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Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest

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veekie said:
I wonder though...whats' our boss want to do with the two guests? Diplomacy action next turn to make a big show of the trial and sentencing?

Since he has the ledgers, he has the count in his dungeon and he has the heir as a guest. It'd make great diplomatic drama here.
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He likely wants to publicly execute the older brother for treason, to both boost his standing and put the fear of the LAW in the other nobles.

Everything about Van Hal screams Judge Dredd to me.

The younger brother would make a good puppet or even a willing supporter, depending on how the roll goes.

Nothing will happen before he gets every shred of information about the conspiracy out of both of course.
 
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[X] Plan Reasonable
-[X] Report: Stick to the facts. We very discreetly acquired Petr and Maksim von Stolpe, using the Count's authority to borrow troops. We looked at the burst of magic flooding into the mound, and reasoned our way to it coming from Drakenhof. We are starting to build a network of contacts now that we don't need to focus on tracking down the ledger.
-[X] One-on-one report: We've bought a shack for carrying out the kind of business that is impractical to carry out in the Elector Count's castle. If you need to get hold of us while we're there, send a messenger to this innkeeper, one of our nearby agents. We'd advise the Count not to show up personally as it would be likely to draw attention.
(Reasoning: The Count doesn't need to know about the underground shrine beneath it, or even its exact location for that matter, but he really should know 1: that we have a separate base, 2: how to contact us when we're out of the castle.)
-[X] Possible orders:
--[X] The disappearance of yourpredecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
--[X] The Stirlandian League is a cancer eating at Stirland's economy, and it can be destroyed now that we have the ledgers.
---[X] ...but you could also leave it in place so we can take it over from Wilhelm von Tarshof once we track him down.
--[X] I've got the budget for a proper network of informants, now it just needs building.
--[X] Variant Writein: Drakenhof. This must be investigated... at a distance. Let me do research and make inquiries among the Grey Order and in other high places.


[X] [Execution] Surprised and curious. While you had raised the issue of embezzlement and divided loyalties, the Count had also noted and accepted both. You want to know what did he actually do to cross the line, from the implications, he had sabotaged the army in some way for an outside party. Both for your own interests and for national interests, you want to know what the Count found.
 
[X] Plan Reasonable

[X] [Execution] Surprised and curious. While you had raised the issue of embezzlement and divided loyalties, the Count had also noted and accepted both. You want to know what did he actually do to cross the line, from the implications, he had sabotaged the army in some way for an outside party. Both for your own interests and for national interests, you want to know what the Count found.
 
HanEmpire said:
Wouldn't it benefit Stirland if the Elector Count took control of this League? Correct me if I'm wrong but this network essentially created a single trade zone with unified standards and tariff control. If we manage this correctly this could help centralize Stirland massively and foster greater economic growth.
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The Stirlandian League enjoyed immunity to tariffs under the previous administration, allowing them to crush the competition. You don't exactly know how they're doing under the current rule, but you doubt an established monopoly would peacefully allow competition to flourish just because they lost their powerful backers, especially since a Baron trying to set up an alternative trade route had his entire family exterminated.

King Arthur said:
@BoneyM How much would it cost to buy/create an inn/tavern/bar?
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Vague estimates: You could start selling beer out of a shack in the slums for about forty gold, including the beer. Setting up a tavern along a trade road would only cost you what it takes to build it because you could get the land for a song, maybe 200 gold or so. A moderate size middle class tavern could run you 400. An established tavern of good repute on Wurtbad's main road could run you a thousand.

HanEmpire said:
The description of Steed of Shadows says the shadow horse can bear its conjurer half again as fast as a normal riding horse. That's not definitive since it doesn't mention how quick that normal riding horse is going, but the shadow horse does sound faster.

EDIT: Wait the sourced material is 1st and 2nd Editions. That might've been retconned.
EDIT2: Wait it's included in 8th Edition too.
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You call forth a dark and shadowy horse who will bear you and a minimum of gear (no more than you yourself can carry without penalty) noiselessly and at great speed until you stop riding or until the next day's first light dawns. The horse has the statistics of a normal riding horse (see WFRP, page 233) but also has the Concealment skill (which it uses at a +30% bonus) and the Navigation skill. Further, the shadowsteed travels at top speed without fatigue, bearing you half again faster than a normal riding horse would be able. When the spell's duration expires, the horse vanishes around a corner, into a shadow, or in a similar manner. You can also designate another individual that the steed will bear instead of you.

To me, this says that the Shadowsteed's extra effective speed is due to the lack of fatigue, instead of being intrinsically half again faster than a normal horse's speed. This makes it's range amazing, but in a sprint you don't have a raw speed advantage over a well-trained and well-bred horse, without even getting into ghost horses, skeleton horses, flying horses, demon horses...

Also keep in mind that there's two similar spells: Shadowsteed which you know, and the battle magic Steed of Shadows, which moves someone much faster and flies but doesn't last as long, and is sometimes described as a drake instead of a horse.
Adhoc vote count started by BoneyM on Jan 26, 2018 at 10:14 AM, finished with 209 posts and 41 votes.
  • [X] [Execution] Surprised and curious. While you had raised the issue of embezzlement and divided loyalties, the Count had also noted and accepted both. You want to know what did he actually do to cross the line, from the implications, he had sabotaged the army in some way for an outside party. Both for your own interests and for national interests, you want to know what the Count found.
    [X] Plan Reasonable
    -[X] Report: Stick to the facts. We very discreetly acquired Petr and Maksim von Stolpe, using the Count's authority to borrow troops. We looked at the burst of magic flooding into the mound, and reasoned our way to it coming from Drakenhof. We are starting to build a network of contacts now that we don't need to focus on tracking down the ledger.
    -[X] One-on-one report: We've bought a shack for carrying out the kind of business that is impractical to carry out in the Elector Count's castle. If you need to get hold of us while we're there, send a messenger to this innkeeper, one of our nearby agents. We'd advise the Count not to show up personally as it would be likely to draw attention.
    -[X] Possible orders:
    --[X] The disappearance of yourpredecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    --[X] The Stirlandian League is a cancer eating at Stirland's economy, and it can be destroyed now that we have the ledgers.
    ---[X] ...but you could also leave it in place so we can take it over from Wilhelm von Tarshof once we track him down.
    --[X] I've got the budget for a proper network of informants, now it just needs building.
    --[X] Variant Writein: Drakenhof. This must be investigated... at a distance. Let me do research and make inquiries among the Grey Order and in other high places.
    [X] Plan Conjectures
    -[X] Report: Stick to the facts. We very discreetly acquired Petr and Maksim von Stolpe, using the Count's authority to borrow troops. We looked at the burst of magic flooding into the mound, and calculated that it came from Drakenhof.
    -[X] Share some conjectures: The fact that the books were stolen at night by human shaped things that actually managed to traumatize horses by being nearby. As well as the powerful necromancer in drakenhof who put the alarm trap and then raised the dead in the mound suggests that the books were actually stolen by vampires, and that there is a pretty powerful necromancer among the vampires. The fact the books were kept rather than destroyed suggests they intended to use them, probably after installing their own patsy as a stirland elector count. The series of unfortunate deaths of Van Hal's predecessors and the connection between them and the noble we captured is further cementing the idea that we have a vampire making moves on stirland via subterfuge instead of an overt and open invasion. We should probably take steps against assassination attempts by vampires, and hopefully whatever info our guest at the dungeon provide will be a useful lead in the investigation.
    -[X] Possible orders:
    --[X] The disappearance of yourpredecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    ---[x] Capture of predecessor can lead to taking over the Stirlandian league for purpose of spying
    ---[x] Could he be related to the vampire plots? if so then finding him is a priority.
    --[X] The Stirlandian League is a cancer eating at Stirland's economy, and it can be destroyed now that we have the ledgers.
    ---[x] The former spymaster has been acting against us. He probably still controls his spies in the league. Destroying it now would deprive of him of valuable resources, but may also destroy possible leads on his location
    --[X] I've got the budget for a proper network of informants, now it just needs building.
    --[X] Variant Writein: Drakenhof. This vampire plot to subtly take over stirland is concerning. We know there are vampires in sylvania, but who and where? And what exactly have they done in stirland so far? I could try to examine other stirland nobles for possible vampire connections, although this seems a bit of a shot in the dark. Alternatively, follow up any leads acquired from the interrogation of Stolpe.
    [X] [Execution] The Professor's actions were foolish in the extreme. He learnt nothing from being caught once, didn't appreciate his luck in being sent to a higher position still, and thought he could keep his presumably outrageous embezzling while working for a retired Witch Hunter. One should know the difference between acceptable, frowned upon and forbidden. And one should also have more good sense than a suicidal horse. He had it coming.
    [X] [Options] Plan Sanity
    -[X] The disappearance of your predecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    -[X] The Stirlandian League is a gold mine of information, and it must be yours.
    -[X] The castle staff can be a great source of information and first line of defence - they should report to you.
    [X] [Options] Plan Sanity
    [X] [Execution] The stupid son of a .... Really? He barely escapes with his head attached once, and decides to try it again, right under the noses of a Witch Hunter, the Emperor's own spymaster and, hell, me? I'll probably feel bad later, but right now the level of stupid in evidence has me practically apoplectic.
    [X] [Execution] [Shaken] The Professor's actions might have been foolish, but surely there must have been another way than a summary execution? Was I so mistaken in hoping that he'd learned his lesson the first time around? I did the right thing by informing Van Hal, but he is dead because of it...
    [X] The disappearance of your predecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    [X] Execution: While the Professor got what was coming to him, both for his crime and his stupidity, Mathilde is surprised by the casual manner in which van Hal carried it out. She'd expected a trial, or at least some kind of official statement before a formal execution, not just shooting him during the reports.
    [X] Drakenhof. You almost hesitate to suggest it, but... surely this must be investigated.
    [X] There is a risk of enemy agents infiltrating the castle staff - they must be watched.
    [X] Seriously what is up with the East Wing.
    [X] The Stirlandian League is a cancer eating at Stirland's economy, and it must be destroyed.
    [x] react to the count intterogation results ?
    [x] I need a proper information network. Please fund me wandering around making friends.
    [x] The castle staff can be a great source of information and first line of defence - they should report to you.
    [x] So, Drakenfang... You'll ask around if someone knows what's up with that. Your Order may share something, as well as your teacher, and you can even inquire the imperial intelligence.
    [X] The Stirlandian League is a gold mine of information, and it must be yours.
    [X] [Execution] While the Professor got what was coming to him, both for his crime and his stupidity, Mathilde is surprised by the casual manner in which van Hal carried it out. She'd expected a trial, or at least some kind of official statement before a formal execution, not just shooting him during the reports.
    [X] Execution: While the Professor got what was coming to him, both for his crime and his stupidity, Mathilde is surprised by the casual manner in which van Hal carried it out. She'd expected a trial, or at least some kind of official statement before a formal execution, not just shooting him during the report
    [X] Report: I've got a pile of people for you!
    -[X] "Well, as you're all aware most likely, we were successful at recovering the tax ledgers, despite some interference from Drakenhof--which I might point out that we're in no condition to do much about right this second, because sneaking into a necromancer's lair when they know to be on their guard is an excellent way to end up caught in a trap, not when we still have other outstanding concerns that need to be sorted out first. Of course, it's not really all that bad, I took the liberty of riding up to Leicheburg as requested and collecting the Count there--just a little bit of disguise, some fast talking, and some conveniently timed griffon noises and I was able to slip the Count into a hay cart and make my way off with nobody being the wiser. So he's free for you to ask some pointed questions at your leisure--he's really not going anywhere anytime soon. On a related note? The Commander of Swartzhafen is a particularly patriotic fellow, and we'll have to do something nice at some point for him to repay him for his loyalty.
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[X] Plan Reasonable

[X] [Execution] Surprised and curious. While you had raised the issue of embezzlement and divided loyalties, the Count had also noted and accepted both. You want to know what did he actually do to cross the line, from the implications, he had sabotaged the army in some way for an outside party. Both for your own interests and for national interests, you want to know what the Count found.
 
I find it funny how the start of thread described a hypothetical advisor pocketing two hundred gold and change out of a 10 000 gold road network budget, and here we are embezzling half our discretionary spending. :whistle: Which will probably be voted down to a quarter next update, but still.

On another note:
mrttao said:
I really dislike this "trial" nonsense. We had a stable hand tortured for info, and just disappeared a noble at night so he can be tortured for information based entirely on the fact he implied that he knew what was going on from his body language
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If you mean Count Petr von Stolp, that was also based on the fact that he was committing improved tax evasion. (Turn 2 Results.)
 
Exmorri said:
If you mean Count Petr von Stolp, that was also based on the fact that he was committing improved tax evasion. (Turn 2 Results.)
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Actually he already said:
-He doesn't give a damn if you have other loyalties
-He doesn't give a damn if you embezzle

If he executed him RIGHT there the only possibility is that he's not only embezzling but ALSO further deliberately sabotaging the army in some manner.

We know he had some kind of cannon fetish from early on, and he kept bringing proposals to add an unrealistic and unaffordable amount of cannon to the castle.

His task last turn was to restore the Army of Stirland, and he got a huge amount of money, while reporting that the army will be back to full size in a year.
A size which we know should be unlikely given the state of our finances and population.

I wonder, did he expand the army with trash equipment? That could explain an execution.
 
veekie said:
Actually he already said:
-He doesn't give a damn if you have other loyalties
-He doesn't give a damn if you embezzle

If he executed him RIGHT there the only possibility is that he's not only embezzling but ALSO further deliberately sabotaging the army in some manner.

We know he had some kind of cannon fetish from early on, and he kept bringing proposals to add an unrealistic and unaffordable amount of cannon to the castle.

His task last turn was to restore the Army of Stirland, and he got a huge amount of money, while reporting that the army will be back to full size in a year.
A size which we know should be unlikely given the state of our finances and population.

I wonder, did he expand the army with trash equipment? That could explain an execution.
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Are you confusing Schultz with the Professor? Because Shultz is the one who wanted all the cannons and he had nothing to do with building up the army
 
veekie said:
Actually he already said:
-He doesn't give a damn if you have other loyalties
-He doesn't give a damn if you embezzle

If he executed him RIGHT there the only possibility is that he's not only embezzling but ALSO further deliberately sabotaging the army in some manner.
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I assume the difference is between 'pocketing some money, but still doing your job,' and 'pocketing all the money and catastrophically failing to do your job'. I assume the professor had been doing the latter. That practically no recruitment took place, except on paper, and that the existing soldiers didn't receive their wages in full, or perhaps at all, and disbanded. The army is probably in worse state than when we got here for Van Hel to be this pissed, which is kind of a problem if the Sylvanian problem is about to go hot again.

The former, as far as I understand, is the expected state of affairs, just as it was in the appropriate historical periods. A certain tolerated level of nepotism, favouritism, bribe-taking and money-skimming was the bait to attract talented people to government positions, instead of doing private business. The best way to replace that is to pay competitive wages, but for that you need a strong bureaucracy and system already in place.

So the fact that we've been skimming but still producing good results, means we shouldn't merit more than a slap on the wrist if we get caught.
 
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TotallyNotEvil said:
@mrttao Why do you want do destroy the League?
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This irks me. Not only have I explained in detail why, but my ACTUAL VOTE is not trying to destroy it but doing my best to avoid having it destroyed this turn because I wanted people to actually support it and because I think we should focus on capturing our predecessor.

Reasons I personally think it should be destroyed.
A. It severely harms the economy of the fief for marginal gains for spying. It mostly was a form of extreme embezzlement
B. Taking it over as a spying engine should take more effort than building our own spy ring.
C. The spies in it are loyal to our predecessor. And most likely currently feeding him info and money. making him a bigger threat and causing issues in the potential takeover
D. The "destruction" is to repossess it all due to tax evasion, not burn it down to the ground. Of course once repossessed they won't be quite as profitable to their owner directly... since the rulers that allow them to maintain this economically harmful monopoly would be taken away which will make the fief as a whole richer

What my vote actually does:
1. The choice of destroying it or not is not ours to make. We can only try to gently manipulate it by how we present things to our lord liege and his supposed fictional players. Trying to intentionally hide options from him is bad and has bit us before.
2. When we fucked up last time by trying to hide options from our lord liege, our fast talking roll had us make certain statements (returning books unlock destruction, capturing spymaster unlocks takeover). I am just following through on that.
3. I explicitly present both options of destruction and capture, with capture being placed as a "next step" of capturing the spymaster. I cannot just put takeover there directly right now since doing so contradicts our previous statements
4. I explicitly warn that even if he does want to destroy the league, doing so right now could cost us leads on capturing the previous spymaster. While at the same time playing up the spymaster danger

The phrasing is actually manipulated in such a way that I believe there are fairly low odds for him to go for destroy this turn... but no way to truly tell since I can't read his mind. maybe he has a hateboner for it and want it gone ASAP
HanEmpire said:
Wouldn't it benefit Stirland if the Elector Count took control of this League?
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This is what destroy means. Destroy is having the elector count repossess it for tax evasion, making it his personal property. But no longer existing as a faction / instrument of embezzlement
 
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mrttao said:
This irks me. Not only have I explained in detail why, but my ACTUAL VOTE is not trying to destroy it but doing my best to avoid having it destroyed this turn

Reasons I personally think it should be destroyed.
A. It severely harms the economy of the fief for marginal gains for spying. It mostly was a form of extreme embezzlement
B. Taking it over as a spying engine should take more effort than building our own spy ring.
C. The spies in it are loyal to our predecessor. And most likely currently feeding him info and money
D. The "destruction" is to repossess it all due to tax evasion, not burn it down to the ground. Of course once repossessed they won't be quite as profitable to their owner directly... since the rulers that allow them to maintain this economically harmful monopoly would be taken away which will make the fief as a whole richer

What my vote actually does:
1. The choice of destroying it or not is not ours to make. We can only try to gently manipulate it by how we PRESENT things to our lord liege and his supposed fictional players. Trying to intentionally hide options from him is BAD and has bit us before.
2. When we fucked up last time by trying to hide options from our lord liege, our fast talking roll had us make certain statements (returning books unlock destruction, capturing spymaster unlocks takeover). I am just following through on that.
3. I explicitly present both options of destruction and capture, with capture being placed as a "next step" of capturing the spymaster.
4. I explicitly warn that even if he does want to destroy the league, doing so right now could cost us leads on capturing the previous spymaster.

The phrasing is actually manipulated in such a way that I believe there are fairly low odds for him to go for destroy this turn... but no way to truly tell since I can't read his mind. maybe he has a hateboner for it and want it gone ASAP

This is what destroy means. Destroy is having the elector count repossess it for tax evasion, making it his personal property. But no longer existing as a faction / instrument of embezzlement
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Pretty much. And really using someone else's network is incredibly dangerous because if it gets subverted you won't even know.

He might torpedo it immediately, but I suspect it depends on how bad our finances are. He'd need to replace the army AND the embezzled army funds.

So they could be a low hanging loot pinata worth more than chasing our predecessor
 
Honestly before we start trying to build or control some massive network we really need some trustworthy staff that can actually go and collect and collate any info a network might provide.
 
veekie said:
So they could be a low hanging loot pinata worth more than chasing our predecessor
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Fair points
No7sHere said:
Honestly before we start trying to build or control some massive network we really need some trustworthy staff that can actually go and collect and collate any info a network might provide.
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Yep. So, it is a long long project to take over the league... and worse, their stuff is specifically untrustworthy, as they have shown loyalty to an enemy before.
 
I'm loving the amount of discussion this turn is generating.

So far, Plan Reasonable has 16 votes, Plan Conjecture has 13 votes. Apart from the titular conjecture, the major difference between the plans is whether Van Hal is given enough information about the Palace-Shrine to be able to contact you - Reasonable gives him your innkeeper friend as a point of contact, while Conjecture keeps him in the dark.

With seventeen votes, compared to four for the next most popular, it looks like this is going to be Mathilde's reaction:

[*] [Execution] Surprised and curious. While you had raised the issue of embezzlement and divided loyalties, the Count had also noted and accepted both. You want to know what did he actually do to cross the line, from the implications, he had sabotaged the army in some way for an outside party. Both for your own interests and for national interests, you want to know what the Count found.

Voting will close in ninety minutes.
Adhoc vote count started by BoneyM on Jan 26, 2018 at 11:29 AM, finished with 213 posts and 43 votes.
  • [X] [Execution] Surprised and curious. While you had raised the issue of embezzlement and divided loyalties, the Count had also noted and accepted both. You want to know what did he actually do to cross the line, from the implications, he had sabotaged the army in some way for an outside party. Both for your own interests and for national interests, you want to know what the Count found.
    [X] Plan Reasonable
    -[X] Report: Stick to the facts. We very discreetly acquired Petr and Maksim von Stolpe, using the Count's authority to borrow troops. We looked at the burst of magic flooding into the mound, and reasoned our way to it coming from Drakenhof. We are starting to build a network of contacts now that we don't need to focus on tracking down the ledger.
    -[X] One-on-one report: We've bought a shack for carrying out the kind of business that is impractical to carry out in the Elector Count's castle. If you need to get hold of us while we're there, send a messenger to this innkeeper, one of our nearby agents. We'd advise the Count not to show up personally as it would be likely to draw attention.
    -[X] Possible orders:
    --[X] The disappearance of yourpredecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    --[X] The Stirlandian League is a cancer eating at Stirland's economy, and it can be destroyed now that we have the ledgers.
    ---[X] ...but you could also leave it in place so we can take it over from Wilhelm von Tarshof once we track him down.
    --[X] I've got the budget for a proper network of informants, now it just needs building.
    --[X] Variant Writein: Drakenhof. This must be investigated... at a distance. Let me do research and make inquiries among the Grey Order and in other high places.
    [X] Plan Conjectures
    -[X] Report: Stick to the facts. We very discreetly acquired Petr and Maksim von Stolpe, using the Count's authority to borrow troops. We looked at the burst of magic flooding into the mound, and calculated that it came from Drakenhof.
    -[X] Share some conjectures: The fact that the books were stolen at night by human shaped things that actually managed to traumatize horses by being nearby. As well as the powerful necromancer in drakenhof who put the alarm trap and then raised the dead in the mound suggests that the books were actually stolen by vampires, and that there is a pretty powerful necromancer among the vampires. The fact the books were kept rather than destroyed suggests they intended to use them, probably after installing their own patsy as a stirland elector count. The series of unfortunate deaths of Van Hal's predecessors and the connection between them and the noble we captured is further cementing the idea that we have a vampire making moves on stirland via subterfuge instead of an overt and open invasion. We should probably take steps against assassination attempts by vampires, and hopefully whatever info our guest at the dungeon provide will be a useful lead in the investigation.
    -[X] Possible orders:
    --[X] The disappearance of yourpredecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    ---[x] Capture of predecessor can lead to taking over the Stirlandian league for purpose of spying
    ---[x] Could he be related to the vampire plots? if so then finding him is a priority.
    --[X] The Stirlandian League is a cancer eating at Stirland's economy, and it can be destroyed now that we have the ledgers.
    ---[x] The former spymaster has been acting against us. He probably still controls his spies in the league. Destroying it now would deprive of him of valuable resources, but may also destroy possible leads on his location
    --[X] I've got the budget for a proper network of informants, now it just needs building.
    --[X] Variant Writein: Drakenhof. This vampire plot to subtly take over stirland is concerning. We know there are vampires in sylvania, but who and where? And what exactly have they done in stirland so far? I could try to examine other stirland nobles for possible vampire connections, although this seems a bit of a shot in the dark. Alternatively, follow up any leads acquired from the interrogation of Stolpe.
    [X] [Execution] The Professor's actions were foolish in the extreme. He learnt nothing from being caught once, didn't appreciate his luck in being sent to a higher position still, and thought he could keep his presumably outrageous embezzling while working for a retired Witch Hunter. One should know the difference between acceptable, frowned upon and forbidden. And one should also have more good sense than a suicidal horse. He had it coming.
    [X] [Options] Plan Sanity
    -[X] The disappearance of your predecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    -[X] The Stirlandian League is a gold mine of information, and it must be yours.
    -[X] The castle staff can be a great source of information and first line of defence - they should report to you.
    [X] [Options] Plan Sanity
    [X] [Execution] [Shaken] The Professor's actions might have been foolish, but surely there must have been another way than a summary execution? Was I so mistaken in hoping that he'd learned his lesson the first time around? I did the right thing by informing Van Hal, but he is dead because of it...
    [X] The disappearance of your predecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    [X] Execution: While the Professor got what was coming to him, both for his crime and his stupidity, Mathilde is surprised by the casual manner in which van Hal carried it out. She'd expected a trial, or at least some kind of official statement before a formal execution, not just shooting him during the reports.
    [X] [Execution] The stupid son of a .... Really? He barely escapes with his head attached once, and decides to try it again, right under the noses of a Witch Hunter, the Emperor's own spymaster and, hell, me? I'll probably feel bad later, but right now the level of stupid in evidence has me practically apoplectic.
    [X] Drakenhof. You almost hesitate to suggest it, but... surely this must be investigated.
    [X] There is a risk of enemy agents infiltrating the castle staff - they must be watched.
    [X] Seriously what is up with the East Wing.
    [X] The Stirlandian League is a cancer eating at Stirland's economy, and it must be destroyed.
    [x] react to the count intterogation results ?
    [x] I need a proper information network. Please fund me wandering around making friends.
    [x] The castle staff can be a great source of information and first line of defence - they should report to you.
    [x] So, Drakenfang... You'll ask around if someone knows what's up with that. Your Order may share something, as well as your teacher, and you can even inquire the imperial intelligence.
    [X] The Stirlandian League is a gold mine of information, and it must be yours.
    [X] [Execution] While the Professor got what was coming to him, both for his crime and his stupidity, Mathilde is surprised by the casual manner in which van Hal carried it out. She'd expected a trial, or at least some kind of official statement before a formal execution, not just shooting him during the reports.
    [X] Execution: While the Professor got what was coming to him, both for his crime and his stupidity, Mathilde is surprised by the casual manner in which van Hal carried it out. She'd expected a trial, or at least some kind of official statement before a formal execution, not just shooting him during the report
    [X] Report: I've got a pile of people for you!
    -[X] "Well, as you're all aware most likely, we were successful at recovering the tax ledgers, despite some interference from Drakenhof--which I might point out that we're in no condition to do much about right this second, because sneaking into a necromancer's lair when they know to be on their guard is an excellent way to end up caught in a trap, not when we still have other outstanding concerns that need to be sorted out first. Of course, it's not really all that bad, I took the liberty of riding up to Leicheburg as requested and collecting the Count there--just a little bit of disguise, some fast talking, and some conveniently timed griffon noises and I was able to slip the Count into a hay cart and make my way off with nobody being the wiser. So he's free for you to ask some pointed questions at your leisure--he's really not going anywhere anytime soon. On a related note? The Commander of Swartzhafen is a particularly patriotic fellow, and we'll have to do something nice at some point for him to repay him for his loyalty.
Click to expand...

Adhoc vote count started by BoneyM on Jan 26, 2018 at 11:39 AM, finished with 216 posts and 44 votes.
  • [X] [Execution] Surprised and curious. While you had raised the issue of embezzlement and divided loyalties, the Count had also noted and accepted both. You want to know what did he actually do to cross the line, from the implications, he had sabotaged the army in some way for an outside party. Both for your own interests and for national interests, you want to know what the Count found.
    [X] Plan Conjectures
    -[X] Report: Stick to the facts. We very discreetly acquired Petr and Maksim von Stolpe, using the Count's authority to borrow troops. We looked at the burst of magic flooding into the mound, and calculated that it came from Drakenhof.
    -[X] Share some conjectures: The fact that the books were stolen at night by human shaped things that actually managed to traumatize horses by being nearby. As well as the powerful necromancer in drakenhof who put the alarm trap and then raised the dead in the mound suggests that the books were actually stolen by vampires, and that there is a pretty powerful necromancer among the vampires. The fact the books were kept rather than destroyed suggests they intended to use them, probably after installing their own patsy as a stirland elector count. The series of unfortunate deaths of Van Hal's predecessors and the connection between them and the noble we captured is further cementing the idea that we have a vampire making moves on stirland via subterfuge instead of an overt and open invasion. We should probably take steps against assassination attempts by vampires, and hopefully whatever info our guest at the dungeon provide will be a useful lead in the investigation.
    -[X] Possible orders:
    --[X] The disappearance of yourpredecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    ---[x] Capture of predecessor can lead to taking over the Stirlandian league for purpose of spying
    ---[x] Could he be related to the vampire plots? if so then finding him is a priority.
    --[X] The Stirlandian League is a cancer eating at Stirland's economy, and it can be destroyed now that we have the ledgers.
    ---[x] The former spymaster has been acting against us. He probably still controls his spies in the league. Destroying it now would deprive of him of valuable resources, but may also destroy possible leads on his location
    --[X] I've got the budget for a proper network of informants, now it just needs building.
    --[X] Variant Writein: Drakenhof. This vampire plot to subtly take over stirland is concerning. We know there are vampires in sylvania, but who and where? And what exactly have they done in stirland so far? I could try to examine other stirland nobles for possible vampire connections, although this seems a bit of a shot in the dark. Alternatively, follow up any leads acquired from the interrogation of Stolpe.
    [X] Plan Reasonable
    -[X] Report: Stick to the facts. We very discreetly acquired Petr and Maksim von Stolpe, using the Count's authority to borrow troops. We looked at the burst of magic flooding into the mound, and reasoned our way to it coming from Drakenhof. We are starting to build a network of contacts now that we don't need to focus on tracking down the ledger.
    -[X] One-on-one report: We've bought a shack for carrying out the kind of business that is impractical to carry out in the Elector Count's castle. If you need to get hold of us while we're there, send a messenger to this innkeeper, one of our nearby agents. We'd advise the Count not to show up personally as it would be likely to draw attention.
    -[X] Possible orders:
    --[X] The disappearance of yourpredecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    --[X] The Stirlandian League is a cancer eating at Stirland's economy, and it can be destroyed now that we have the ledgers.
    ---[X] ...but you could also leave it in place so we can take it over from Wilhelm von Tarshof once we track him down.
    --[X] I've got the budget for a proper network of informants, now it just needs building.
    --[X] Variant Writein: Drakenhof. This must be investigated... at a distance. Let me do research and make inquiries among the Grey Order and in other high places.
    [X] [Execution] The Professor's actions were foolish in the extreme. He learnt nothing from being caught once, didn't appreciate his luck in being sent to a higher position still, and thought he could keep his presumably outrageous embezzling while working for a retired Witch Hunter. One should know the difference between acceptable, frowned upon and forbidden. And one should also have more good sense than a suicidal horse. He had it coming.
    [X] [Options] Plan Sanity
    -[X] The disappearance of your predecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    -[X] The Stirlandian League is a gold mine of information, and it must be yours.
    -[X] The castle staff can be a great source of information and first line of defence - they should report to you.
    [X] [Options] Plan Sanity
    [X] [Execution] [Shaken] The Professor's actions might have been foolish, but surely there must have been another way than a summary execution? Was I so mistaken in hoping that he'd learned his lesson the first time around? I did the right thing by informing Van Hal, but he is dead because of it...
    [X] The disappearance of your predecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    [X] Execution: While the Professor got what was coming to him, both for his crime and his stupidity, Mathilde is surprised by the casual manner in which van Hal carried it out. She'd expected a trial, or at least some kind of official statement before a formal execution, not just shooting him during the reports.
    [X] [Execution] The stupid son of a .... Really? He barely escapes with his head attached once, and decides to try it again, right under the noses of a Witch Hunter, the Emperor's own spymaster and, hell, me? I'll probably feel bad later, but right now the level of stupid in evidence has me practically apoplectic.
    [X] Drakenhof. You almost hesitate to suggest it, but... surely this must be investigated.
    [X] There is a risk of enemy agents infiltrating the castle staff - they must be watched.
    [X] Seriously what is up with the East Wing.
    [X] The Stirlandian League is a cancer eating at Stirland's economy, and it must be destroyed.
    [x] react to the count intterogation results ?
    [x] I need a proper information network. Please fund me wandering around making friends.
    [x] The castle staff can be a great source of information and first line of defence - they should report to you.
    [x] So, Drakenfang... You'll ask around if someone knows what's up with that. Your Order may share something, as well as your teacher, and you can even inquire the imperial intelligence.
    [X] The Stirlandian League is a gold mine of information, and it must be yours.
    [X] [Execution] While the Professor got what was coming to him, both for his crime and his stupidity, Mathilde is surprised by the casual manner in which van Hal carried it out. She'd expected a trial, or at least some kind of official statement before a formal execution, not just shooting him during the reports.
    [X] Execution: While the Professor got what was coming to him, both for his crime and his stupidity, Mathilde is surprised by the casual manner in which van Hal carried it out. She'd expected a trial, or at least some kind of official statement before a formal execution, not just shooting him during the report
    [X] Report: I've got a pile of people for you!
    -[X] "Well, as you're all aware most likely, we were successful at recovering the tax ledgers, despite some interference from Drakenhof--which I might point out that we're in no condition to do much about right this second, because sneaking into a necromancer's lair when they know to be on their guard is an excellent way to end up caught in a trap, not when we still have other outstanding concerns that need to be sorted out first. Of course, it's not really all that bad, I took the liberty of riding up to Leicheburg as requested and collecting the Count there--just a little bit of disguise, some fast talking, and some conveniently timed griffon noises and I was able to slip the Count into a hay cart and make my way off with nobody being the wiser. So he's free for you to ask some pointed questions at your leisure--he's really not going anywhere anytime soon. On a related note? The Commander of Swartzhafen is a particularly patriotic fellow, and we'll have to do something nice at some point for him to repay him for his loyalty.
Click to expand...
 
[X] Plan Conjectures

Seems more in line with our goals and effectively lays out what we know and believe about the problems facing us for the Count to consider. The focus on vampires specifically over generic unknown gribblies is perhaps overly speculative but I doubt the Count is going to care if it turns out to be Team Necromancer instead of Team Vampire behind this when they're doing the same general thing.
 
[X] Plan Conjectures
[X] [Execution] Surprised and curious. While you had raised the issue of embezzlement and divided loyalties, the Count had also noted and accepted both. You want to know what did he actually do to cross the line, from the implications, he had sabotaged the army in some way for an outside party. Both for your own interests and for national interests, you want to know what the Count found.
 
[X] Plan Reasonable

[X] [Execution] Surprised and curious. While you had raised the issue of embezzlement and divided loyalties, the Count had also noted and accepted both. You want to know what did he actually do to cross the line, from the implications, he had sabotaged the army in some way for an outside party. Both for your own interests and for national interests, you want to know what the Count found.
 
[X] Plan Conjectures

My main reason not to vote 'Plan Reasonable' is that I want to keep our secret HQ secret. Y'know, for secrecy's sake.
 
@BoneyM , apologies if this was established elsewhere, but who is the emperor? Karl Franz, Agnes the pious, or one of the ones in between?
 
DocMatoi said:
@BoneyM , apologies if this was established elsewhere, but who is the emperor? Karl Franz, Agnes the pious, or one of the ones in between?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

The year will be 2470, in the reign of Luitpold I. ... Any events past this point are, for the purposes of this quest, non-canonical. Karl Franz is not yet born; whether the Emperor will have such a blessed son in this timeline is entirely up to the whims of the dice.
Adhoc vote count started by BoneyM on Jan 26, 2018 at 11:56 AM, finished with 220 posts and 45 votes.
  • [X] [Execution] Surprised and curious. While you had raised the issue of embezzlement and divided loyalties, the Count had also noted and accepted both. You want to know what did he actually do to cross the line, from the implications, he had sabotaged the army in some way for an outside party. Both for your own interests and for national interests, you want to know what the Count found.
    [X] Plan Conjectures
    -[X] Report: Stick to the facts. We very discreetly acquired Petr and Maksim von Stolpe, using the Count's authority to borrow troops. We looked at the burst of magic flooding into the mound, and calculated that it came from Drakenhof.
    -[X] Share some conjectures: The fact that the books were stolen at night by human shaped things that actually managed to traumatize horses by being nearby. As well as the powerful necromancer in drakenhof who put the alarm trap and then raised the dead in the mound suggests that the books were actually stolen by vampires, and that there is a pretty powerful necromancer among the vampires. The fact the books were kept rather than destroyed suggests they intended to use them, probably after installing their own patsy as a stirland elector count. The series of unfortunate deaths of Van Hal's predecessors and the connection between them and the noble we captured is further cementing the idea that we have a vampire making moves on stirland via subterfuge instead of an overt and open invasion. We should probably take steps against assassination attempts by vampires, and hopefully whatever info our guest at the dungeon provide will be a useful lead in the investigation.
    -[X] Possible orders:
    --[X] The disappearance of yourpredecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    ---[x] Capture of predecessor can lead to taking over the Stirlandian league for purpose of spying
    ---[x] Could he be related to the vampire plots? if so then finding him is a priority.
    --[X] The Stirlandian League is a cancer eating at Stirland's economy, and it can be destroyed now that we have the ledgers.
    ---[x] The former spymaster has been acting against us. He probably still controls his spies in the league. Destroying it now would deprive of him of valuable resources, but may also destroy possible leads on his location
    --[X] I've got the budget for a proper network of informants, now it just needs building.
    --[X] Variant Writein: Drakenhof. This vampire plot to subtly take over stirland is concerning. We know there are vampires in sylvania, but who and where? And what exactly have they done in stirland so far? I could try to examine other stirland nobles for possible vampire connections, although this seems a bit of a shot in the dark. Alternatively, follow up any leads acquired from the interrogation of Stolpe.
    [X] Plan Reasonable
    -[X] Report: Stick to the facts. We very discreetly acquired Petr and Maksim von Stolpe, using the Count's authority to borrow troops. We looked at the burst of magic flooding into the mound, and reasoned our way to it coming from Drakenhof. We are starting to build a network of contacts now that we don't need to focus on tracking down the ledger.
    -[X] One-on-one report: We've bought a shack for carrying out the kind of business that is impractical to carry out in the Elector Count's castle. If you need to get hold of us while we're there, send a messenger to this innkeeper, one of our nearby agents. We'd advise the Count not to show up personally as it would be likely to draw attention.
    -[X] Possible orders:
    --[X] The disappearance of yourpredecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    --[X] The Stirlandian League is a cancer eating at Stirland's economy, and it can be destroyed now that we have the ledgers.
    ---[X] ...but you could also leave it in place so we can take it over from Wilhelm von Tarshof once we track him down.
    --[X] I've got the budget for a proper network of informants, now it just needs building.
    --[X] Variant Writein: Drakenhof. This must be investigated... at a distance. Let me do research and make inquiries among the Grey Order and in other high places.
    [X] [Options] Plan Sanity
    -[X] The disappearance of your predecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    -[X] The Stirlandian League is a gold mine of information, and it must be yours.
    -[X] The castle staff can be a great source of information and first line of defence - they should report to you.
    [X] [Execution] The Professor's actions were foolish in the extreme. He learnt nothing from being caught once, didn't appreciate his luck in being sent to a higher position still, and thought he could keep his presumably outrageous embezzling while working for a retired Witch Hunter. One should know the difference between acceptable, frowned upon and forbidden. And one should also have more good sense than a suicidal horse. He had it coming.
    [X] The disappearance of your predecessor is very concerning, especially since he's actively trying to sabotage the hunt for him. He must be found, and I've got a lead: Julbach.
    [X] Drakenhof. You almost hesitate to suggest it, but... surely this must be investigated.
    [X] Execution: While the Professor got what was coming to him, both for his crime and his stupidity, Mathilde is surprised by the casual manner in which van Hal carried it out. She'd expected a trial, or at least some kind of official statement before a formal execution, not just shooting him during the reports.
    [X] [Execution] [Shaken] The Professor's actions might have been foolish, but surely there must have been another way than a summary execution? Was I so mistaken in hoping that he'd learned his lesson the first time around? I did the right thing by informing Van Hal, but he is dead because of it...
    [X] [Options] Plan Sanity
    [X] Seriously what is up with the East Wing.
    [X] There is a risk of enemy agents infiltrating the castle staff - they must be watched.
    [X] The Stirlandian League is a cancer eating at Stirland's economy, and it must be destroyed.
    [x] react to the count intterogation results ?
    [x] I need a proper information network. Please fund me wandering around making friends.
    [x] The castle staff can be a great source of information and first line of defence - they should report to you.
    [X] [Execution] The stupid son of a .... Really? He barely escapes with his head attached once, and decides to try it again, right under the noses of a Witch Hunter, the Emperor's own spymaster and, hell, me? I'll probably feel bad later, but right now the level of stupid in evidence has me practically apoplectic.
    [x] So, Drakenfang... You'll ask around if someone knows what's up with that. Your Order may share something, as well as your teacher, and you can even inquire the imperial intelligence.
    [X] The Stirlandian League is a gold mine of information, and it must be yours.
    [X] [Execution] While the Professor got what was coming to him, both for his crime and his stupidity, Mathilde is surprised by the casual manner in which van Hal carried it out. She'd expected a trial, or at least some kind of official statement before a formal execution, not just shooting him during the reports.
    [X] Execution: While the Professor got what was coming to him, both for his crime and his stupidity, Mathilde is surprised by the casual manner in which van Hal carried it out. She'd expected a trial, or at least some kind of official statement before a formal execution, not just shooting him during the report
    [X] Report: I've got a pile of people for you!
    -[X] "Well, as you're all aware most likely, we were successful at recovering the tax ledgers, despite some interference from Drakenhof--which I might point out that we're in no condition to do much about right this second, because sneaking into a necromancer's lair when they know to be on their guard is an excellent way to end up caught in a trap, not when we still have other outstanding concerns that need to be sorted out first. Of course, it's not really all that bad, I took the liberty of riding up to Leicheburg as requested and collecting the Count there--just a little bit of disguise, some fast talking, and some conveniently timed griffon noises and I was able to slip the Count into a hay cart and make my way off with nobody being the wiser. So he's free for you to ask some pointed questions at your leisure--he's really not going anywhere anytime soon. On a related note? The Commander of Swartzhafen is a particularly patriotic fellow, and we'll have to do something nice at some point for him to repay him for his loyalty.
Click to expand...
 
[X] Plan Conjectures
[X] [Execution] Surprised and curious. While you had raised the issue of embezzlement and divided loyalties, the Count had also noted and accepted both. You want to know what did he actually do to cross the line, from the implications, he had sabotaged the army in some way for an outside party. Both for your own interests and for national interests, you want to know what the Count found.
 
BoneyM said:
The year will be 2470, in the reign of Luitpold I. ... Any events past this point are, for the purposes of this quest, non-canonical. Karl Franz is not yet born; whether the Emperor will have such a blessed son in this timeline is entirely up to the whims of the dice.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
That'll teach me to not look for myself, sorry!
 
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