@Tomcost: Tiv will usually give you a special order for one soul more than it would normally sell for.
2334th Year of Man, 5th Month, 7th Day:
Saturday
You turn down all the romantic offers posed by Tonsil's clique, but socialize with them for a while longer. You will have to carefully consider just how close a friendship you want to develop with these soldiers; Orcs will walk through hell or high water for friends and kin, but expect the same in return.
When Fortune tells you about her friends, you decide to indulge her. Each is given two minor curses from Tivavarav, including the soul taker, to support a blessing that each would find useful. You then ask around amoung the doomed orcs as to which form of undeath they might prefer. The scourge promptly declines your offer, noting that it is the sacred duty of Clan Ivy to feed demons, not to return as undead, and he manages to convince most of the others to take the same position. One of the enforcers, however, states that he would like to become a Wight once his options are explained to him.
While the topic of undeath is at hand, you ask Fortune what she would prefer, noting that as much as it pains you, you are strongly considering accepting her fate to make the most of it. This statement prompts a smile, and some new information, out of your daughter. "I... I'm not sure. I have time to figure that out. I'm going to live until at least my fourteenth birthday... but will die no later than my thirty-fourth. Right now my only talent is making potions, and that isn't going to be helped or hindered by any particular state of undeath... Well perhaps I could benefit from being a Chimeric Abomination with a bunch of extra arms... but I'm not sure I want to be that freaky."
Your daughter then adds that aside from her age, there are two other circumstances foreseen regarding her death. One of them is that her death will allow Tetha to perform a truly mighty miracle. The final circumstance is one you have a good deal of control over, and as such Fortune refuses to share it with you unless you promise not to interfere, but adds that if the snake experiment pays off, she wouldn't mind you trying to delay for a decade or two. You promise to think about it, and give a final answer later. If you were to share this information with Pogpugrooog, it might set her on the right path to finding more out for you.
2334th Year of Man, 5th Month, 8th Day:
Sunday
Before you leave to visit Mogpan, you send Snakeyes and Virgil, as well as ten Typhoon Swarm orcs for their protection, to check out the vault discovered by Count Gulf.
---
At Mogpan you are struck by a brilliant idea, and accept Palm's offer. As you shake her hand, you weave two curses onto the old Orc's soul. One from your father, to render her ineffective at tormenting others, and one from Yaas, to cause Peat's mother to perceive all her attempts at torture as successful ones.
---
You place your free hand ontop of Syzzik's and give it a squeeze. "Very well. The cannons are intriguing, as is your other offer," you reply while returning the merchant's grin, "you have my blessing to proceed on both fronts."
The merchant lifts your hand to his mouth to plant a kiss on it, before pulling you in to do the same to your cheek. You get up and move your chair to sit next to him, and Syzzik strokes your hair. He refuses to take things any further for the moment, noting that it would be a shame to set any further relationship or intimacy milestones in a setting as unromantic as his office.
He notes that he will take care of the cannon business, but that you have one significant choice to make on the matter. "I think I can keep this little purchase of ours quiet, but to ensure that is the case, I'm going to have to see that some serious hush money is thrown around Titan Rock. If you choose to do this, it will likely cost us a significant amount of my purchasing power, and likely a cannon or two."
He shrugs, "The current king spent some of his youth kicking around Titan Rock, and he is still fairly well connected there. If I don't invest otherwise, I'm sure he will find out what we are up to at some point. That said, by the time he does get word, it may be too late for him to organize a proper response, and even then his options are limited. The crown has no legal authority there, and my merchant ships are faster than most of his war-fleet so he'd have to get pretty damn lucky to catch them in transit. My order should completely tie up those who make artifact cannons, so if he wanted to order his own, he would have to wait until ours are done and then a year and a half on top of that."
Syzzik squeezes your shoulder, and offers another grin. "With that in mind, my love, there are benefits to letting word get out. Ambition such as mine is not uncommon in my homeland. There are plenty of people who would see a rebellious and wrathful Duchess purchasing enough firepower to hand the kingdom its rear end as an opportunity worth investing in. If you find somebody capable and trustworthy of running your affairs here by then, we could go to Titan Rock in two or three months, to drum up some support. It would be both beneficial and enjoyable."
---
You make a carefully worded and no-pressure added attempt to convince Confessor Rash to spare Scales. Rash declines, but points out the two elite rangers at Groghall who are also practicing Druids, one of whom you note ranks among the doomed soldiers that your daughter has already befriended. Your next bid is an attempt to have the Druid's execution changed from crucifixion and poison to hanging. Confessor Rash finds this acceptable, and agrees to send word to the executioners.
Next you ask that Rash's interrogators find out the logistics of both the smith's and the Koblod's operations, only to find that she has already done just that. Joss was extracting updates regarding Fortune's health and mental well being from Mason, who he controlled by threatening the soul of his late daughter, which was provided to him sealed in a ruby by one of the Prince's mercenaries. The information obtained was sent by rider across the border to Cleanriver County, and would be handed over to a soldier who would deliver it to an unknown person at Cleanriver Castle. Rash notes that the Soul of Mason's daughter was claimed from Joss' business, as were several other souls trapped in minerals by enchantment, and per tradition they will be fed to the Chieftess or one of Trance's demonic servants. She has no issue, however, allowing you to swap one the forty condemned souls for it.
The Kobolds used stealthy runners to relay messages to a man named Niles who works the counter at the largest butcher shop in Six Shrine City. You are familiar with the middle-man in question; Niles is the son of one of Sylvester's chefs, and one of Chasity's friends/pawns. He is also said to be one of Countess Charlotte Marlowe's many lovers. The Kobolds were sending back detailed reports on the movements of the people they were snooping on.
After Rash departs, Wenesday shares a thought with you. "I spotted those Kobolds tailing Gregory shortly after we got here... and didn't see any snooping around Groghall. The ones following you might be a recent development, but it is possible your daughter and her friends... they might have been involved in the mayor's business for some time before your arrival!"
You thank the Ghoul for her insight, and reassure her that she is of great value to you. You then move to track down Redding, which takes you until well past midnight.
2334th Year of Man, 5th Month, 9th Day:
Monday
Redding is found at a seedy bar on the riverbank, trying to talk down a few clearly pissed off individuals. He spots your approach, and waves you away, so you wait fifteen minutes for him to finish. When you finally talk to your son-in-law, you find the man distraught.
"Shit Maeris... Shit. Trevor Wikes is the most liked and well connected mercenary in town. The de-facto leader who settles disputes. This is very bad; Greent and I are working our asses off to talk people down, but I would not be surprised if somebody tried something stupid to spring him."
He sighs, "It gets worse than that. Trevor is my biggest business partner, my most useful contact, and one of my best friends. You remember him, right? He caused a big stir at me 'n Joy's wedding cause I let him be a groomsman even though he was lowborn. His death will break my wealth, influence, and heart. I should have just told him you were aligning with the cartel, but I knew he might do something like this; I should have known letting him find out on his own would be even worse."
"...Should I arrange for him to be brought back?"
Redding ponders the implications for a second before answering, "I'd appreciate it. It might even be necessary if the mercs get out of hand and you need to calm them down. Hell, if you can swing his whole squad, it might be a good start towards getting on their good graces again. Your name will be mud to the sellswords once the charges are read, and they find that you were aligned with Syzzik, and that Trevor is dying because he tried to put a stop to that."
You promise to get Trevor back, but inform Redding that the rest of the squad might be a bit of a stretch.
---
Early in the morning you visit the prisoners. You first inform Scales that you intend to keep your word, and will see her brought back. You explain the types of undeath available to her, and she requests ghoul, vampire if you wish to splurge. They are best at passing for mortal, and scales firmly intends to get back into business.
You then ask about her mother and sister. She wouldn't mind you helping out her dear old mum, but informs you that her sister is one of the people she thought might kill her, and that there is no love lost between them.
Next you approach Trevor, and attempt to both explain both the situation and his choices in undeath. The condemned mercenary is having none of it, however, and cuts you off by spitting in your face. He informs you that Syzzik is the most wicked man in the city, if not the kingdom, and that you are a monster for aligning with him. Mr. Wikes then defiantly declares that his plot would have been against your life instead of his if you were not kin to his friend Redding. Despite his lack of cooperation, you grab his arm and apply the ol' 'soul goes to Tivavarav' curse anyway. He will be more docile once raised, and said resurrection may be unavoidable if what Redding says is true.
You are then approached by a middle aged Blood Shaman, who informs you that he is the enchanter responsible for sealing the souls of the condemned in small cubes of lead as they are killed. He will stand at your side during the executions, so that you may point out the ones you want as they are presented. You may also step forward and stop the execution of whomever you want for your animation table. The services of this enchanter could prove to be a good windfall for you; If you have physical possession of a sealed away soul, you can send it to any demon via the summoning circle, not just the ones with soul-extraction hexes.
---
You hit the market before noon, with Caddor at your side, to purchase what you need to repair the cave. The gold is expensive, the log less so, and you can just use your currency directly to meet the silver requirement. Once the goblin confirms you are recieving fair prices on the log and gold, you pay the merchants and send for Groghall Orcs to move the goods where they need to go.
Assuming you pick up a victim for the animation table at the execution, the Cave will be ready for students come Wednesday.
---
In the center of town at noon, you are present for the reading of charges and executions. Confessor Rash is set to preside over the situation, but before she can begin, a large crowd of armed mercenaries marches into town center. They are lead by your step-grandson Greent Strongcurrent. Redding buries his face in his hands; It would seem the boy lied about helping to talk the mercenaries down.
"I command these proceedings be stopped at once!" Greent calls out at Rash. You note the wide grin on his face is eerily similar to that of cat playing with a mouse. "The rights of the condemned have been violated! These executions are unlawful!"
"Pah!" Rash snorts, "You are lucky you are not dying with them, but I wouldn't press my luck if I were you. These proceedings are not being conducted under the laws of your Kingdom, but under the laws of Clan Ivy!"
"I am well aware of that, but you made an error. It is perfectly acceptable to apply Orcish Clan Law on neutral ground," Greent admits, grin unyielding, "but when doing so, per the high common law of the Clan System itself, the law of the defendant's clan must be respected as well."
Rash's green face goes pale. You know enough about orcish legal practices to know that Greent speaks the truth. A lump forms in your stomach at the realization sets in that Redding's son may well be in a good position make a fool out of your new ally.
The boy continues, and you can tell he is clearly enjoying making one of the most feared Orcs alive squirm. "It just so happens that the Orcess Lash," he says with a gesture towards Scale's mother, "was born into clan Scarab."
He then swings his finger around, and gestures at a half-orc mercenary, one of Trevor's men. "Yussief here has two offspring born to a mother from Clan Scarab, and as a result, has been deemed kin of the clan."
You frown. Clan Scarab is an old clan, directly descended from the old Savannah Orcs. They still keep plenty of rarely used Savannah Orc laws. You wrack your brain, reviewing your impressive knowledge of the largely extinct Savannah Orc legal system, and after a few moments Greent's play dawns on you just as he joyfully explains it to an infuriated Rash.
"As it turns out, Clan Scarab has one of my very favorite laws on the books; Defendants in cases where the death sentence is a possible outcome have the right to request trial by combat!"
Pushing his way to the front of the crowd, Greent climbs onto the stage and drapes an arm across Rash's shoulders in mock affection. "You did remember to inform the condemned of this right, correct?"
For a few seconds, there is silence, and then a defeated answer of "...no."
Greent then makes a big show out of asking Scale's mother and the halfbreed mercenary if they would like to invoke their new-found right. They both hastily agree. As this is happening, you work out the kicker to Greent's scheme. To knock the boy down a peg, you decide to cut him off and explain it for him.
"Victory in trial by combat means exoneration," you inform those gathered in the most neutral tone you can muster, "and the two invoking their right to stand such a trial are accused of association with criminals, so if they are exonerated, neither Scales nor Mr. Wikes can be considered criminals either. What the boy proposes is two duels to judge the lives of forty one defendants."
"Our wise Duchess speaks the truth!" Greent explains, before sauntering over and whispering into your ear, "but that isn't even the best part, mum."
"Both defendants will require champions. The Orc is old, and the halfbreed cannot be considered a fair match for the caliber of fighter that might be sent to represent his guilt. Both defendants have ties to the mercenary community, and said community has elected both myself, and my father Redding Strongcurrent, to select champions from among their ranks."
He then swivels, points a finger at you, and drops a bombshell with a mighty smirk. "Both defendants stand accused of wronging your cause, m'lady, therefore the role of selecting the fighters who shall represent justice falls to Duchess Maeris Riverland."
Your skin clams up and turns pale. You don't know if Greent is an agent of Chasity and the Prince, wants more power for his father and Joy, or meerly wants to save his mercenary friends and spite you for siding with the cartel, but he has just put you in one hell of a pickle. If the fighters you choose lose, you and Clan Ivy will both look weak, while Redding, Greent, and their mercenaries will look strong. Regardless of the outcome of the fights, your step-grandson will have driven a wedge between you and the local mercenary community by putting you in charge of picking their foes.
Turning to Redding, you note a look in his eyes that mixes both pride and terror. He has to know what is at stake, but with the life of his friend and power for himself hanging in the balance, there is a very strong possibility that he might throw his lot in with his son.
After a few minutes of chaos, Rash manages to regain control of the event. After a bit of back and forth it is determined that the duels will be fought on Friday, which is a feast day of an Orcish god of justice. They will be fought to the death (or destruction in case of non-living champions), and the fighters may use any gear and spells of their choosing. Satisfied, Redding's son and his mob leave, and Rash reads the charges and sentences for the prisoners not granted a reprieve by Greent, before beginning the executions.
The enchanter notes that you are still entitled to forty souls, and that you may claim them all now, or gamble and save some for the prisoners who may or may not be executed Friday.
---
The afternoon is spent going over your options for the upcoming Duels, and you quickly find that many are willing to step up on the behalf of your cause.
Glen Horton informs you that he is willing to fight to determine the fate of the mercenaries, but not the druids. His explanation is flimsy, and you are rather confident he simply wishes to spite Redding.
Peat sends word that he is offering his strongest goon, a frightening seven and a half footer simply named Kill who fights with both an axe and powerful fire magic.
Dublin Kinkaid expresses an interest in fighting for you. He would be a very good pick if the mercenaries send a divine caster, undead, or demon to fight him, but is otherwise a mediocre pick at best. Dublin notes that he could also send riders after his mother, who just left this morning, as Charlie might be willing to participate... or offer insight.
You have your own demons and undead to choose from, some of whom are quite dangerous. Should such a champion bring you victory, the win would speak more directly to your strength. The mercenaries may anticipate such a foe, however, and send inquisitors.
Tonsil tells you fighting would be a win-win for him; He could either defend the cause of his friend and kin, or die gloriously. He adds that the other members of his clique would be willing to take up arms as well, but only if he was the other fighter.
All the Groghall Soldiers, as well as the two officers, are at your disposal. Tuft notes, however, that since Redding is their charge as well, any of them not picked by you could potentially be fighting on the other side.
Syzzik would love nothing more than to use one of his powder weapons to defend your honor and be rid of 'that rotten bastard Wikes' in one fell swoop, and you don't even think your lover knows Wikes is on trial for trying to have him killed yet! Syzzik is savvy enough to know that flaunting your connect with him and the cartel might not be in your best interests, so he offers more subtle aid as well; Potions to pump up your champions before the fight.
Gregory sends word that he can send some of his stronger guardsmen to fight for you, and also offers to coerce some of the more dangerous mercenaries into not taking up arms for Greent.
As you fret over the issue, a plan 'b' begins to float around in your mind. You might be able to get Clan Ivy to hand their remaining prisoners over to the justice system of Redleaf Duchy, which consists of you (or one of your representatives) serving as judge, jury, and prosecution. Confessor Rash knows she has alot to lose should the trial by combat not go her way, but the final decision falls to High Shaman Crank, and you are not entirely comfortable negotiating with the mad-orc on such a sensitive issue.
---
Your problems continue to pile up over dinner, when thirty armed Orcs invite themselves into Groghall. Their leader introduces himself as Chieftain Half-Moon, and calmly explains that he caught ten orcs under your control, along with two human priests, running a salvage operation on his land. He demands a 33% cut of the vault's contents as ransom for the prisoners, and another 33% cut to legally obtain the right to open the vault, which is on his property.
The first thought that pops into your head is one of admiration for Chieftain Half-Moon's guts. Clan Half-Moon is one of several culturally rich yet tiny clans that make their home just across the river, in the ruins of the old South Bank neighborhood. You control the city guard, and marginally control Clan Ivy's forces in town, while this Orc's twenty nine followers likely represent at least half of his clan's military might. He is technically in the right, from the perspective of Orcish Law (you had figured if any of the ruins clans cared enough about what Virgil was up to, they would have harassed or captured him on his first visit), but he has no real means of imposing his will against your might. You even doubt any of the prisoners are in danger, it would be the death of his clan to piss of Clan Gruel by harming its warriors or guests.
He re-iterates his demand with confidence, even as you follow his eyes as they count your forces in the room. The Orcs of Groghall match his thirty warriors with thirty of their own present, and Tonsil's dangerous clique, as well as six other Elite Rangers from Clan Ivy, are dining with you tonight.
Whelp. That happened. Next turn will last until Wednesday, when the classrooms become available. If I don't see any objections, the alternate days class schedule starts then. Don't forget to decide which souls to claim from the executions, and how many you wish to hold back in case the Druids or Mercs die Friday.
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Topic: (SG) The Redleaf Epic (Formerly Widow: A Duchess Scorned) (Read 66294 times)