You have a brief discussion with Nurgleplux, and decide that you can't afford to pass him up. He was trained personally by a former member of the Naga Empire's inquisition, a group feared for their ability to root out the truth (and to frame people if need be). He speaks solid human, ogreish, and orcish, and is properly trained for combat.
In the end, you decide on purchasing the talented War Shroom, as well as four combat ready troglodytes to back them up. The guild throws in their gear as part of the deal. Each Troglodyte comes equipped with a tiny steel dagger, a small rusty iron trident, and a well worn leather armor set. Nurgleplux is trained to wield no gear save for a nasty looking iron plated lead maul, which he carries two handed. The entire purchase sets you back 2500 Chips, and feeding these enforcers will set you back 25 Chips a Month.
Having nowhere else to send them, you instruct the guild to deliver your new men to your home. Best find a headquarters fast, as you are sure that the wife will be thrilled.
Junior refuses to speak to you on the way back; You can he is quite pissed that you didn't buy Ashveil.
...
Tridap-Point's office is a large room that you suspect might have once slept one of the members of the Swain Dynasty, but your friend has had the space heavily redecorated. The room is full of many desks at which the MP's staffers work, and one large one made of some expensive Fungal Wood at which Tridap-Point sits. The wall is decorated with framed Orcish Ink Drawings, some of which are respectful portraits of the queen and her ancestors, and others erotic drawings of common Orcish women.
When you approach his desk, the MP leads you back to a large walk-in closet, which has been converted into a lush sitting room for private meetings. You are offered, and indulge in, some expensive cheeses before getting down to business.
"Tridap, I've decided I want to start making preparations for making Valince an MP. I'm honestly here to know about the process of being accepted and how much influence does a single MP have... You know besides the fact that the title would look nice in front of pretty girls who like succesful fellows."Tridap-Point leans back and scratches his chin.
"Any office is only as powerful and influential as the person holding it brother. Ideally he'd be weaker than the Orcs but stronger than the Ogres as MP, but that is all up to him and his ambitions once we get him in..."He sighs, and plays with his hair before continuing.
"As for the process, I have a genius plan to make this work, but I need to have him look like a valid candidate before I put it into motion. He needs to publicly swear loyalty to the queen, which will greatly hurt his reputation with his own kind, so we must first build him up to be so beloved that his reputation will be able to survive even what his fellows consider to be treason."Your friend flashes that trademark toothy grin that can only mean he has some sort of cunning plan.
"All a Crisis is is an opportunity with particularly high stakes. If we can solve the food shortage, and Valiance can take most or all of the credit for doing so, we are golden. The only problem is the bill that Irrik-Kinglor and the Ogres are working on; If they solve the crisis, the opportunity is lost. I can use parliamentary tricks to delay the bill for about a month or so after they introduce it, so you have some time to come up with your own solution. You have power now Mathias, I'd like to see how you spread your wings and use it."---
Trik-Trik's office is also impressive; It has a similiar layout to Tridap-Point's, but the walls are decorated with various metal weapons, armor, and sculptures. The Orcs that run the mint are the most powerful and respected of the Anvil-Guild. They proudly boast that the Steel-Chip is the greatest currency in the world. It is made from a brittle steel folded with top secret techniques. The heavily guarded folding process makes them impossible to counterfeit, their brittle and complex nature also makes it difficult to melt them down into usable goods, which discourages destruction of currency. Trik-Trik was taken away to Slagwalls when you were 10, to learn the art of minting Chips. As those who know the technique are forbidden from leaving the city, the fact that he is here now means that something must have gone wrong.
He greets you happily enough, and like Tridap-Point leads you off to a private meeting room, where you are again fed some cheese as you catch up on old times. Apparently Trik-Trik was so personable, that the Anvil-Guild figured that locking him away would be a waste. He has spent most of the last 30 years as a traveling merchant for the guild, selling arms in the lands of the Naga Empire to the South. He is married with a son Junior's Age, and is also raising a 16 year old half-snake bastard daughter, who is a skilled venom mage. You cringe when he informs you that the girl occasionally takes assassination jobs for Cat-Mash, and is betrothed to Shark-Teeth, one of his advisers.
After bragging about your kids, you transition the topic on hand to business. You decide to open with the idea of a budget bill, and allow Trik-Trik to bring up his plan on his own.
"The reason I came over this way, aside from catching up with you of course, is that the Sheriff's office has no budget aside from what the Queen gave us to start up. I can't maintain the office for long, much less expand my operations to a respectable size, without income. Tradap-Point has suggested that your financial expertise would make you ideal to draft and spearhead a funding bill on behalf of the Sheriff's Office.""I could do that..." The MP Muses,
"but I could actually do you one better. I was actually going to get in touch with you myself soon Mathias. The Anvil Guild has authorized me to offer the Sheriff's Office funding on its behalf. I'm supposed to start at fifteen thousand chips a month, and barter from there, but since we go way back, I'll tell you the highest I'm authorized to approve is Twenty Five thousand a month, plus a startup payment of twice that. All we'd ask in return is that the Sheriff will aggressively protect guild interests in addition to whatever other duties you choose to take on.""That is tempting," you admit as you move the discussion to a crucial point,
"but I've heard you want to use me as your headsman, and execute people for carrying old currency. I'm not entirely sure that is reasonable. I'd have to slaughter the whole damn town, myself included. Not enough money has been brought into town for everybody to exchange their copper and silver at a fair rate. I'm not sure I want to be obligated to serve the Anvil Guild, especially if they are supporting silly and shortsighted policy."Trik-Trik shakes his head and bursts out laughing.
"Phahahaha! Tridap-Point tell you that? Poor dumb bastard doesn't have his facts straight. The wording in the bill I'm working on now says that the penalty for carrying illegal money is 'to be determined at the Sheriff's Digression, up to and including execution'. Sure, I'd like you to make an example or two. I'm sure there has to be somebody you want dead, right? Beyond that, the law is designed for you to exploit; If you want to be rid of somebody, and can't get em on anything else, it is easy to plant a bag of coins in their house. The guild wants the currency changed sooner rather than later, and some dumbasses up top would rather accomplish this by scaring the locals to make the exchange at an unfavorable rate than by actually sending more chips to town."He calms down, and takes a deep breath.
"If you don't want to do this, I'd be glad to help you work on a bill. Just know that the Ogres are against you getting anything at all, and some of the other MPs are opposed to spending much money on anything else until this food situation is sorted out. That said, if you agree to my proposal, and keep it quiet, we can likely get you a funding bill as well. Nothing like double-dipping."---
Vandul's office is located in a much smaller room than the two you have visited so far, and is decorated in a much more spartan fashion. He has but one aid, and his walls are adorned with only a few military battle maps. Instead of pulling you aside, he simply sends his aid away for privacy. Vandul is older than the other Orc MPs, and some of the children he had with his first wife were your friends growing up. He starts the meeting by telling stories from your early childhood that you don't even remember. He drones on so long that you eventually have to step in and bring the conversation back to business. He seems sympathetic to your budget concerns, but unwilling to throw money at them.
"Parliament has many expensive items on its plate. I'm not opposed to giving you a budget at some point, but now is not the time. What I would be willing to do, however, is make things easier until such a time at which it would be wise to fund your department. I could place twenty soldiers from Fort Summit, paid for on the Queen's dime, under your direct command, and set you up in a proper headquarters. Cat-Mash is presently working on a new mead hall for himself that is bigger than the one his father built to celebrate the conquest of Sky's Gate. The old mead hall would make a fine HQ for your department if properly converted; Cat-Mash will be loath to help you, but I could make giving you the hall my condition for signing onto that crazy bill he and the slavers guild are cooking up."After hemming and hawing over the eunuch's proposal, you bring up a more personal request.
"I also came here to ask for a favor. My eldest son dreams of fighting for the Queen on the front lines, and I think it would be good for him. I believe with the right training he could possibly be legendary and help lead our comrades to victory whereever he goes... Stop me by the way if my hopes are too high... Point is, I want to entrust him to you for tutelage and to train him to be a great general like yourself."The Queen's former consort smiles at the request.
"That is reasonable, and I, in turn, have a more personal request for you. Tat-Pallik has personally put me in charge of planning and executing weddings, birthday banquets, and burial rites for all of her kin in town. I'm looking for somebody to cater these events, and have heard tell that your in-laws used to make their living in the kitchen. If either your wife or her father would be willing to accept the title of 'Royal Chef of Sky's Gate', and the responsibilities and salary that goes with it, I'd be happy to teach your son so much about the art of war that you might mistake him for an Orc."---
You catch Oog-Paler and his staff trying to find space on his wall of many hunting trophies for the head of a particularly mean looking dire goat. When he spots you, he tells the poor pencil pushers to figure the placement out for themselves. He takes you down to the palace courtyard where he has set up a private range, and has a discussion with over some Archery Practice (after enjoying a loud laugh about your lack of shooting skill).
He waves off the budget discussion.
"Sure. I'll sign whatever for ya. I mostly just vote for whatever Tridap-Point tells me to, and I'm sure that pal of yours is in your corner on this one."He then quickly changes the topic.
"The wife and I were going to run up into the mountains to hunt in three days? Want to tag along? You can't shoot worth a damn, but you are pleasant enough company and good for a laugh with your archery. I am have one of the Ogre MPs along, Spew-Spiller, he claims to be kin to you. Know the guy?"Spew-Spiller, you recall, is the Ogre plotting with Tridap-Point against Cat-Mash. The hunt may be a good way to safely talk to him, although you might end up tipping off Oog-Paler, an MP of questionable political competence.
---
Irrik-Kinglor's office is the only one of the lot that seems to have been an actual office; It is still decorated with the purple and gold furnishings likely installed by the Swains. The MP that inhabits it was two years older than you growing up, and you idolized him. You wanted more than anything to be part of his group, and during you last year in Orcish Territory your wish began to come true. Although you never became close with him personally, he allowed you to hang in his circle and run small tasks for him. Two months before your departure, upon learning that you were not into Orcs, he arranged a meeting between yourself and Gemlore, a Drowish Kitchen Slave at his house who ended up becoming your first sweetheart. You suspect that he knew you would bond over cooking, and had known what was going to happen all along.
He starts the meeting with his typical slick smile and blunt speech that have remained unchanged throughout the years.
"Listen brother, I'll be honest, I know you are looking for help with a budget, and my hands are tied. I'm working with the Ogres on a food project, and they hate your damn guts man. I can't be seen publicly supporting you until I'm sure I get what I want out of them."His smile rises, and he rises from his seat to slap you in his back.
"Tell you what though, if you want, ol'Irrik-Kinglor will help you under the table. I know one of your lieutenants practices dark magic, and I could get some dark mages for her to command. The guild is marching a whole bunch of Brain Wasp Hell Mages through town to the front lines, and I could easily divert a handful to your service. I could even arrange them a place to stay and take care of expenses until you have proper living quarters for your mooks."The MP dosn't give you much time to consider his words before launching into more personal discussion. He presently lives with a human mistress who he just found out is carrying his halfbreed child, and his wife, who is away on the front lines, has given her blessing to the arrangement. He has two grown children, a son who was just recently accepted as one of Tat-Pallik's consorts, and a daughter who works in Tridap-Point's office. He also has a nine year old son still at home, which prompts you to bring up your twins. When you mention Little Seal is interested in bombs, Irrik-Kinglor's wide smile returns.
"Eeeeeeey man! My wife is actually the commander of a siege team, and my father-in-law is head of the corrosives and explosives department at the Royal Cheymistry Academy. If you are willing to part with her, we could send the girl to Orcish Lands and teach her how to blow things up right! They say she is going to be royalty, so it is only fitting that we give the lady some sort of education, no?" ---
Char-Pallik has the most prestigious office of all, the former throne room of King Swain. She has kept the original decoration scheme of the room, but replaced the coat of arms with that of her own family: Crossed spears impaling trout on a black background. You were introduced to her once by the queen in recent months, and each told to treat each other as brother and sister, but Tat-Pallik was utterly drunk and drugged at the time, and you had been awkwardly avoiding each other so as not to bring it up. You are quite shocked, then, when as soon as she gets you into a private meeting room, the young MP wraps you up in a huge hug and slips a piece of rolled parchment into your hands.
"My sister was right. You will be my brother, and I will be your sister. We will look out for each other and each other's families. We will never judge each other. I will swear this on the Queens Honor if you do the same."The document you have been handed is labeled 'Proposal to allow the Sky's Gate Sheriff's Office to Draw Opperating and Expansion Funds from the Cities Royal Allowance'. She must have prepared a funding bill for you, pity you don't have time to give it a proper reading before dealing with Char-Pallik's abrupt and heavy inquiry.
Mathias 'The Enforcer' Lorenz Blood-spiller:Attributes:
Great Strength
Above Average Wit
Above Average Charisma
Skills:
High Master Chef
Master of Orcish High Society Social Protocol
Accomplished at Ogre Society Social Protocol
Adept at Human High Society Social Protocol
Adept at Human Commoner Social Protocol
Adept Giant Lizard Rider
Skilled Homemaker
Skilled Teacher
Competent Mace User
Competent Horse Rider
Competent Reader
Novice Bureaucrat
Novice Interrogator
Novice Investigator
Personal Holdings:
50 Orcish Steel Chips
250 Human Silver Royals (-55 a month to maintain house)
Household Staff (Covered under household maintenance)
Small House Library
1 Large City Manor with Stables
1 Carriage
1 Chariot
1 Set of Plate Armor with Mace and Shield
4 Work Horses (Covered under household maintenance)
2 War Horses (Covered under household maintenance)
2 War Dire-Monitors (Covered under household maintenance)
Relationships in Town: You know other people, such as your mother and queen, but they wont be added here until they come into play.
Close Friends and Family
Celia Lorenz Blood-spiller - Your wife and former co-worker. Before the war, the two of you worked together at her father's restraunt. Nowadays, with the city still in relative chaos, she is afraid to leave the house, or allow her children to do so.
Diego Spatch - Your father-in-law and former boss. Diego is an older man, having started both his family and restaurant at the ripe age of 47. You have heard whispers that he was a well paid assassin in the City State of Eagleshire before that, but have never broached the subject with him. He lost almost everything, including his wife, during the Marrow-Mash regime, and is now an honored guest in your household.
Fandango Spatch - Your unambitious brother in law. Fandango draws a modest pay as your personal coach driver, which is often spent of drink and women. His lifestyle is fusterating, but he is both clever and fine company.
Mathias 'Junior' Lorenz Blood-spiller - Your eldest son, presently 11 years old. Ever since watching Tat-Pallik march into town, he has dreamed of joining her hoard as a soldier. His mother is totally against the idea.
Tat-Celia 'Little Seal' Lorenz Blood-spiller - Your only daughter and twin sister to Pedro. Presently 8 years old. The twins are trouble makers to the core, and Little Seal is the only member of your family, aside from yourself, to learn how to read Orcish. Her favorite text, to everybody's dismay, is the Orcish Army Explosives Field manual.
Pedro Lorenz Blood-spiller - Your youngest son and twin brother to Tat-Celia. Pedro spilts his time nicely between raising hell around the house with his sister, and studying the art of cooking with his parents and grandfather. His new life goal is to personally train his own chefs when he joins the nobility.
Valiance Clay - The head of the local farmers guild, who took shelter at your home during Marrow-Mash's reign as governor and as such owes you his life and the lives of his family. He knows alot about the local food supply, and the deep trouble that it is in.
Tridap-Point - An Orcish highborn childhood friend who is currently a member parliament. He is a power hunger backstabber who most people would be wise not to trust, but he also loves you as a brother and is prone to letting you in on his devious plans. He has promised to look out for both your family and the Sheriff's office.
Chir-Spade - A mixed race highborn childhood friend of elfish and orcish descent, currently married to MP Oog-Paler. She is a skilled hunter. Because you are on record as having no interest in greenskins, the respective spouses involved are okay with the pair of you spending significant amounts of time together.
Other Useful Contacts:
Oog-Paler - An Orcish member of parliament whom you have sort of known since childhood. You are good friends with his wife Chir-Spade. From what you know of Oog-Paler, he would much rather be out hunting than actual governing.
Trik-Trik - An Orcish member of parliament whom you have sort of known since childhood. Trik-Trik's father is the Orcish Master-Mint, and he has made it his personal mission to uproot all local currency and replace it with the Orcish Iron and Steel Chip.
Vandul-Tat-Pallik The Unlucky - An Orcish member of parliament whom you have sort of known since childhood. Vandul was a great general, and consort to the queen, before he was recently emasculated in battle. He seems most concerned with re-establishing the town's defense.
Irrik-Kinglor - An Orcish member of parliament whom you have sort of known since childhood. Irrik-Kinglor is a ranking member of the slaver's guild, and hopes to turn the food shortage into a surplus so he can rebuild the city with imported labor.
Char-Pallik - An Orcish member of parliament and much younger sister of the queen. She was only a baby when you left for human lands. She comes across as a bit naive, but also hungry for power and respect.
Henry Orange - A former Redsmith the de-facto leader of the embattled human commoners. He despises the occupying Orcs and Ogres, but respects you for protecting the innocent during Marrow-Mash's reign.
Sheepteeth - An ancient ogre who claims to be your uncle on dads side. He is the father of Cat-Mash's military advisor, and is sometimes willing to pass you information about the going-ons of the Ogre Court, especially if you offer payment in return.
Prisoners and Personal Employees:
Pigspine - A large and lanky Ogre-Elf Hybrid who serves as one of your household guards. He is tough as nails, and surprisingly good at finesse activities, but also heavily anti-social and treats anybody who isn't an Ogre Hybrid, with the exception of your wife and father-in-law like dirt.
'Fingers' - This loyal Goblin Guardsman's name is too long for you to pronounce, let alone memorize. Although small and unintimidating, he is a crack shot with a crossbow.
Princess Vivian Swain - The elder daughter of the late human king of Sky's Gate. Vivian spends most of her time locked in her comfy chambers without complaint, tending to her 2 year old daughter Swan, who is to marry your son Pedro once she comes of age.
Princess Skyler Swain - The younger daughter of the late human king of Sky's Gate. Skyler is to marry your son Mathias when she comes of age. Although she resents you, and mourns the slaughter of her family, she has become fast friends with your kids, especially the twins who are the same age as her and have taken to regularly breaking her out of the room to which she is usually confined.
Crown Prince Jamal Swain - The 87 Year Old senile brother of the late human king of Sky's Gate, and husband to Lady Vicky Swain. His son Terry is to marry your daughter Tat-Celia when she comes of age. Jamal himself dosn't seem to know what is going on, and has the rather unfortunate habit of mistaking your wife for his his mistress.
Lady Vicky Swain - The younger but still middle aged wife of Crown Prince Jamal. Her son Terry is to marry your daughter Tat-Celia when she comes of age. Lady Vicky is defiant, and refuses to talk to anybody save her husband and nieces.
Lord Terry Swain - A eighteen year old nephew of the late human king, who is scheduled to marry your daughter Tat-Celia once she comes of age. Terry is a skilled poet and trained knight, and is presently trying to suck up to you to earn his freedom and your favor. This behavior has driven a wedge between you and most of his remaining family.
Enemies:
Cat-Mash - The Governor King of Sky's Gate, and son of former tyrant Marrow-Mash. Cat-Mash is officially a powerless figurehead, but with a 200 strong force of Ogres at his disposal, he could easily take down parliament if he chose to do so. He also likely holds much influence over the Ogre members of parliament. He makes no secret of the fact that he resents you for protecting the local humans from his father's hunt.
Headquarters: Your personal Study
Other Holdings:
5500 (-25 a Month) Orcish Steel Chips
Notable Officers:
Sheriff Mathias 'The Enforcer' Lorenz Blood-spiller - Leader and influence peddler
Deputy Lyndra Willowbranch - Eyes and Ears
Deputy Violet Leaky - Practitioner of the Blackest Arts
Nurgleplux - A War Shroom trained to investigate, interrogate, and to fight. Great at rooting out people's true intentions
Other Officers:
Spy Ring (Unknown Number of Members. Mostly consists of human sex trade workers. Can gain intelligence on any faction or individual. Extra effective at spying on humans. Currently Spying on Cat-Mash and the Renders.)
Small Troglodyte Squad (The Sheriff's Office's first combat and patrol unit. Consists of four trident-wielding hairy little men)
Faction Relations:
The Renders - A clan of mean, bloodthirsty, and human hating Ogres. Figurehead rulers of Sky's Gate 300 Civilians and 200 Soldiers in Town. They Despise the Sheriff's office. The Sheriff's office has some intelligence on them, and is actively digging into them with a spy ring.
The Moderate Occupiers - The Orcs and Race Traitor humans who live under the protection of Parliament. They number about 1100 civilians and 400 Soldiers. Most of their military might is stationed outside of town at Fort Summit. They trust the Sheriff's office. The Sheriff's office has some intelligence on them.
Parliament - A group of appointed Orcs, Ogres, and a Race Traitor human who call the shots around Sky's Gate. They have 25 Orcish Guards looking after about 120 MPs, family, and staff members. The Sheriff's office has notable influence over them. The Sheriff's office has a great amount of intelligence on them.
The Swain Dynasty - The deposed rulers of Sky's Gate, slaughtered nearly to the last man, and revered by the common citizens. Only 6 of their number remain, of which only one is capable of combat. They are all prisoners of the Sheriff.
The Human Citizens of Sky's Gate - An Angry and oppressed population that is in no way a fan of parliament or The Renders. They are about 12000 strong with an estimated 12-50 Underground Freedom Fighters still active. The Sheriff's office has some influence over their leaders, and they hold out hope that the Sheriff will look after their interests. The Sheriff's Office has some intelligence on them.
The Elven Minority of Sky's Gate - Mostly Merchants and recent immigrants from the nearby forest retreats. They number about 600 and you have no idea how many of those are armed. They are ambivalent towards the Sheriff's office, and the Sheriff's office has no intelligence on them.
The Nativeborn Orcs of Sky's Gate - A handful of Orcs lived in town as loyal subjects before the recent siege and invasion. They now likely face opportunity and resentment from their human neighbors. They number about 300, and most of them are likely combat ready. They are ambivalent towards the Sheriff's office. The Sheriff's office has some intelligence on them.
The Dwarves of Sky's Gate - Most of the Dwarves in town fled before the invasion, but about 80 remain. The are ambivalent towards the Sheriff's office. The Sheriff's office has no intelligence on them.
The Vampires of Sky's Gate - The city is known to house a population of the blood sucking undead, and it is likely that they are using the present chaos to their advantage. The Sheriff's Office knows nothing about them beyond that.
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Topic: (TSG) Sheriff Meetings... All the Meetings (Read 9911 times)