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##vote 1. plan Wentley 2. C Combine Crick and Anastasi's plans. Make Crick's the primary, but assassin support by taking out key personnel, namely officers and magic users who would be huge problems if things go to poo poo.
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Feb 26, 2016 17:05
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I like Crik's style. ##vote 1. plan Wentley 2. C
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Feb 26, 2016 19:58
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That's a pretty good idea; adding my support. ##vote 1. A; Plan Wentley
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Feb 26, 2016 20:09
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Actually, if the walled portions of the city only hold the rich and the opulent, and the serfs and such live outside, why don't we just siege the place? The servile classes probably do not hold their masters in high regard, at least if that fluff-book is to be trusted. So I say that we at least probe the feasibility of the siege plan. ##vote 1. plan Theantero 2. C Theantero fucked around with this message at 20:40 on Feb 26, 2016 |
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Feb 26, 2016 20:34
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^^^ DAMNIT MAN So I was reading through this and noticed something. Anabas is a city of decadence and luxury, right? Its rulers are used to the high life, presumably depend heavily on imports? And notably, they do NOT allow the poor and the servants and whatnot to shelter within its walls. Only the elite are allowed in. It strikes me that if you get the commoners living outside on your side, possibly by promising them either a share of the plunder or better yet the right to live within the city proper permanently, you'd get a set of farmers, valuable intel on the city's layout and defenses, fanatically desperate light auxiliary troops, AND more or less cut away all the people who maintain the actual infrastructure of the city. Set up a blockade with the warbot to boot, and the elites inside, unused to hardship, are going to be VERY miserable folks, and amenable to negotiations or other trickery, like convincing one noble to turn on the others. Perhaps it might even be possible to starve them out entirely. Something to think about.
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Feb 26, 2016 20:40
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Ooh, and while we're laying siege we can occasionally squirrel raiding groups in to despoil what supplies they have and make them paranoid! I like this idea. ...I wonder how much of their defensive military is genuinely "the elite"? Might be able to make some friends there. e: Instead of cutting off their food shipments at first, we could let some in with a subtle poison, perhaps arranged by our creepier mage friend! Ralith fucked around with this message at 21:19 on Feb 26, 2016 |
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Feb 26, 2016 21:04
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Also note: The Warbot isn't actually at the walls yet - even if they see us they might think we're just passing by. Therefore it could be possible to send in infiltration groups while they're still off-guard for all sorts of fun plots - rabble-rousing, intel, sabotage, mass-poisoning, etc. Heck, come to that, they still think we have their precious prince, don't they? That could be something that might be parlayed into a ploy of some kind.
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Feb 26, 2016 21:20
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##Vote 1. C;B;A 2. C;D;B Avoid excess casualties, avoid unnecessary damage to our loot.
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Feb 26, 2016 21:28
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“As always, my Talons, your input is deeply appreciated,” you say. “Kudos especially to Crik for actually having a plan that could work this time.” “Vision, Vic.” “I'm actually leaning towards it,” you say. “With some elements of Anastasi’s in the mix.” Zaphidor deflates some. “Aw.” “Zaphy don't fret,” you say. “There is always room for explosions and decapitation somewhere along the line. Like am I me or am I me?” “You you, boo.” “True true, boo.” You rub your chin. “Though if we're going to play it by subterfuge like Crik says we might be able to push it further. What do you all think of a siege situation?” “Whoa. Sieges? Crik don't do sieges,” Crik says. “Sieges are boring.” “They are if your enemies are used to eating dogs and burning their poo poo for fuel,” you say. “The good people of Anabas might just give in as soon as they can't get their daily wine bath in the mornings. I think we need someone with an economic mind and a pussy’s perspective on this.” “If you bring that toad Sketter into this meeting I'm gonna plotz,” Zaphidor says.  “My queen, my Talons.” Sketter bows low and a loose sheaf of paper spills from his book. “To be invited to a Crown Meeting is an incalculable honor.” “I'm gonna plotz,” Zaphidor says. “Those the stats I asked for?” You nudge the pile of parchment on the floor with your boot. “Indeed. Indeed.” Sketter scrabbles to gather them back up. “Ahem. On the readiness of Anabas to siege. Ehrn: the noblemen of Anabas, aware of their unpopularity and dependence upon the citizenry, have, in addition to heavy investments in psychologically and physically intimidating peacekeepers, ensured an inordinately generous stockpile of luxury and food items be kept within the walls. Food production and storage is kept zealously inside the walls themselves; the majority of provisions produced by the lower classes are immediately seized as taxation by the Anabas elite, and sparingly redistributed. As such I now present an estimation of the Anabasian stockpiles. ITEM: five hundred gallons of perfume, lavender. ITEM: five hundred gallons of perfume, vanilla extract. ITEM:” “How long can they hold out, Sketter, please?” you interrupt. “Ah.” Sketter leafs through about five pages of small-font lists. “Forty five days of customary excess, or seven months of siege conditions. I predict a final number roughly halfway between. Early in the siege they will likely send out a large contingent of their forces to attempt a counterattack. When that fails they will batten down their proverbial hatches.” “That's like four months,” Crik says. “I'll die of boredom before they die of starvation. We have the stuff to take this place out tonight. Why wait?” “There is middle ground.” Anastasi puts a hand on his shoulder. “Do not cry.” Crik shakes her hand off. “Who said anything about crying?” “I did. Do not, please.” “Let me run a few plans by you, Sketter.” You sit on the parapet. “Going for the peasants. Turning them on their masters and having them fight for us.” “Possible. Possible.” Sketter sucks air through his teeth. “Their losses would be quite great. Dispiritingly so. And they would do nothing to shorten the siege.” “Well their bodies is trash,” Zaphidor says, “but we could pick their brains. Servants gotta have floor plans, inside scoops, access to noble homes. Kinda thing. Give Anastasi that lowdown.” “But any lurking loyalists we approach and our element of surprise is destroyed,” Anastasi says. “What about periodic raiding groups? To despoil their food?” “Well. Well. Perhaps.” Sketter sucks his teeth again. “But I am inclined to think that our tactic of winch-entry will work very few times before they become aware of it; and I cannot see any other method of entry. If we were to enter the city our resources would be far better spent on bringing the wall down. Their overconfidence in its protective enchantment is their single greatest weakness.” “What if we have Strix poison the incoming supplies?” you ask. “Hmmmm.” More tooth sucking. You wince. “Perhaps. Perhaps. The reprisals toward the peasantry would be swift and merciless. The Anabasi elite prefer decimation in this case.” He squints at his papers. “Ah, that is, literal decimation. Villages brought into file and every tenth man, woman, or child beheaded or crushed to death under an Automaton’s foot in full view of the survivors.” “Queefing Quist,” Crik says. “These guys are stupid evil.” “Still.” Sketter looks brightly up from his papers. “It would throw the Nobility into admirable disrepair, and the blame would be laid on the peasantry rather than us. And the roaming death squads would be ripe for ambush and whittling down. Actually that’s quite a clever idea as long as you don’t mind sentencing a few hundred villagers to death.” 1. Here’s what we’ll do, then: A Foment insurrection among the peasantry and starve them all the way out. We’ll be patient. (4 months) B Send agents out among the peasantry to gather intel, find additional options, and formulate a solid infiltration plan. (7 days, risk of discovery) C Poison the food supplies. While the nobility is dying and their armies are out extracting revenge they’ll be highly vulnerable. (7 days, lots of blood on your hands) D Move tonight. Enact Plan Wentley: Combine Crick and Anastasi's plans. Make Crick's the primary, but assassin support by taking out key personnel, namely officers and magic users who would be huge problems if things go to poo poo. E Lay siege for a while to draw out and destroy their counterrattack and then go from there. F Go with Crik’s original plan. LordVonEarlDuke fucked around with this message at 04:26 on Feb 27, 2016 |
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Feb 27, 2016 01:02
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##Vote 1. C;D Character defining moment ahoy! I vote for EVIL!
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Feb 27, 2016 01:13
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##Vote 1. D
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Feb 27, 2016 02:23
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##Vote 1. D
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Feb 27, 2016 02:27
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Gotta choose eeeeevil here. ##Vote 1. C;D
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Feb 27, 2016 03:58
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Ehh, gently caress it. ##vote 1. C;D;B;E;F;A
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Feb 27, 2016 04:46
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##vote 1.D;F;E;B;A;C
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Feb 27, 2016 05:37
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##vote 1. C;D I am hereby forming Team Bastard Warlord
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Feb 27, 2016 08:26
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Submit the following plan to the various advisors for consideration: Step 1: Retrieve the dead prince's body. Step 2: Infiltrate special forces into the city to rouse the peasantry and prepare them for a rising at a key moment of our choosing. Step 3: Present the prince's body to the city with full honors, showing all respect for a gallant foe who stood by his city to the end and was willing to die trying to escape rather than to betray his city, etc. etc., make up a good story here. Offer to send an honor guard delegation to the prince's funeral, which may or may not be accepted, it doesn't matter that much. Step 4: At the time of the prince's funeral, signal for the uprising to begin. In the chaos of the uprising, the embedded special forces units strike at the unenchanted gates, opening them from within and exposing the defenders to the full power of the Warbot. Step 5: Waltz in, secure city, party hearty
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Feb 27, 2016 08:45
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I'm in favor of plan Tomn so I guess my pref changes to ##vote 1.Plan Tomn;D;F;E;B;A;C Also, I'm forming Team Q. We vote for the funnest option, not the best option.
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Feb 27, 2016 08:54
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Ask our assembled advisers about the viability of Tomn's plan, if that request wasn't clear. To amend Tomn's plan, I'd also insist on getting Anastasi’s group involved to screw up lines of communication while the chaos starts, and maybe even get some bombs planted around the city in advance, with their detonation being the signal. There's got to be some substantial amount of underclass inside the walls, to ship supplies around and do the cooking and cleaning and maintenance and so forth. If things go according to plan, they should send a significant proportion of their defenders to go suppress the riots, then lose the ability to effectively redirect many of them thanks to Anastasi, and then we burst through the gate and start capitalizing on the disorganized mess. Assuming the plan is realistic, I'm happy to amend my vote to ##vote 1. Plan Tomn; C; D; B; E; F; A Ralith fucked around with this message at 09:12 on Feb 27, 2016 |
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Feb 27, 2016 09:03
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##Vote 1. D; E; C; A
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Feb 27, 2016 12:18
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Ask Pacitar Hey bro, think you could reverse the polarity on that wall? It only defends against one side, right? Make it defend against the inside. That way they couldn't get at their stores!
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Feb 27, 2016 13:18
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Tomn posted:Submit the following plan to the various advisors for consideration: Delightfully dastardly. The same risks and time commitment go into this plan as other actions involving coordination of the peasantry. A week's time commitment and a risk (let's call it one in five) of having your conspiracy discovered.
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Feb 27, 2016 13:40
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Changing my vote to ##vote 1. Plan Tomn
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Feb 27, 2016 13:43
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LordVonEarlDuke posted:Delightfully dastardly. Hmm. What's the odds of success on actually breaking us into the city, though? Do our advisors think it's feasible to actually hold and open the gates long enough for the Warbot to break in?
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Feb 27, 2016 14:32
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Tomn posted:Hmm. What's the odds of success on actually breaking us into the city, though? Do our advisors think it's feasible to actually hold and open the gates long enough for the Warbot to break in? "If done with alacrity and purpose, it is eminently possible," Sketter says. "Moreso if our own warriors are hidden among their masses. Altho many peasant provocateurs, I fear, would be killed." "On their feet, though," Crik says. "Maybe with some highborn blood on their hands. That's a good death." 1. All right: A Plan Tomn it is. Let the peasants die for their own freedom. The strongest will survive and we won't have to take anyone out of the Rumbler and into danger. B Plan Tomn it is. We'll embed a score or so of our best soldiers among the rebellion to make sure it succeeds. C I'm not convinced. We should still go with Plan Wentley (Combine Crik and Anastasi's plans. Make Crik's the primary, but assassin support by taking out key personnel, namely officers and magic users who would be huge problems if things go to poo poo.) LordVonEarlDuke fucked around with this message at 20:33 on Feb 27, 2016 |
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Feb 27, 2016 15:31
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##Vote 1. C; B; A
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Feb 27, 2016 15:50
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##Vote 1. C I'd be for Tomn's plan, but I'd rather kill the people trying to kill peasants, so that they send more and more people out, which we then kill.
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Feb 27, 2016 15:52
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Quick question about Plan Wently - the idea is that we'll sneak in and try to hold the King hostage to get everyone to surrender, and if that doesn't work assassinate a bunch of people, right? Do the assassinations happen before or after we take the King hostage? Also, what do the advisors think of combining the two plans?
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Feb 27, 2016 16:18
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Tomn posted:Quick question about Plan Wently - the idea is that we'll sneak in and try to hold the King hostage to get everyone to surrender, and if that doesn't work assassinate a bunch of people, right? Do the assassinations happen before or after we take the King hostage? Also, what do the advisors think of combining the two plans? The impression I received was that the plan involved sneaking in by night and assassinating key personnel in order to soften defenses for the assault the next morning, then using that assault as the ultimate distraction to take the King hostage. Wentley, feel free to correct me.
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Feb 27, 2016 16:32
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##vote 1. B; A; C
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Feb 27, 2016 20:33
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##vote 1. B; A; C If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well I say.
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Feb 27, 2016 20:49
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LordVonEarlDuke posted:The impression I received was that the plan involved sneaking in by night and assassinating key personnel in order to soften defenses for the assault the next morning, then using that assault as the ultimate distraction to take the King hostage. That was what I had intended. Basically it would be both a weakening of his supporters, and insurance. If the plan fails, at least we have destroyed key personnel, especially skilled ones, that he would need to continue to rule.
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Feb 27, 2016 21:30
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##vote 1. B; A; C
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Feb 27, 2016 22:44
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“Do you know what I think,” you say. “I think it's time for the return of the prodigal son.” The Head You clear your throat and step up to the PA microphone. Your Talons gather expectantly around you.  1. You begin: A Afternoon, everyone. This is Vic. B Attend, warriors of Argus XII. Your Queen speaks. C Yeah hey everyone shut up for a second and listen up. D Gather round, children. Mama Mantis has a plan. “Bad news first: We are not moving on the city tonight. I know. I know. It’s in our sights. It’s nearly in our grasp. It’s very shiny. “Here’s the good news. “Tonight, and every night this week, I’m looking for volunteers to form up under Crik and spread the word to the unwashed masses. The Rumbler is here. This is the last and best chance any of them will have in their lives to break free from their chains. What we see before us is an overripe fruit of a place: an oyster place. Stone without, pale gasping goop within. I don’t know about you but I’m getting pretty loving hungry." A muted roar of acknowledgement from below. "I'm just about ready to crack them open and scrape them clean," you say. “Nailed it,” Zaphidor whispers. You indicate daps and he reciprocates. “This place,” you say, “These people, have forgotten the brutal, beautiful central principle of existence.   “That strength is required to survive; the kind of strength you can’t artifice or magic into fruition; the kind that comes from hard minds and hard hides and hard hearts. That’s the kind each and every one of you have. You’ve proven that to me and to each other a hundred times. I think it’s time to remind them what that’s like. To stand up without a palanquin on your shoulders or a servant to hoist your rear end off your cushions. “There will be those you approach who show fear, or doubt, or even resistance. When you see that you’ll crush it. In this way we'll take our time, erode the royalty's support from the inside out, and strike when he least expects it. That sound at all familiar to any of you?" Laughter from below decks. "Hey," you say. "If it works it works, right? “Now I predict, and I wouldn’t bet against myself on this one, that sometime very, very soon a royal funeral will be held in that shiny oyster.” You squint at the horizon and compass Anabas between your fingers. “Right at the center of the pearl. I think I’ll be attending. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a good party, and I’m inviting the rest of you along. “Twenty of you get advance seating. Volunteers for that go to Zaphidor. You’ll be infiltrating thoroughly into the peasant populace. And when the time comes, and the signal sounds, you’re the vanguard. A week can steel the people’s minds; it can’t make steel of their bodies. That’s where you come in. 2. During the fight, I want you to: A focus on making sure the gate opens at all cost. The Rumbler needs to get inside ASAP. B focus on supporting the peasants as they get the gate open and keep as many of them alive as possible. We want to take over a city, not a mass graveyard. C focus on capturing the king. He’ll be the one blowing into the gold leaf hankie. If we take the head of the snake the body dies. 3 You close your speech with: A They live in a city of gold. We live in a Warrior of Iron. Where gold bends, iron murders. Go Forth and Murder. B I'd tell all of you to make me proud if I thought any of you needed reminding. Now group up and kick rear end. C Wake them up, boys and girls. Remind them how it feels to be alive. Even if you need to kill the poo poo out of them. Iron Mantis Out. D We will crush their empire, butcher their warriors, strip their walls of gold, and erase their impotent royal line from existence. So I have spoken and so it will be. Year 19 Post-Flood, day 310 Morning You stand on the Rumbler's crown. The hot wind in from the wastes wafts your hair gently off your shoulders. At your side the wrapped body of Prince Chakum, a look of dumb surprise across his drained face. Before you Anabis glitters.  The crossbowmen come out first: a full complement of them, forming ranks and aiming their steel-tipped quarrels directly at you. The emperor's chair is carried on the sun-and-whip tanned back of two ripped slaves. They maneuver him into place and stand, muscles shaking. Crik immediately levels an arrow at the Emperor's chest. The crossbowmen nearly stagger in surprise, then bark at him in the clipped Anabasi tongue. "JUST MAKING IT FAIR," he calls out to them. "Crik," you say. "Just making it fair." He winks behind his shades.  "Is that him?" The emperor's voice carries. It's bulbous in the way fat men's voices often are, but he's used to public speaking, and the imperiousness of his tone cuts through. You step forward. "It is." The emperor's face is hard to make out at this range, but you can detect the flight of something from him in that moment. For an instant he looks like nothing more than a sad, plump man with a dumb hat on, in a chair being carried by two strangers who hate him. A tragic buffoon dignity takes him above himself. "He was so...." He looks for words. "Full. Of." He gives up. The wind blows. "How did he die?" he finally asks. 4 And you say (choosing all that need apply): A He died well. That's all I'll say. B With your name on his lips. C He requested a trial by combat for his freedom. I could do nothing to dissuade him. I'm afraid he lost his footing in the brawl. D He ingratiated himself to the crew. He became like a brother to us. He died in a skirmish, saving the lives of two of my men. E A I pushed him off my robot and he fell on the ground. F I don't know. We found him in the wastes like this. G How about you invite me in and then I can tell you. H I've returned your son to your Royal Bosom. As requested. There's the matter of my payment. LordVonEarlDuke fucked around with this message at 07:21 on Feb 29, 2016 |
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Feb 28, 2016 07:46
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##vote 2.B;C;A 4.I (I'll tell you how he died if you tell me why he was exiled.) RandomPauI fucked around with this message at 10:20 on Feb 29, 2016 |
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Feb 28, 2016 07:59
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Hm. For our own reference, how did we pick up the prince in the first place, and how did the Emperor know we had him?
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Feb 28, 2016 08:10
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Tomn posted:Hm. For our own reference, how did we pick up the prince in the first place, and how did the Emperor know we had him? You picked him up almost by accident when you destroyed the automaton he'd booked passage on. The exact message sent WAS: "We have your son. Give us gold and get him back. Name price. Warm regards from Tyrant Argus XII" Written on a wall of the palace by Anastasi. You told her to break it diplomatically and she tried in her Anastasi way. LordVonEarlDuke fucked around with this message at 08:19 on Feb 28, 2016 |
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Feb 28, 2016 08:13
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LordVonEarlDuke posted:You picked him up almost by accident when you destroyed the automaton he'd booked passage on. Well, now. I have an interesting idea all of a sudden. Was there anyone else on the automaton who might have conceivably come from Anabis? Did we ever learn from the prince how and why he was exiled? I'm thinking that we spin a story where we treated the prince well and formed a fairly decent relationship in his captivity, finding him stuffy but honorable when suddenly disaster struck! When we destroyed his automata there were a few other unimportant passengers who we'd recruited onto the crew. How were we to know that some of them were assassins? They struck suddenly during a walk and talk session with the prince, crying out "For Anabis!" and struggling with the prince until the prince fell overboard with one of the assassins, the others being dispatched by our enraged crewmembers, for they had grown to love the prince. Be sure to throw in a line too about how the prince was absolutely and completely confident that he would one day be welcomed back to the city and father he loved. Not only does it make us blameless for the prince's death (and make us appear all chummy), it also sows the seeds of suspicion in the Emperor's mind. Who, of all his nobles, might have sent out assassins? Hmmmmmm. Increasing the level of paranoia and mistrust within the court would be just gravy come the attack, wouldn't it? Tomn fucked around with this message at 09:00 on Feb 28, 2016 |
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Feb 28, 2016 08:35
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Tomn posted:Not only does it make us blameless for the prince's death (and make us appear all chummy), it also sows the seeds of suspicion in the Emperor's mind. Who, of all his nobles, might have sent out assassins? Hmmmmmm. Increasing the level of paranoia and mistrust within the court would be just gravy come the attack, wouldn't it? e: Initial ##vote 1. A; D; C; B 2. A; B; C 3. C; B; A; D Ralith fucked around with this message at 10:37 on Feb 28, 2016 |
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Feb 28, 2016 10:01
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 01:58 |
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Ralith posted:On the other hand, it might make him more likely to anticipate/prepared for the peasant uprising True. I wonder if we know enough about the politics of Anabas to be able to slip in details that point towards specific noble houses, or just the nobility in general? Get the Emperor focused and paranoid about a From Above gambit so that he doesn't notice the From Below.
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Feb 28, 2016 10:54
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