Book 2, Act I: Songbird

As the political scene in Taldor explodes into chaos, heroes take on the mantle of agents, advocates, and saboteurs working for Princess Eutropia to help secure her claim to the Imperial throne and prevent the Empire from collapsing in on itself in civil war. Will they grow from relative nobodies to powerful politicians and spymasters in the deadliest political arena in the Inner Sea?

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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by ManWithDoor » Thu Jan 12, 2023 2:18 am

Baroness Legate Voinum appears to be a popular person to interact with. On her way to and from the Lists Dame Emilia makes passing conversation of her brother's experience in the Phalanx, but the drive-by diplomacy doesn't affect her much. She then returns to her jousting. The monk, however, notices an important reaction from the Baroness as she observes the Tournament. Bala's keen eyes note that while she generally applauds with the rest upon impressive hits, her attention is less upon the lances and much more on their horsemanship. Those who brute-force their way through the jousting earn a small sneer from her scarred lips, while those who finesse their mounts into skillful positioning advantages earn a gleam in her eye.
Emilia: Influence Check vs Voinum (Diplomacy): 15 + 4 (weakness) = 19, Failure.
Bala: Sense Motive to learn Influence Skill vs Voinum: 25, Success. Learned that 'Ride' is a relevant Skill for Influencing her.
Mercutio goes the subtle route, traveling through the assembled dignitaries showing off his charm and magic tricks. He makes sure he is always within Bartelby's forward vision when performing his magic, then moving on to the next target. He leaves a trail of smiles and pleased murmurs, and the titular Heir feels the gaze of the Count upon him.
Mercutio: Influence Check vs Count Bartelby Lotheed (Diplomacy -> Performance [Oratory], using arcane magic to draw attention) = 23 + 2 (arcane magic) = 25, Success. 1 Influence Success.
-----

The next two rounds of the Tournament show off the skills of the contestants. While the County is some distance from the Capitol or any major city centers, Taldor has a rich tradition of notable cavaliers, and this contest shows that they keep up that reputation. No one can even so much as touch Baron Okerra despite his advancing age, and Emilia keeps her saddle each round herself.

The semi-finals have her facing off against a family cousin, Titus Lotheed-Casava. Lady Martella described him to you as little more than a bully. He is rough with his horse, pulling viciously at the reigns to force his mount into position. Emilia's indignation at this behavior distracts her as they gallop towards each other, negatively influencing her horsemanship. Both have terrible luck and their lances glance off the jousting shields, neither making a solid hit.

The audience laughs, rather mockingly, as both contestants line up again to reveal an actual winner. This time Emilia keeps her cool, lining up her horse excellently and making a solid hit on Titus' shield with her pass. It isn't solid enough to unseat him, but she still comes off as the clear winner.
Emilia vs Titus Lotheed-Casava
--- Contested Ride Check: Emilia 17 vs Titus 24, Titus wins. He gains +2 on Attack Roll.
--- Attack Rolls: Emilia 16 vs Titus 17, both Miss.
--- CONSEQUENCE: Emilia has -1 on Influence Checks for the rest of Day 1.

Repeat:
--- Contested Ride Check: Emilia 17 vs Titus 14, Emilia wins. She gains +2 on Attack Roll.
--- Attack Rolls: Emilia 24 vs Titus 16, only Emilia hits.
----- Damage: Lance for 10 Damage (I forgot that Lances inherently do 2x damage when charging from horseback last round, so actually incorporating it now). Titus Ride Check 16, so not Unseated.
The Finals have Dame Emilia facing off against her liege lord, Baron Okerra. The dark-skinned, salt-and-pepper bearded man rides out to the Lists, raising his lance proudly. The crowd applauds him loudly. Emilia similarly takes her position to lesser applause. She does note that while the Baron does not have a free hand to clap, he taps his shield against his breastplate to make what approving sounds he can.

The Baron's mount stutters the first couple steps while Emilia's horse immediately hits its stride. Perhaps a difference in weight or condition of the horse, but regardless luck seems to be on her side. Neither can see the facial expression of the other through their visors, but regardless both jousters competently set up their shots. The crowd is silent as the two finalists charge at each other with reckless speed.
Dame Emilia vs Baron Nicolaus Okerra
--- Contested Ride Check: Emilia 22 vs Okerra 18, Emilia wins. She gains +2 on Attack Roll.
--- Attack Rolls: Emilia 20 vs Okerra 22, Both Hit!
----- Damage to Okerra: Lance for 12 Damage. Okerra Ride Check 22, keeps his seat.
----- Damage to Emilia: Lance for 29 Damage (Spirited Charge). Emilia Ride Check 17, unhorsed!
Both lances firmly hit their targets dead-center of their shields, and both contestants are rocked in their saddles. Baron Okerra is a master of both the battlefield and the tourney, and firmly keeps his seat. Dame Emilia is not as fortunate, as her liege hits her at just the right angle that she is picked right out of her saddle to land with a painful thud in the dirt. The crowd cheers almost deafiningly at the dramatic end of the joust. The good Baron slows his horse to a stop, dismounts, and strides over the fallen Emilia, giving her a hand up. He lifts his visor to show off a large, proud smile.

This being just a County event, the gifting of prizes is unsurprisingly direct. The Count gifts Emilia with a silver chalice emblazoned with the Lotheed family's rampant owl heraldry. Baron Okerra is gifted with a silver ferret, along with a hyacinth bouquet to give to a "spiritual companion" who inspired them in the trials. He winks at the Dame next to him when told to gift the hyacinths to such a person, but then moves to the stands to give it to his 10-year-old daughter, Selli. She beams with undisguised pride at her father.
End of the Tournament, moving towards prep for dinner. Feel free to post reactions to the Tournament, or prep for dinner plans.
----------

Prior to dinner, Count Bartelby summons the guests back to the palace gardens for a short musical performance, accompanied by drinks and a short speech about the palace’s history and the meaning of the Tanager Jubilee. The harpers play at the bottom of the veranda stairs, and Bartelby waits for the perfect time to deliver his speech from the top of the stairs.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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RorytheRomulan
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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by RorytheRomulan » Sat Jan 14, 2023 1:23 pm

Getting knocked so thoroughly as to fly through the air and crash on the ground is an indignity that Emilia bears with scarlet cheeks, as well as the bruises from the fall. Clearly Okerra is in a league all to his own, a fact that she was not expecting to realize as far as she felt that she'd come. She had really hoped to humiliate the Lotheed man, at least. Even the silver cup is little more than a souvenir. Still, in the name of showmanship, she takes the loss on the chin, and nods to the victor after taking the hand. The Baron's choice to gift the bouquet to his child finally forces a smile out of her, too.
Damn, and I thought I was doing so well! :lol:

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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by Zorbeltuss » Thu Jan 19, 2023 9:11 pm

Mercutio simply enjoys the festivities, it is not too hard to play the noble dilettante, although he does his best to moderate himself enough to not be brushed off as a hedonistic buffoon, his manners likely leading to underestimation, hopefully underestimation, it would be a shame to not be formidable at all.

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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by ManWithDoor » Thu Jan 26, 2023 7:21 am

The guests along with the party are gathered around the palace gardens while the music plays. As Bartelby ascends the stairs, all three of you notice a thin black cord stretched tightly across the steps that the Count is going up. It's hard to tell exactly what it's purpose is, but there is a small glint of metal you see higher up in the window of a Palace. Maybe an arrow of some sort? It's not possible to fully tell how benign or hostile the consequence might be if the nobleman trips the trap, but as the Count is only a step or two away from tripping it, the time to make a decision on how to respond is now!
Perception Check (DC18) - all PCs pass!

Your characters won't have time to converse to discuss on what to do, you either don't do anything (totally an option), or declare what you want to do. You are close enough to rush up, cast a spell, etc., so you're free to choose anything you can reasonably think of.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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RorytheRomulan
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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by RorytheRomulan » Fri Jan 27, 2023 9:48 am

To Emilia, the wire is obviously a trap. She responds the only way she knows how, by bolting up the steps to grab Bartelby by the arm and halt his ascension.

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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by Bohemond » Sun Jan 29, 2023 5:22 pm

Bala runs up the stairway as well. While no supporter of Bartleby, he feels murdering the lord in cold blood would be dishonorable and only strengthen those who would harm the people and kingdom. He tries to put himself between Bartleby and the presumed arrow, hoping to deflect the arrow before it strikes the noble.

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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by Zorbeltuss » Mon Jan 30, 2023 9:38 pm

Mercutio merely stares at the contraption in wonder, perhaps if his companions had not reacted while he hesitated momentarily, he may have shouted a warning. Instead, he remains passive.

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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by ManWithDoor » Fri Feb 10, 2023 6:45 pm

The monk practically blurs up the steps at the Count, not giving him time to even flinch at the approach, while Emilia follows as fast as she can manage. Mercutio just sits there, watching the show.

Bartelby's foot catches the black wire, and something jumps in the window. A crossbow bolt shoots from the window straight at him. Almost on top of each other, Emilia jumps in the way of the bolt, while Bala actually jerks the Count out of the way fully.
Simultaneous Actions:
Emilia - Reflex Save = 14, partial Success. She manages to interpose herself, and takes the hit.
Bala - Reflex Save = 21, Success. You manage to pull the Count out of the line of fire.
Mercutio - being a total baller, and sitting there doing nothing! :D

Emilia - Takes 7 damage from the arrow, Fortitude Save vs Poison = 18, Pass.
Emilia staggers back and sits down on the steps, the crossbow bolt sticking out high in her chest. Guests scatter, and the guards swarm. While blades are drawn, none are pointed at you. The Dame's obvious wound makes it clear this was a rescue attempt, although one she came through thoroughly scathed. While she has been attacked before, she feels an uncomfortable heat spreading through her chest that surely can't be natural.

Count Lotheed didn't get his position just by being born in the right place at the right time, and demonstrates that by immediately taking charge of the situation. He orders Sir Guisarne to fetch an antitoxin and apply it to Emilia right away, and calls forward healers to remove the bolt and close the wound. He kneels down next to Emilia, laying his hand on her unwounded side. "My gratitude, honorable Dame. It must have been that damnable Night Swan, the criminal and terrorist, enemy of all civilization. Thank you." He also offers to pay for a restoration spell at the temple in town, if needed.

Unfortunately for the monk, while he pulled the Count aside and if Emilia hadn't been there it would have harmlessly hit the ground, he gets ignored by the nobility. The Dame is more famous, heroically sacrificed herself, and to be extra honest Bala is a foreigner. So his accomplishments go overlooked by the crowd.

As the antitoxin is administered and bandages wound, Bartelby takes the time to order his soldiers to clear the Palace, and investigate the observatory's window ledge where the crossbow trap was set.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by RorytheRomulan » Sat Feb 11, 2023 7:13 am

"Night Swan?" Emilia is in and out for a brief moment. After catching her breath and being healed, she looks down at the hand on her side. "You honor me, my lord. Taking hits appears to be one of my strong suits, after all," she says, calling back to her crushing defeat in the joust. She just nods gratefully when he offers to send for magic later, with quiet confidence that it won't be necessary.

She gets up to regroup with the party. What a twist, they appear to be on the Count's good side now.
And I wonder if that will help us or hurt us down the line...? Any further actions that we can take before the end of the day?

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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by ManWithDoor » Fri Feb 17, 2023 4:55 am

Emilia has heard of the Night Swan before, although she isn't sure she accepts the Count's accusation at face value. The vigilante is a masked troublemaker, a being of terror and destruction to some, a freedom fighter to others. She isn't known to be an assassin, but it's possible that this was an attempt to scare and threaten rather than kill, or she's decided to up her game.
The Attitude of the Count has gone up by 1 step (from Indifferent to Friendly) because of your rescue. :)

Next Events:
- Dinner
- Entertainment (Halfling Charioteers)
- Dancing and Cards

Then retiring for the evening to your beds.
Rule Number 12: "A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head."

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