In Divided Loyalties the City-Father of Tylos is Khsar and it has been definitively established that Khsar is a distinct divinity. When Rosamund visited Little Nehekhara Khsar was divinely summoned so I'm not sure Divided Loyalties canon applies. Xholankha is a separate figure -- they're not the City-Father or Khsar or built by the dwarves.
Thank you, for claryfication. Makes sense thou. Not only is he a priest of Death God, they do actually have aritual called the 'dooming'. esentially they withnes thei own death and embrace it as connection to their god.
Any boons from that or only a mark on soul.
I do love he he turned out to be a man of Duty to the bone. before even the Deity he swor his duty to.
fun refrence, there is this series called "The Unexpectables" they had a very similar deity there. funny that, his name I think was Hoeth.
I mean, going out denying power to the Great Horned Rat by killing a bunch of priests and their gods as well as yourself in a murder suicide of mythological proportion is anti-hero work. It's accepting that you've lost and choosing spite over victory.
It's evil adjacent (actually my favorite bad guy ends tend to be the spiteful ones.)
But yeah Xenos is very much a warhammer hero, like he acept brides, we cut the link of nechoco only because we were force to it since his redditus sword was so damn good at hiding us from god intervention and at some level, Xeno didnt really want to destroy Tylos.
Good guy? sure, goody two shoes? no. but that is the name of the game
A wan ray of light falls in your cell. It's late. It was late when you fell asleep. How long has it been? You try to get up, and feel your muscles scream, rusty with disuse. Your rise turns into a fall; you slip out of your bed on to the cool solid ground.
After an eternity of dream-stuff hard reality has never been such a pleasure.
You pull yourself up, after a while. You wonder where everyone is. You stumble, shaking with effort, through the Roost, the lower levels. Past the rooms of your freedmen recruits, and their little reflecting pool for their drowned god. Past the chamber of the Melodii who have bedecked their walls in spirit tags, a thousand papers fluttering in a non-existent wind. Past Iefyr's where the black onyx eyes of the marble bust Ereth Khial follow you across the room. Past Marvin's little storage closet for his endless jars of honey, and the shelf where Rosamunde is keeping souvenirs from her wanders. Past where Ambrose slept, dusty and untouched; past the smallest room, that Pelops chose with a little model chariot.
Your feel for a second, your unease rise, as you wander like a ghost through empty halls.
But you have faith.
And as you finally ascend the sloping rise, towards the portal, you hear chanting.
In the garden, among the black roses, your clergy is in prayer. Joining hands in a grand circle, the recite 3:1 of the Book of Doors.
You listen.
"The Raven flew against the wind
To deliver his message true.
Past waste and ruin to where the tree grew,
Where waited Lord Morr the Kind.
He'd seen his fate, he was not blind
To the Thirteen Tolls of the Bell.
But if the price of faith was hell,
He'd pay it twice; for all things fall.
The Good Harvestman calls to all.
All the earth for a fond farewell."
Tears prick at your eyes, as they end. Pelops is the first to spot you, eyes wide, and gives a shout of delight.
He runs, and embraces you, only to start immediately apologizing as his weight on your makes your knees buckle, and you nearly fall.
"You're well, My Raven, My Raven – oh; sorry, sorry, forgive me – I just am so glad; oh!"
And he's crying, and you've being embraced by your fellows, and you are awash in a tide of cheer.
You know your past. You know your present. You know your future.
At the Roost, where the dead are put the rest, you Xenophon, who are doomed to die feel, for first time since you came home you are at – finally – at peace.
The Headlines
Article:
DIVINE SALVATION – Let us raise our hands in thanks for the intervention of Xenophon, Chosen of Morr, and Ambrose, elect of Tyleus Liberator for defeating those forces of the Tempter that dared sully our most holy and sacred home…
Article:
NOTICE OF SUIT – the Representatives of the Estate of Morganis Barbarian contact the individual known as "Xenophon" of the Roost informing him that action will be taken against him for damages caused by negligence, assault, and sundry other torts due to his actions at the Casino at the House of Tyleus…
Article:
VICTORY IN BROTHERHOOD– The damnable Elgi have been visited the first of what is sure to be many defeats by the local regiment "the Sons of Stone", ambushing a reaver raid against a fuel station of Barak Varr…
Article:
NINE DEMANDS – Having been faced by laconism from the tremulous authorities of the polity known as "Tylos-Kavzar", the Phoenix Throne hereby makes public its intent to impose BLOCKADE on the aforementioned peoples/entity until the following acts are performed forthwith: 1. Immediate retreat of all forces, individuals, etc. in a hundred leagues of Athel Maraya…
Article:
THIRD LUMINOUS TRIAL – All things burn, and as they do, glow. Through the flame, there is light. And light is truth. Come see truth burnt into reality. Witness the Third Test between Luminaries Angelus and Floridus…
Article:
FOOD PRICES SKYROCKET - For the third straight month, food prices continue to rise, this week alone the price of bread increasing an eye-popping 13%. Analysts blame speculation…
Article:
MISSING – Parlenius Patrocline of the Lodge of the Harvest Moon, last seen…
Article:
MISSING - Master Cyrilius of the Cleansing Flame, last seen…
Article:
MARTYRS SCREAM – All good and righteous men! Let not black despair cool your righteous, boiling rage! The workingmen of this city will have justice and will have it soon. You know the signal. Vengeance Will Be Had…
Article:
AGAINST "UNIONS" – That certain criminal individuals are allowed to form consortiums to illegally restrict trade and harass foreign citizens would not be tolerated in any just city. I thus suggest the immediate dismantlement of these thuggish leagues, by force if…
Article:
A BOLT FROM THE BLUE - The Lightning is on a seventeen-match winning streak in the coliseum, the people's champion; slaying aristocratic pamperer, elvish fanny, and terrible beast alike…
Article:
CHECKING IN – Hope you're well. Any progress on spear? Busy with fucking Elves. Hope to hear soon. Must introduce you to a new old friend.
TURN 7- the Kalends of Tylesia
A turn is one week, or eight days. You can pick up to five [5] actions. Ordinary Acts are a guaranteed success, risky ones are fifty-fifty for a positive or negative result, and Ventures open interludes. Actions tagged with an (S) mean League of Salvation requests and are taken with a discount; two only take up one action slot, though taking one will still cost the whole slot. Actions with write-ins can be taken several times, albeit with different write-ins.
FOLLOWERS
Followers are characters willing to assist you on your quest. They offer you particular advantages on each turn, from performing certain acts for you, to making others less risky. A stalker does the reverse. Assign a follower by putting their initial in brackets after the action in question. For example:
[x] Explore a district (Thunderdome) [A]
You have four followers, Pelops [P], Rosamunde [R], and Mervin [M], and Zaki [Z]
Pelops' Bonus: You can assign Pelops to one Risky act or Venture each turn. So chosen, he will allow you to reroll once if you fail on your initial attempt at that Act (or on up to three rolls in a Venture) as he and Last Rest protect you from harm. However, do be aware that he may be affected by the negative effects of a failed roll.
Rosamunde's Bonus: Rosamunde can be assigned to one extra action a turn, but that action is required to be [-] Explore a District. She may also attempt to steal a known object as free RISKY act; if chosen, please put the item as a subvote under the [-] Explore action.
Mervin's Bonus: All investigation actions involving the nobility are automatic successes (characters with the title "Lord" or "Lady". Please put an [M] on such acts.
Zaki''s "Bonus": He'll make sure you keep your oaths.
MILITA AND RIOT ACTS
"Riot Acts", are a new category of action allowing Xenophon to affect the Cities through directing a copious amount of street violence. All "Riot Acts" are risky; however, they do not take up Xenophon's action count. Instead, they are selected from a special category listed below. You have as many Riot Acts as you have militia followers, of which you currently have 2, the Ludens(L) and Emir Aklan's Carpet Corps (E). You must assign each to a single action.
THE LUDENS' BONUS: Owing to their celebrity, especially among the lower classes and freedmen, any Riot Acts undertaken by the Ludens will have significantly reduced (if any) consequences for public opinion.
THE CARPET CORPS' BONUS: The greater mobility of flying carpets means that when a failed flip would otherwise mean the militia would be injured, they instead escape to safety, though the action regardless fails.
ORDINARY ACTS
[-] Explore a district (write-in: Thunderdome, the Pall, Elftown, Little Khemri, the Brass Quarter, Circus, Temple, Cloisters, Casbah, the Shambles).
It's been a while. Better to get the lay of the land.
Morr is not a jealous god. Will his divine family be any help?
[-] Research dreams and portents.
These cities are lousy with libraries. See if you can identify any of the symbology.
[-] Hire more security.
No army has every complained for a surplus of manpower.
[-] Interrogate Her-Ben
If you've got to deal with an insane Liche-Priest in your basement, you better get something out of it.
[-] Send people out. (Write-in: who? (can be specific names or a class (ex. "orphans"))
Offer a permanent vacation.
[-] Amass supplies.
You don't know which way the wind is blowing. But a good number of rations in the Roost would make you feel a lot better.
[-] Write to the Princeps.
He's expecting … something from you, Gods knows what, or what he knows. And who's this friend?
[-] Hire lawyers.
Apparently, the mess at the Casino left some people angry. Hire some people to talk to their people to see what they really want.
[-] Enroll as a political partisan (write-in: Reds or Whites)
You hate this. But you might need connections, and how better than door-to-door?
[-] Research foreign affairs.
The war in the north is getting hot.
[-] Look for a holy artefact.
If this is bad as the dreams seem to be, you'd feel better with some trinket. You can afford to be superstitious, you're a priest of the God of Portents.
[-] Study the Spear
There's got to be records, right?
[-] Research foreign affairs.
The war in the north is getting hot.
[-] Write to Arkhan.
A long shot. Probably not the same man. But you can return the papers, and ask for another secret in thanks?
[-] Establish a dwarven tomb.
The Gazulites have no home in the Cities. Make one at the Roost.
[-] Go to the gladiatorial games and bet on them.
All your chips on the son of the endless sky.
[-] Sell warpstone. (incompatible with ACTS: [-] Build a warpstone bomb, Sell warpstone)
Lose the evil rocks, gain a small fortune. Win-win?
[-] Secure a weapon.
Your sword is slag and shadow in your room. You need another blade.
[-] Pray.
O last friend, our lover true / might we know our way to you?
RISKY ACTS
[-] Find another priest (Write-in: Ranald, Verena, Myrmidia, Ahalt, Shallya, Tyleus, Manann, Ishernos, Medhe, Cailledh, Margileo, Skavor, Nekeharan Gods, write-in.) (can be taken multiple times).
The Princeps needs Thirteen. Secure one.
[-] Study the Curse of the Sons.
An ancient crime born by blood. Can you grant forgiveness?
[-] Study warpstone. (incompatible with ACTS: [-] Build a warpstone Bomb, Sell warpstone)
For something inherently evil, there's a lot of books about it.
[-] Build a warpstone bomb. (incompatible with ACTS: [-] Study warpstone, Sell warpstone)
A little spark of magic, and you've lost a city block.
[-] Offer prophecies.
If Thunderdome is indisposed, you are potentially the only source of portents in all the Twin Cities. Capitalize on that.
[-] Reveal the truth. (Write-in: who?)
You've got the scope of the nightmare. Tell somebody, and maybe they'll lend a hand.
[-] Toy with the Spear
It's your patron's daughter's gift. It's probably safe. Touch it and see what happens.
[-] Talk to Master Phalaris
Engineer Superior and representative to the Spring for the Lodge of the Harvest Moon, Phalaris desperately requests your attendance at the Spring for a "critical technical juncture".
[-] Investigate somebody. (Write-in: who?)
You always need more answers.
[-] Reveal the truth. (Write-in: who?)
You've got the scope of the nightmare. Tell somebody, and maybe they'll lend a hand.
Cool^^, thanks for the update. As usual, too many things to do, so little time
Do we want to try solving the Curse of Stone of the Sons of Skavor? So we will have something when Turn 8 arrives, to hopefully allow us to redirect their Big Destructive Plan for the door to the Dwarven afterlife.
[] Plan: Dwarves, Gods and Elves
- [-] Study the Curse of the Sons [P]
- [-] Write to Arkhan.
- [-] Practice soul magic.
- [-] Study the Spear
- [-] Establish a dwarven tomb.
- [-] Explore a district: Elftown. [R]
Reasoning: Actions 1 to 3 are to understand the Curse put upon the Sons of Skavor. At least we will know how it works, and possibly ideas on how to solve it via either 2 or 3.
Action 4 is because the Princeps comes a'calling. We must do a bit of homework in case he returns early. If he does not, we will write to him later, as we have more pressing issues.
Action 5 can be changed (for instance, to Interrogate Her-Ben): I have no idea how much necessary it is to establish a tomb of Gazul for our aim to cure the Skavorites.
Action 6, to Rosamunde, is due to the small fact that Elftown is going to explode. This turn I would gather information, the next turn we decide how to wade into the fray.
If things go bad and Elftown is in flames, we'll, I expect Rosamunde to at least get us some scavenged items.
The other priority, as I see it, is the impending famine. Remember that one of the greatest factors in the classic tale of the Fall is the hunger devastating Tylos (and Kavzar). I expect we may have to buy supplies + distribute aid + reinforce the Roost next turn.
Alternatively, we may decide to start those evacuations in earnest.
I do not see as necessary to go meet Floridus again. We kicked Necoho out of ourselves, I don't think he will be the new divinity of the whole city. For now have better uses of our time than removing that pest.
I do not see as necessary to go meet Floridus again. We kicked Necoho out of ourselves, I don't think he will be the new divinity of the whole city. For now have better uses of our time than removing that pest.
I don't think Floridus counts as a Necohoan. He's piloted by a Tzeentchian Daemon, after all, and I believe was referring to Necoho as his failed associate. And also is actively building an army.
The Madman actually left the city to go deal with off-brand Boudica and her elf-backed rebellion. Well, backed as in they said they'd help and did barely anything. We have the opportunity to get so much shit done that he can't see. But we will have to cover our tracks, or else get much better at sneaking around once he gets back.
Normally I'd say start tackling that Anti-populism movement, but we're never going to get another chance like this to fuck with the highest level shit.
Normally I'd say start tackling that Anti-populism movement, but we're never going to get another chance like this to fuck with the highest level shit.
Uhm... so you want to try Study the Spear + Toy with the Spear? After all, the 5th action in my plan (build a Gazulite tomb) can absolutely be postponed...
The only thing I do not like is that we can't have Pelops on both Study the Curse of the Sons and Toy with the Spear. It may be opportune to have him on the second...
Uhm... so you want to try Study the Spear + Toy with the Spear? After all, the 5th action in my plan (build a Gazulite tomb) can absolutely be postponed...
The only thing I do not like is that we can't have Pelops on both Study the Curse of the Sons and Toy with the Spear. It may be opportune to have him on the second...
I really don't vote. My work keeps me too busy to campaign and I'm comfortable in my niche of being a gibbering lunatic. But if you do want my two cents: I'm very opposed to poking the spear, that's a key part of the bomb which is the future Skaven god, and it's a fundamental fact that was meant to remain un-despoiled by man. I mean more like figuring out more about the other mechanisms of this god-devouring scheme, finding out more about the key players in getting the Princeps' dark dream to materialize. We got nearly blindsided by one of the key conspirators being a damn Dragon.
We know the Princepts is seducing the divine avatar of his God-Mom and by extension undermining the Reds, Odo is currently enthralled by more Chaos, what's left of the free people are about to be undermined by an agent and left to the mercy of the nationalist-racist mobs, that damned Nehekaran lackey is gunning for us as ingredients...
The priests. Yeah, that's my recommendation, something chasing down our existing divine/priest plotlines. If not Her-Ben and fidning out more about the Nehekaran connection, then making contacts with the rest of the Tylos divine family. The Princepts has seemingly subordinated most of the cults, but with his iconoclasm he's bound to have made some enemies. And if we can just find one good person, we can tell them to get the hell out of here.
Ok, so let's have a couple of more plans: one that handles the big events in Elftown, and another that trades writing off Elftown as a loss in order to secure the Roost and feed the people.
[] Plan Big Trouble in Little Elftown
- [-] Study the Curse of the Sons [P] //because we have to do something in that direction, due to [Z] being with us
- [-] Interrogate Her-Ben // a Nehekharan wants to make us part of the Banquet. We must know more to defend ourselves. Remember, we are a juicy agent of the divine too. And maybe he knows something about souls and death
- [-] Hire lawyers. // Why is someone trying to get us imprisoned? We cannot waste time on trials and restrictions when we have to complete the Great Work. Defuse this before it explodes in our face
- [-] Defend Elftown. [L] // Someone has decided to exterminate the Elven presence in town, both Asur and Druchii. Maybe because their magic could be helpful to our aims? Let the Gladiators defuse the situation...
- [-] Assault Druchii. (S) [E] // ...while we send our flying-carpet police to apprehend the real culprits and prevent them from being used destructively again.
- [-] Reveal Melissa's treachery (S) //Bye, Melissa. You fall due to the tyranny of action economy^^.
- [-] Explore a district: Elftown [R] //because having Rosamunde as our agent in incognito synergyzes wonderfully with the rest
Alternatively,
[] Plan Our people, our base
- [-] Study the Curse of the Sons [P] //because we have to do something in that direction, due to [Z] being with us
- [-] Interrogate Her-Ben // a Nehekharan wants to make us part of the Banquet. We must know more to defend ourselves. Remember, we are a juicy agent of the divine too. And maybe he knows something about souls and death
- [-] Amass supplies. // Gather food...
- [-] Give aid: the Shambles // to distribute it to the people...
- [-] Secure the Roost.[L] // while we are safe and no Nehekharan snatchers can get to us. It's good to secure the food storage, too.
- [-] Explore a district: the Shambles [R] //we will know every nook and cranny of our home quarter. We are going to have a real base, for once.
Like this one more. Supplies and food giving thou... can we do something like a small exodus instead? like move them out of the bast zone and reduce the number of non-combatants we need to worry about...
"Riot Acts", are a new category of action allowing Xenophon to affect the Cities through directing a copious amount of street violence. All "Riot Acts" are risky; however, they do not take up Xenophon's action count. Instead, they are selected from a special category listed below. You have as many Riot Acts as you have militia followers, of which you currently have 2, the Ludens(L) and Emir Aklan's Carpet Corps (E). You must assign each to a single action.
If I'm reading this correctly Riot acts are essentially free actions. So, providing my math and understanding is correct, we have a either 8 or 9 actions.
Five standard, one extra if we take two League of Salvation actions (not actually sure how that works with the riot acts; can we get some clarification there @Graf Tzarogy?), Rosamunde's Bizarre Adventure giving one, and the two riot acts.
Anyway, here's my plan.
[] Plan: Seer's Knowledge
-[] Secure a weapon.
-[] Interrogate Her-Ben
-[] Study the Curse of the Sons. [P] [Z]
-[] Attend the Third Luminous Trial.
-[] Host an extremely illegal campaign event. (S)
-[] Explore a district: Elftown [R]
-[] Defend Elftown. [E]
-[] Secure the Shambles. [L]
So I'm suggesting the Weapon and Her-Ben for the ordinary acts. We need a replacement weapon since with broke our reddit-sword, and we know from the visions that we've got a Nehekharan mad man interested in us so we're now on a timer.
Study the Curse of the Sons is on with Pelops assisting. It'd be a waste of the deal we made if we didn't at least try and get it solved.
We know the Daemon possessing Floridus is up to no good now, he's possibly in League with Necoho, and has some ties with Tzeentch
He looked at himself in the mirror, and for a moment saw his old form; feathered and beaked, eyed staff in hand. For a God devoted to change, his old patron did have a ironically strict aesthetic.
So I want to do what we can to get a handle on this mystery daemon.
I was thinking of revealing Melissa's treachery and pairing it with the extremely illegal campaign event, but I decided to hold off on that. I'm still going to help Gregorios, someone's got a plot that involves making him look bad, so helping him is the simplest way to work to foil that. Hopefully whoever it is overplays their hand.
For the riot acts, I'm going to push for defending Elftown with the Arabyans as the magic carpets should hopefully give them an advantage in defending the area, and sending the Ludens to protect the Shambles.
Five standard, one extra if we take two League of Salvation actions (not actually sure how that works with the riot acts; can we get some clarification there @Graf Tzarogy?), Rosamunde's Bizarre Adventure giving one, and the two riot acts.
Riot Acts associated with the League of Salvation will allow the taking of another League of Salvation action in another category as "sharing" that action slot without using any additional action points - your interpretation is correct.
Like this one more. Supplies and food giving thou... can we do something like a small exodus instead? like move them out of the bast zone and reduce the number of non-combatants we need to worry about...