it done, but out of curiosity. What does the Alchemist guild do to captured thieves?" Willa asks as she shifts, leaving one hand on her waist as she leaves the almost parade-rest pose she was previously in.
"They have a special potion they make from memory moss, it strips information from the mind, usually they use it to keep details of their holdings out of the hands of common thieves. But in the case of one of their own threatening to damage their stellar reputation in the Bastion..." You answer, leaving the rest of that statement open to interpretation, though its not a hard guess to make. The Alchemist guild wouldn't do well to leave guild secrets in the hands of scorned guildmembers.
Willa cocks an eyebrow at this and considers your words for a moment...
(Sense motive check 1d20+5... 14+5= 19, Success)
But given the devious grin that passes over her face for only an instant, she seems to like this particular bit of comeuppance for the petty thievery of your erstwhile compatriot.
(Willa Liked that.)
The punishment for Cassius's larceny decided, You and Willa spend rather enjoyable hour sharing stories of idiocy within your respective fields. While Willa might not understand the whole of your stories, she seems to at least understand the jist of it.
(You've addressed Willa's concerns about Cassius's thievery satisfactorily and improved her opinion of you.)
(You've discovered that Willa takes a dim view of thievery, and have improved her opinion of you by taking a hard line against it.)
(Willa's opinion of you has improved from "Reedy Bookworm" to "Reedy Bookworm you shouldn't piss off".)
Cassius and Jurgen return with porters in tow, you spend the better part of an hour loading your spoils onto the spare cart. The return to camp is a joyous one, with many of the expeditions members gathering around to look at both the archeological treasures you've gathered, and the corpses of the massive insects you've collected. While the goods taken from the market are not the shining silver and gold most might want, they're still a sign that the expedition will turn out to be a profitable one. The mood of the expedition is notably more jubiliant then it was before.
(Expedition Morale improves by one step to Good )
The Soldiers returned to camp around noon with tales of resounding success. The remaining undead in this portion of the hills have been put paid with powder and shot.
(Expedition ammo reserves decrease by 18 shots. This hex of the Barrens have been rendered safe for casual exploration.)
The evening sky is lit with gold and streaked in hues of red and pink as the sun reflects off of gathering clouds, the expedition is in good spirits and the men are raring for action.
You have three actions you can take now that you've returned to camp.
Travel Actions
[ ] Keep Journeying (Time Advances two time slots to Noon) (Scouting Roll) (Encounter Roll)
- [ ] South : The plains look barren from here, but that could be a false representation of their wealth.
- [ ] West: Yet more Hills await you.
Exploration Actions
[ ] Examine the ruins more closely and attempt to deduce their origin ( knowledge history/profession scholar rolls)(Difficult to identify beyond racial origin of builders without further data)
[ ] Return to the Hill complex: You've discovered an underground complex, seemingly untouched until your arrival, there is a great deal left undiscovered in that hill, sus it out.(Possible multiple time slot expenditure) (Unlocks dungeon subturns, You and your fellow adventurers delve into the ruins in search of treasures and answers, your civilians have no interest in delving into the spooky ruins and your soldiers need to protect the rest of the expedition, but named characters will accompany you.)
[ ] Survey the Hills: Send out the miners to look over the hills and see if any obvious sources of good stone or minerals can be found. You have been informed that this is actually called "Prospecting". (Takes one time slot) (Profession Miner Prospector Roll) (1/3 actions completed)
- [ ] Expend a potion of Detect metal. (Improves odds of finding ore deposits.) (Can be taken four times, two extracts expended by Cassius, two potions in stock, extracts will be used before stock potions)
- [ ] Don't expend a potion.
[ ] Cleanse the Hills: Send out some of your riflemen to put the walking dead to rest. (Takes one time slot)(Encounter Roll)(Two groups of the walking dead, 6 and 8 respectively)(The Locations of the Walking dead are well known, provided no dismal failures in your other tasks, you can safely work around the dead)(Repeatable until the undead are slain) The Hills have been cleansed, you can now bring three riflemen with you on dungeon expeditions. The remainder will watch the camp and protect the rest of your people.
Research Actions
[ ] Begin the Analysis of the Pillar Rubbings: See if you can identify the language found in the pillar rubbings. You'll admit ancient history isnt your forte, but there's nothing wrong with giving it the old spire try, is there? (Begins the translation attempt, outright failure will exhaust this option for seven days given you have no experience in this matter.)(Reward: Knowledge of the Ancient Written Language of the People of the Hills (Name pending))
[ ] The Cave Fishing Spider - Anatomy Y. 674 A.R. (After Rising): Dissect and study the remains of the cave fishing spiders you've recovered to see if any major changes have occured biologically for the nominally Arboreal monstrous spider species. (Basically what it says on the tin, paper writing options will unlock provided this action is successful)
[ ] Cultural Analysis of the Relics of the People of the Hills: Examine and appraise the artifacts taken from the Marketplace of the Hill Complex for knowledge and profit.
Profit Actions
[ ] The Ore from Storage: There are hundreds of pounds of metal ores in storage in the explored section of the Hill complex. Send your prospectors with a guard to examine the discovered ore and see if you can turn a profit off of it. (Reward: Ore in storage identified and assesed for worth. Possibility of Silver ore, Gold ore, and copper sourced gemstones being found.)
Camp Actions
[ ] Further Establish the Camp: Build some temporary buildings to further fortify your expedition's camp (No source of timber and no building supplies/tools in storage)
[ ] Get to know one of your fellows on this expedition: (Social Action)(???)
- [ ] Specify who
[ ] The stone around your neck is behaving oddly, study it for a time, perhaps you may gain some measure of insight into it's mysteries. (???)
[ ] You can choose to refine the map you have made so far. It's already perfectly fine as is, but it could be better. (Increases quality of maps) (Current map quality: Fair) (Current map size: 1/80) (Current Map Worth: 1/5 Ducat)
[ ] Write in (Take this if there's something you want to do that isn't covered in the actions above, I'll decide on whether it's acceptable or not, have a second choice lined up in case your action proves unfeasible)
