[X] Plan Ivory Tower
-[X] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
--[X] Record-Keeping: The Wurtbad Watch keeps a record of every cart that goes through the gates. See if there's any useful information to be found in their record books.
--[X] Wilhelmina says that most of the nobles are unknowingly helping with rebuilding the tax code. Maybe those that aren't are hiding something.
-[X] Divided Loyalty: you've been told to prepare a report on Anton.
--[X] Investigate Anton and prepare a full report on him. Does take an action.
-[X] Laying Groundwork: You can't keep an ear out for gossip if nobody's talking to you. Go out and rekindle old connections with:
--[X] Wurtbad: The townspeople of Wurtbad.
[X] Backtracking and Side Operations:
-[X] Speaking of the stablehand, maybe he'll be willing to tell you why he was feeding you misinformation. If not, maybe you could convince him.
-[X] Assign the greatswords to this task. As is standard, give them explicit instructions not to kill or overly maim him.
-[X] A Matter of Faith: Your personal shrine to Ranald is back in Altdorf. Construct a new one, so that he can better watch over you here.
-[X] Home Comforts: Surely there's a more suitable place for you to set up shop than a mouldering guest room. See about securing lodgings:
--[X] In one of the guard towers along the walls of Wurtbad. You can't be much of a wizard without a tower.
-[X] Yes (-5 personal gold/turn)
-[X] Yes - enough to get it paid off in the foreseeable future (-35 personal gold/turn)
-[X] Money don't grow on trees, and I got bills to pay. (+100 personal gold, -100 discretionary gold, almost no risk)
Veekie's plan, with the caveat that we assign the Greatswords to interrogating the prisoner, and that we set up shop in a tower instead of the slums. If we want an enchantment workshop at some point, we need to have the space and infrastructure for it.
Adhoc vote count started by Siual on Jan 22, 2018 at 10:36 AM, finished with 18 posts and 9 votes.
[X] Plan No Place Like Home
-[X] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
--[X] Record-Keeping: The Wurtbad Watch keeps a record of every cart that goes through the gates. See if there's any useful information to be found in their record books.
--[X] Wilhelmina says that most of the nobles are unknowingly helping with rebuilding the tax code. Maybe those that aren't are hiding something.
-[X] Divided Loyalty: you've been told to prepare a report on Anton.
--[X] Investigate Anton and prepare a full report on him. Does take an action.
-[X] Laying Groundwork: You can't keep an ear out for gossip if nobody's talking to you. Go out and rekindle old connections with:
--[X] Wurtbad: The townspeople of Wurtbad.
-[X] A Matter of Faith: Your personal shrine to Ranald is back in Altdorf. Construct a new one, so that he can better watch over you here.
-[X] Home Comforts: Surely there's a more suitable place for you to set up shop than a mouldering guest room. See about securing lodgings:
--[X] In a hidden place within Wurtbad, either under the ground or within the slums.
-[X] Yes (-5 personal gold/turn)
-[X] Yes - enough to get it paid off in the foreseeable future (-35 personal gold/turn)
-[X] Money don't grow on trees, and I got bills to pay. (+100 personal gold, -100 discretionary gold, almost no risk)
[X] [Report] Stick with the facts, but highlight that Wilhelmina's work in getting back the former workers and funneling them to you was a big help in your task.
[X] The disappearance of your predecessor is very concerning, he must be found.
[X] There is a risk of enemy agents infiltrating the castle staff - they must be watched.
[X] There was an incident with a... something. You killed it, but there may be more. The castle should be searched from top to bottom.
[X] A dozen centuries of tax ledgers and records don't just vanish. They need to be found.
[X] Plan: Planning For the Future
[X] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
-[x] Record-Keeping: The Wurtbad Watch keeps a record of every cart that goes through the gates. See if there's any useful information to be found in their record books.
[X] Divided Loyalty: you've been told to prepare a report on Anton.
-[x] Investigate Anton and prepare a full report on him. Does take an action.
[X] Backtracking and Side Operations:
-[x] Speaking of the stablehand, maybe he'll be willing to tell you why he was feeding you misinformation. If not, maybe you could convince him.
[X] Laying Groundwork: You can't keep an ear out for gossip if nobody's talking to you. Go out and rekindle old connections with:
-[x] Wurtbad: The townspeople of Wurtbad.
[X] Home Comforts: Surely there's a more suitable place for you to set up shop than a mouldering guest room. See about securing lodgings:
-[x] Elsewhere in the castle, somewhere you can set up a permanent base of operations.
[x] Research:
-[x] This is Stirland. Time to bone up on your knowledge of the Undead.
[x] Yes (-5 personal gold/turn)
[X] Yes - enough to get it paid off in the foreseeable future (-35 personal gold/turn)
[X] Perk of the job, you know. It's practically expected. (+50 personal gold, -50 discretionary gold, absolutely no risk)
[X] Plan Starting out
-[X] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
--[X] Record-Keeping: The Wurtbad Watch keeps a record of every cart that goes through the gates. See if there's any useful information to be found in their record books.
--[X] Wilhelmina says that most of the nobles are unknowingly helping with rebuilding the tax code. Maybe those that aren't are hiding something.
-[X] Divided Loyalty: you've been told to prepare a report on Anton.
--[X] Write down what little you know about him already and send it off. Does not take an action.
-[X] Backtracking and Side Operations:
--[X] Speaking of the stablehand, maybe he'll be willing to tell you why he was feeding you misinformation. If not, maybe you could convince him.
--[X] Put some time aside to interview everyone that works in the castle. If nothing else, it might make anyone that's up to anything nervous.
-[X] Laying Groundwork: You can't keep an ear out for gossip if nobody's talking to you. Go out and rekindle old connections with:
--[X] Wurtbad: The townspeople of Wurtbad.
-[X] Home Comforts: Surely there's a more suitable place for you to set up shop than a mouldering guest room. See about securing lodgings:
--[X] In a hidden place within Wurtbad, either under the ground or within the slums.
-[X] Yes (-5 personal gold/turn)
-[X] Yes - enough to get it paid off in the foreseeable future (-35 personal gold/turn)
-[X] Money don't grow on trees, and I got bills to pay. (+100 personal gold, -100 discretionary gold, almost no risk)
[X] Plan Heretek
[X] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
-[x] Record-Keeping: The Wurtbad Watch keeps a record of every cart that goes through the gates. See if there's any useful information to be found in their record books.
-[X] Wilhelmina says that most of the nobles are unknowingly helping with rebuilding the tax code. Maybe those that aren't are hiding something.
[X] Divided Loyalty: you've been told to prepare a report on Anton.
-[x] Investigate Anton and prepare a full report on him. Does take an action.
[X] Backtracking and Side Operations:
-[x] Speaking of the stablehand, maybe he'll be willing to tell you why he was feeding you misinformation. If not, maybe you could convince him.
[X] Self-Improvement: Things have been going well so far, but the skills of a Journeyman Grey Mage can only go so far.
-[X] You only really kept in practice with a handful of the petty and minor magics you were taught. Maybe you should brush up on the others.
[x] Research:
-[x] This is Stirland. Time to bone up on your knowledge of the Undead.
[x] Yes (-5 personal gold/turn)
[X] Yes - enough to get it paid off in the foreseeable future (-35 personal gold/turn)
[X] Perk of the job, you know. It's practically expected. (+50 personal gold, -50 discretionary gold, absolutely no risk)
[X] Plan Ivory Tower
-[X] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
--[X] Record-Keeping: The Wurtbad Watch keeps a record of every cart that goes through the gates. See if there's any useful information to be found in their record books.
--[X] Wilhelmina says that most of the nobles are unknowingly helping with rebuilding the tax code. Maybe those that aren't are hiding something.
-[X] Divided Loyalty: you've been told to prepare a report on Anton.
--[X] Investigate Anton and prepare a full report on him. Does take an action.
-[X] Laying Groundwork: You can't keep an ear out for gossip if nobody's talking to you. Go out and rekindle old connections with:
--[X] Wurtbad: The townspeople of Wurtbad.
[X] Backtracking and Side Operations:
-[x] Speaking of the stablehand, maybe he'll be willing to tell you why he was feeding you misinformation. If not, maybe you could convince him.
-[X] Assign the greatswords to this task. As is standard, give them explicit instructions not to kill or overly maim him.
-[X] A Matter of Faith: Your personal shrine to Ranald is back in Altdorf. Construct a new one, so that he can better watch over you here.
-[X] Home Comforts: Surely there's a more suitable place for you to set up shop than a mouldering guest room. See about securing lodgings:
--[X] In one of the guard towers along the walls of Wurtbad. You can't be much of a wizard without a tower.
-[X] Yes (-5 personal gold/turn)
-[X] Yes - enough to get it paid off in the foreseeable future (-35 personal gold/turn)
-[X] Money don't grow on trees, and I got bills to pay. (+100 personal gold, -100 discretionary gold, almost no risk)
-[ ] Speaking of the stablehand, maybe he'll be willing to tell you why he was feeding you misinformation. If not, maybe you could convince him.
This really has to be done while the trail is still warm, as we can't wait another 6 months where his information may be much less useful. We got lucky by with a result of over a hundred is discovering him, from the fluff we know he didn't give the impression of being an amatuer, so we should take advantage of our good fortune. Given von Tarshof seems to be involved with him in some fashion, there's a good chance Tarshof was involved or knows about the records disappearing given he was the previous spymaster, and we need to find von Tarshof himself; there's a chance this action could help with all of our immediate needs and goals as a spymaster.
[Changed my vote, preserved for historical purposes]
-[o] As Per Orders: Perform your current assignment.
--[o] Record-Keeping: The Wurtbad Watch keeps a record of every cart that goes through the gates. See if there's any useful information to be found in their record books.
--[o] Wilhelmina says that most of the nobles are unknowingly helping with rebuilding the tax code. Maybe those that aren't are hiding something.
-[o] Divided Loyalty: you've been told to prepare a report on Anton.
--[o] Investigate Anton and prepare a full report on him. Does take an action.
-[o] Backtracking and Side Operations:
--[o] Write-in: Have the Greatswords interrogate the stablehand.
-[o] Laying Groundwork: You can't keep an ear out for gossip if nobody's talking to you. Go out and rekindle old connections with:
--[o] Wurtbad: The townspeople of Wurtbad.
-[o] Self-Improvement: Things have been going well so far, but the skills of a Journeyman Grey Mage can only go so far.
--[o] Practice, Practice, Practice: Intrigue
-[o] Home Comforts: Surely there's a more suitable place for you to set up shop than a mouldering guest room. See about securing lodgings:
--[o] In one of the guard towers along the walls of Wurtbad. You can't be much of a wizard without a tower.
Tithe:
-[o] Yes (-5 personal gold/turn)
Loans:
-[o] Yes - enough to get it paid off in the foreseeable future (-35 personal gold/turn)
Skim:
-[o] Perk of the job, you know. It's practically expected. (+50 personal gold, -50 discretionary gold, absolutely no risk)
Overall, this leaves us doing intriguery on the nobles, the Watch, and the townsfolk, with the Greatswords asking some more questions for us. So even if we fail our rolls or go the wrong places, we can at least tell our boss that we tried four different avenues of investigation. Then there's some self-improvement, some circumstances improvement, and mysterious backer. While earning money.
Investigating Anton will also double as an action to learn more about one of our fellow counselors.
Setting up shop in a tower should make it work better to hang out our shingle later, if we want to do that in our copious free time. Shrine to Ranald probably shouldn't be in the castle, too.
Its a stableboy. About as low as you can get in the spy hierarchy without being Random Beggar C.
He's unlikely to be a significant or reliable source of intel. Though on the plus side hes low enough that he is unlikely to offer significant resistance to interrogation
Maybe, but we do need to start on counter intelligence and since he was lying to us and was already in place it's very likely he was put there by one of the people connected to the mess we;re already investigating. Also I don't understand why everyone wants to spend an action just doing what our mysterious backer/blackmailer is telling us to do. If we do the minimum required we should be fine in the short term and it would give us a chance to gain a clue about who's trying to control us.
Maybe, but we do need to start on counter intelligence and since he was lying to us and was already in place it's very likely he was put there by one of the people connected to the mess we;re already investigating. Also I don't understand why everyone wants to spend an action just doing what our mysterious backer/blackmailer is telling us to do. If we do the minimum required we should be fine in the short term and it would give us a chance to gain a clue about who's trying to control us.
The very powerful and influential people who have enough influence in the Grey Order that we could be made to disappear at the stroke of a brush, will reveal themselves to us when we drag our feet in cooperating with their directives we are bound to follow to the letter? How precisely do you imagine that will happen?
I doubt that we'll figure out exactly who is threatening us, however if we drag our feet they effectively have two options. Either they do nothing and accept it in that case we've gained an action and lost nothing or they contact us to threaten us or tell us to do better in which case we will have at least a chance of gaining an additional clue based on things like what they threaten us with, how they contact us and how much they know about us dragging our feet. The only way we'll find out more about the people threatening us is through some form of contact.
Unlikely given that their punishment is the nuclear option, it's one of the issues with blackmail that once you do what you've threatened yes you've hurt the other guy but you also have no way of getting what you want anymore.
A wizard without a tower is nothing more than a pleb with a few Parlour-tricks. Towers are as much a part of the job as pointy hats and needlessly-cryptic Portents of Doom muttered under one's breath.
To those new-fangled "modern" Wizards who desire another abode I say: Harrumph! Harrumph I say! *Waves staff angrily*
Though I would like to downgrade our skimming once we have enough gold to get started. It seems the county needs income bad.
I doubt that we'll figure out exactly who is threatening us, however if we drag our feet they effectively have two options. Either they do nothing and accept it in that case we've gained an action and lost nothing or they contact us to threaten us or tell us to do better in which case we will have at least a chance of gaining an additional clue based on things like what they threaten us with, how they contact us and how much they know about us dragging our feet. The only way we'll find out more about the people threatening us is through some form of contact.
Unlikely given that their punishment is the nuclear option, it's one of the issues with blackmail that once you do what you've threatened yes you've hurt the other guy but you also have no way of getting what you want anymore.
They'd be monumentally stupid manipulators in the shadows if they reveal clues about who they are before they are 100% sure we are very firmly in their pocket. Looking at our first instructions, the threats will be in the nature of "Your report was unsatisfactory. Perform better." Because hey, they don't even need to threaten us, we already know our entire existence literally depends on them!
Also it's not just blackmail, they gave us this position. We are at the top of Imperial politics as a Journeyman wizard, we can better be hella grateful towards our mysterious benefactors. Because they might just decide to scrap us not only for refusing to obey their directives, but also because we might be performing inadequately at our main job. Blackmail implies that they depend on us for these services and have no way of obtaining it otherwise, and that the blackmailer won't easily follow through on their threats because then the victim has no more reason to obey.
But instead these people literally put us here, they can just as well scrap us and arrange for a replacement if they aren't satisfied, we have no leverage over them whatsoever. And they appear to have the power to shuffle around wizards at the highest echelons of imperial politics. I don't think removing us will be such a big hurdle to them.
Then again, we could speculate on our patron's benevolence and willingness to follow through on the announced punishment for disobedience. We're only risking everything after all.
Lunch with the count *knock knock* Van Hal: "Well Weber I made it. Despite your directions." Mathilde:"Ah. Graf Van Hal. Welcome. I hope you're prepared for an unforgettable luncheon!" Van Hal:"Yeah..."
*Mathilde walks into the kitchen* Mathilde:"Oh, by Ranald's beard! The legions of the undead have invaded my kitchen and burned all the food! My dish is ruined!
..But what if I were to use the undead as the food? Delightfully devilish, Mathilde." *Van Hal walks into the kitchen* Van Hal:"Ah frau Weber with her crazy explanations. I ought toWHAT IN THE NAME OF SIGMAR ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT SKELETON?" Mathilde:Graf von Hal, I was just- uh, just inspecting this replica of the human skeleton. Anatomy lesson. Care to join me?" Van Hal:"...Why is there smoke coming out of your cauldron, Mathilde?" Mathilde:"Uh- Oh. That isn't a cauldron. It's a grill. A grill for the Bratwurst we're having." Van Hal:"Mmmm. Bratwurst" Mathilde:"Whew."
*later* Mathilde:"Elector Count, I hope you're ready for mouthwatering Chicken soup!" Van Hal:"I thought we were having Bratwurst." Mathilde:"D'oh, no. I said Brat-nursed! That's what I call chicken soup. They nurse you right back to health!." Van Hal:"You call chicken soup Brat-nursed?" Mathilde:"Yes. It's a regional dialect." Van Hal:"Uh-huh. Uh, what region?" Mathilde:"Uh, upstate Stirland." Van Hal:"Really. Well, I'm from Thalbergen, and I've never heard anyone use the phrase 'Brat-nursed'. Mathilde:"Oh, not in Thalbergen. No. It's a Langwald expression. Van Hal:"I see..." Van Hal:"You know, the things in these Brat-nursed are quite similar to Strigoi-limbs." Mathilde:"Oh, no. Patented Weber-soup. Old college recipe." Van Hal:"For Brat-nursed." Mathilde:"Yes." Van Hal:"Yes...And you call them Brat-nursed despite the fact that they are obviously cooked." Mathilde:"Ye- You know, the- One thing I should- - Excuse me for one second." Van Hal:"Of course."
*later* Van Hal:"Well, that was wonderful." Mathilde:"A good time was had by all. I'm pooped." Van Hal:"Yes. I should be- By the Twin-Tailed Comet! What is happening in there?" Mathilde:"...Geheimnisnacht." Van Hal:"Geheimnisnacht. at this time of year at this time of day in this part of the country localized entirely within your kitchen?" Mathilde:"...Yes!" Van Hal:"May I see it?" Mathilde:"...No." Magister: "Mathilde! The undead are invading!" Mathilde:"No, magister. It's just Geheimnisnacht." Van Hal:"Well, Mathilde, you are an odd lady but I must say you Brat a good nursed." Magister: "Help! Help!"
Most of your report is laying down what you know of the former Spymaster, Wilhelm von Tarshof, and his activities. You start with his personal control over the cities of the Old Dwarf Road and his neglect of the rest of Stirland, before moving on to the Stirlandian League cartel and their monopoly on north-south trade. At this point Van Hal looks displeased; when you mention the murder of the Baron of Purgg and his family, he looks outraged. Then you throw in (with due credit to Wilhelmina) that someone attempted to infiltrate the castle and feed you misinformation about von Tarshof.
Your report garners quite a few reactions elsewhere from the table - Anton seems flabbergasted at the duplicity von Tarshof, Wilhelmina is outraged at the Stirlandian League and their apparent tariff immunity, and Herr Schultz looks almost sick at the idea of possible enemies behind his partially-refurbished stone walls.
I'm not sure if it was intentional or if it was forgotten, but you never showed us actually reporting on the enemy we found in the wall. You showed Schultz reaction to it, but I don't see any mention of us actually saying it.
I'm not sure if it was intentional or if it was forgotten, but you never showed us actually reporting on the enemy we found in the wall. You showed Schultz reaction to it, but I don't see any mention of us actually saying it.
The Very Unserious Diary of Abelhelm van Hal
Day 1: Dad once said the reward for a job well done is more work. Apparently the reward for rooting out a nest of vampires is being set to root out bloody Sylvania. Did not realize the principle went this far.
Day 2: Spymaster asked me for money. Fobbed them off on the steward.
Day 3: Had a talk with chancellor. Incompetent, wet-behind-the-ears kid.
Day 4: Marshal asked me for money. Fobbed them off on the steward.
Day 5: Steward asked me for money, reporting that a lot of treasury is missing. Almost fobbed her off on the steward.
Day 6: Had a talk with marshal. Incompetent 'military history expert', meaning he's read about a hundred battles and fought none.
Day 7: Attended fancy ball. Managed to not challenge anyone to duel. Chancellor surprisingly helpful.
Day 8: Greatswords asked me for more money. Fobbed them off on the steward.
Day 9: Steward and spymaster teamed up to discover someone had stolen not only treasury but also tax ledger, previous spymaster, knowledge of the east wing of castle, nearby bridge, and six miles of road. Troublesome.
Day 10: Marshal reports 15 000 soldiers stolen, too. Or maybe never existed in the first place and were fraudulently entered on records.
Day 11: Spymaster reports that marshal used to fraudulently alter records of students. I think I sense a pattern here.
Day 12: Chancellor reports that the nobles I have politely ignored to date are amenable to making this a mutual long-term arrangement.
Day 13: Spymaster attacked by gribbly. Collected eight shillings from betting pool.
Day 14: Got drunk. Hallucinated I was Elector Count. Woke up to find I am apparently still Elector Count.
