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Author Topic: You are a Lord II  (Read 34018 times)

Alexandria

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Re: You are a Lord II
« Reply #60 on: June 14, 2013, 12:50:00 pm »

Better to crush the enemy before he has the chance to test us at all.
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The darkness was eternal, all-powerful, unchangeable.
She had stared into it for to many years, alone and unblinking, determined that it would not take her.
Now it never would.
Now she was lighting a candle.

Iituem

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Re: You are a Lord II
« Reply #61 on: June 14, 2013, 01:11:19 pm »

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Talents

Raeric: As a warrior you are naturally capable at personal Combat, but where you really excel is Command; men under your leadership are more alert and responsive to orders, train harder and fight more willingly.

Herr Edgar Gamel: You are an extremely capable Hunter and Archer, but as a result of your upbringing back in the homeland you are also a dab hand at Stewardship, or the management of assets and land.

As expected, in events such as this one or any other, assigning capable courtiers improves the chance of success for tasks.
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Let's Play Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magic Obscura! - The adventures of Jack Hunt, gentleman rogue.

No slaughtering every man, woman and child we see just to teleport to the moon.

Ghazkull

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Re: You are a Lord II
« Reply #62 on: June 14, 2013, 01:15:08 pm »

Jumping onto the table Carling grabs his badly tuned lute and start singing a Meridian War Song.

It roars a call like thunderstruck,
like clang of swords and billow's crack,
To Westernhill! To Westernhill!
Who wants to be it's Sentinel?

Dear Fatherland stay sound asleep,
dear Fatherland stay sound asleep,
Steadfast and true the Sentinels stand,
The Sentinels of Westernhill!

Through thousandfold it surges thus
and all their eyes alight with trust,
at Meridian proud, strong and tall,
holding the border far from all.

Dear Fatherland stay sound asleep,
dear Fatherland stay sound asleep,
Steadfast and true the Sentinels stand,
The Sentinels of Westernhill!

He gazes high at Herald's Home,
where Ancient Heroes long since roam ,
and vows with reddest battlelust,
Westernhill will stay with us.

Dear Fatherland stay sound asleep,
dear Fatherland stay sound asleep,
Steadfast and true the Sentinels stand,
The Sentinels of Westernhill!

And though my breath breaks at my fall
not bend nor break you shall
Dear Fatherland
when ten thousand more answer the call

Dear Fatherland stay sound asleep,
dear Fatherland stay sound asleep,
Steadfast and true the Sentinels stand,
The Sentinels of Westernhill!

The Oath is called,
The Blood is Spilled,
The Banner flies high on the Wind,
At Westernhill,
At Westernhill,
We shall stand at Westernhill!"
 


Having finished the Old War Song dealing with the Founding Hero of Meridia (Meridian), Carling bows, before continuing normally.

" I might just be a Jester but even i know of How Meridian took Westernhill from the Hillpeople. How he stood for three days before they finally took him down. He alone stood against a thousand foes and today Westernhill is considered land owned and belonging to us. I say we end what we began at Westernhill and kill every last one of them. For Meridia, for the Ancestors, for the CROWN!"

Use the Inspiring Song and My Skills as Jester to sway the king.
« Last Edit: June 14, 2013, 01:16:47 pm by Ghazkull »
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GreatWyrmGold

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Re: You are a Lord II
« Reply #63 on: June 14, 2013, 01:56:42 pm »

Better to crush the enemy before he has the chance to test us at all.
"Better to gather our strength than to attack whilst weak.

"And as for the jester...that battle is noted in song and legend because it is atypical. Even so, the victory was not as flawless as commonly imagined..."
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Ardas

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Re: You are a Lord II
« Reply #64 on: June 14, 2013, 02:19:33 pm »

While he listened to the exchange of his courtiers, the song stirred pariotic spirit in the king. (+1 favour for Ghaz)

"He path we must take is obvious. We must crush the Hillfolk and show thme that Meridia is not a meek nation but a proud kingdom.
Alexis, you shall infiltreate the western reaches and bring back news of the hillfolk forces and locations. My chief huntsman and Forester, Herr Gamel, shall accompany you as a man who knows the land and can do a lot of useful tracking and scouting.
My Commander shall begin an earnest effort in organizing militia and soldeirs, and improve the abysmal state of my army, untended to by my late father.

Now, I would like to see a volunteer for an emissary mission to the hillmen. We need to buy time before we engage them."
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kj1225

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Re: You are a Lord II
« Reply #65 on: June 14, 2013, 02:21:04 pm »

"I volunteer sir."
Kyle says raising his hand.
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escaped lurker

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Re: You are a Lord II
« Reply #66 on: June 14, 2013, 02:38:25 pm »

After hearing the first misguided notes of the Meridian Warsong the designated chief of the cookery stands as straight as possible, with the glint in his eyes telling of the emotions stirring within. Wiping some droplets out of the corner of his eyes, he bows towards the Jester after this one has ended his rousing song and argumentation.

He was about to raise his voice afterwards, but as the King started speaking he obviously dared not to do so - nor does he give the impression to still have the need afterwards, watching the events unfold in silence with the occasional approving nod being his only reaction.


(( One of the more historical relevant songs that you picked there. I very much like it. :3 ))
« Last Edit: June 14, 2013, 02:42:04 pm by escaped lurker »
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GreatWyrmGold

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Re: You are a Lord II
« Reply #67 on: June 14, 2013, 02:39:03 pm »

"I would also like to volunteer, on the grounds that I am level-headed, trustworthy, and honestly want peace."
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Shootandrun

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Re: You are a Lord II
« Reply #68 on: June 14, 2013, 03:16:03 pm »

Raeric inclined his head with a smile when the King named his part, and the smile turned into a grin as he listened to the other courtiers.

"We have a mission to send a false emissary of peace in order to buy time for a war. I agree with Master Grewie - we should send someone who is the sole witness of his trustworthiness, the sole defender of his level head, and who seeks real peace while the kingdom needs war. Truly, no other candidate is more fit to the task..."

His tone was, needless to say, heavily sarcastic.
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GreatWyrmGold

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Re: You are a Lord II
« Reply #69 on: June 14, 2013, 03:17:37 pm »

"I'm still hoping to achieve peace. Obviously, if this is a smokescreen operation I want no part of it. Evidently I made myself...unclear."
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Azthor

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Re: You are a Lord II
« Reply #70 on: June 14, 2013, 04:33:06 pm »

The Chancellor sighs heavily "Your Majesty, I am sure your courtiers are all too quick to please and make exaggeratedly grandiose assessments as to Meridia's glory, but if a war against the Hillfolk were half as feasible they claim, those very same courtiers wouldn't have pressed your father into the unfavorable peace treaty you now contend with".

He starts pacing around "You said so yourself, the army is weak and our time runs short; certainly, bolstering Meridia's military prowess should be a priority, but it will not come in time for the issue at hand (...) concessions are not an option either, for if the Hillfolk can extort Meridia out of what  is rightfully yours, so can every neighbouring Lord, lesser or greater; in the due time, not even your own vassals would respect the Crown, and rebellions would ravage the realm at large".

"Their Lord does, however, have an unmarried daughter, and but living male heir..." he waits, letting the implications sink.

 "A royal marriage would surely quell the Alving Clanlord's demands, and place their seizable lands but an unfortunate accident from your hands, something your overly eager friend  over there would be all too happy to arrange" he says, motioning towards Alexis.


Edit: corrected for accuracy with Iituem's late infodump.
« Last Edit: June 15, 2013, 12:08:33 am by Azthor »
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kj1225

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Re: You are a Lord II
« Reply #71 on: June 14, 2013, 04:36:23 pm »

"That's something only an underhanded backstabbing snake would suggest. I like it.
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Alexandria

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Re: You are a Lord II
« Reply #72 on: June 14, 2013, 04:44:35 pm »

Sniggering in mild amusement at the mage as she got up Alexis then headed for the doors the 4 other Blades of her sword forming up around her in silence as she went.

By all means join the expedition little mage but the wilds are a dangerous place... you never know when a hunter might mistake you for a pig and shoot you.

Catching the end of the chancellors speech as she left Alexis laughed quietly.

A royal marriage with those barbarians? They would likely eat our suitor and return his head, no we do this by knife and sword and remind every upstart king who covets our lands to be ware of us lest he lose his head.

Lowering her mask into place as she left the room she quickly whispered instructions to 2 of her blades who both set off in silence to gather up additional swords.

A moment later 5 more blades dressed in the same black leather armour and mask walked into the main chamber 4 of them heading for the corners while the 5th settled into Alexis's previous position and whispered quietly to the king for a moment.
All had masks lowered to make it impossible to tell who they are.

For your security my mistress has instructed me to take her place and act as her until she should return, none but my sisters and you will know that she has left.
In her stead I will also command the remaining Blades though she will take a sizable force with her.

My mistress suggest the mage be sent with her as emissary, a fool who believes in what he is saying would have a greater chance of convincing them. She also suggests that you will be safer with him away for some time.




At about the same time 10 more Blades entered the room and in unison stepped up to Raeric forming immaculate ranks with left fists to right breast in the tradition Blades salute.

By order of our mistress we are instructed to assist in the training of additional soldiers, every woman here can wield battle knives, throwing knives and the crossbow with skill surpassing that of most soldiers.
We await your orders.




Walking into the courtyard Alexis found a large group of sworn sisters standing silently fully equipped and with a single hand signal sent her 4 guards to the head of the group.
After a seconds consideration she turned and begun walking the group of other blades falling into step behind her in silence.
As she exited the gate she turned to one of the guards.

Inform the hunter and the emissary that we have begun our journey and they will need to catch up with us on the road.

Head to the western reaches with my sisters.
« Last Edit: June 14, 2013, 05:41:48 pm by Alexandria »
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The darkness was eternal, all-powerful, unchangeable.
She had stared into it for to many years, alone and unblinking, determined that it would not take her.
Now it never would.
Now she was lighting a candle.

GreatWyrmGold

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Re: You are a Lord II
« Reply #73 on: June 14, 2013, 05:24:55 pm »

"I have a bad feeling about this turn of events..."
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Iituem

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Re: You are a Lord II
« Reply #74 on: June 14, 2013, 05:48:42 pm »

Let's establish a convention from now on, to make things a little easier when doing summaries; post definite actions at the bottom of your post in bold, i.e. anything that might need a roll to determine.

For the purposes of this post, I am assuming that Alexis, Herr Gamel and the Commander begin focusing on their tasks.


Herr Gamel: (Overland Travel: 5+1-1)  You accompany Alexis and about twenty of the Blades, travelling light and in the guise of foresters.  You move quickly and despite the size of the group you are able to keep to less travelled paths and concealed bluffs and troughs, making it to the foothills Herald's Home undetected by anyone save perhaps the odd goat.  (Local Knowledge: 1+1) You are pretty certain you know the way to the largest village of the Hillfolk and confidently set out towards it.  Unfortunately, your knowledge is based on maps some forty years out of date and when you arrive at what you thought was the capital you find only ruins.

Oh, and a few angry hill raiders who were using the ruins as a base.  Whoops.

Alexis: (Combat: 6+1) The raiders are thoroughly shocked when what they assumed was a bunch of itinerant peasants turn out to all be extremely well armed.  They don't stand a chance against the Blades, and within thirty seconds all dozen of them are dead.  Unfortunately, this also means that you have nobody to interrogate.  You quietly curse your thoroughness.

The raiders, at least, did have some loot.  After a thorough search of the ruins you find a small cache of jewellery, enough wealth for one minor bribe(Weather: 3) It starts raining pretty heavily and soon the ground becomes slick with mud, making further travel difficult.

Gamel, at your insistence, tries to continue on to the hillmen capital by picking a more or less random direction.  (1+1-2) It doesn't work, and within an hour you are all hopelessly lost.  The storm picks up and your party becomes separated; about half the blades are lost in the storm.  (Later, they return to the palace rather than trying to seek you out and risk further losses.)  (1+1-1) You try to find shelter, but the downpour becomes a torrent and soon thunder rumbles across the skies.  The rain is so thick you can barely see five feet in front of you.  Before you know it, only you and Gamel are still together.

(2+1) Two days later, the pair of you arrive in the guise of travel-stained and extremely irritable foresters at a random hill village, (2) a no-name cluster of huts around a stream.  (5) Gamel manages to pass the pair of you off as hunters by trying to sell some pelts from the food you hunted in the last few days, limiting the attention you draw.

You get to work feeling your way around, (Spymastery: 2+1-1) but the village is too small to make any particularly useful contacts.  You do find a little information out, though.  For one thing, there is no hillfolk capital as such.  The hillfolk are divided into six loose clans, the most prominent of which are the Alvings.  Pretending to be seeking a better market for your furs you get very rough directions to the main Alving town, Alfjord.  With the directions it takes the pair of you about three days to reach the town.

What do you do from there?


Commander Raeric: The military of Meridia is in a terrible state.  You spend a few days going over your predecessor's records and are appalled by what you discover.

It appears that the Meridian army is a Small, Strictly Levy-Based (aside from the Blades, wardens and token palace guard, who number less than fifty together), Minimally Equipped, Undisciplined, Militia Force which only engages in Annual Training.

The only good news is that it is Cheap as Free to maintain, since service is based on feudal obligation rather than pay.  Assuming they turn up.  You aren't entirely sure about the state of Meridia's finances, but you suspect that this was all that Pelagius could actually afford.

If you want to bring Meridia's army up to scratch, you'll need to implement some very serious reforms.
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Let's Play Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magic Obscura! - The adventures of Jack Hunt, gentleman rogue.

No slaughtering every man, woman and child we see just to teleport to the moon.
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