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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ManWithDoor
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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by ManWithDoor » Tue May 02, 2023 7:07 am

Breakfast

Each of the party is absorbed in their own internal turmoil, contemplating the meaning of their nightmares. Perhaps some part of their psychology is feeding off stress and self-doubt? But maybe there is some other cause? Regardless, they are left to their thoughts as the servants gather everyone for their morning meal.

Breakfast is spitchcock served in the garden; a large bowl of water filled with live eels is set before each guest, along with a miniature harpoon for them to spear their choice of fish. Once an eel is harpooned, servants split its belly and grill it besides the table. The head is left intact, mouth still gaping when the meal is paced before the diners, ready to be eaten.

During breakfast, the assembled nobles brag of their hunting or tracking prowess, and money changes hands as they bet who among those assembled will be the first to bring in an eel.
Yeah, nobility are weird. But at least you know the eel being served is super fresh - you literally slay it live in front of you. That's one way of guaranteeing freshness. :P

Feel free to RP, as well as having 1 Social Round to do your discovery/influence choices before moving on to the main daytime event of Day 2 - The Hunt!
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 » Wed May 03, 2023 2:26 pm

Emilia is good-humored about the spectacle. She hasn't had eel before, so first time for everything. And she loves it, she really digs in once she's had a couple bites. "This is hits the spot, after the night I had," she says. Without revealing much, perhaps annoyingly so, she says it was like her whole world had fallen apart in a minute.

"Bala, are you sure you haven't been to Taldor? I swear. You nearly had Lady Sepsinia floating on air, and in the real sense, too."

After jabbering about bad dreams and the near boy-meets-girl moment on the day previous, Emilia goes to Lady Parthena to pass on Bala's good intentions - platonic or otherwise.
Discovery check for Strengths vs Parthena.

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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by Zorbeltuss » Fri May 19, 2023 2:12 pm

Mercutio makes the boast that they should wager on him, and wastes no time getting to it with the harpoon to back up his words. Shaking off the night's terrors, he starts socializing.
Scattershot diplomacy influence of random noble

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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by ManWithDoor » Mon May 29, 2023 5:30 pm

Emilia finds Parthena in a good mood this morning. No evidence of mysterious nightmares there. Getting Dame Crabbe to talk about herself isn't difficult, and Emilia finds the older woman turning to court gossip, especially about the eligible noble bachelors. She laments that many take their duties so seriously that she finds them utter bores. She teases (or not?) that she would pursue Baron Okerra himself, given his widower status, but he would spend all his time attending to the barony, rather than her needs.
Emilia: Discovery check for Strengths of Parthena: 15, Success.
- Dame Crabbe is bored by anyone taking their noble responsibilities too seriously—one of the few reasons she hasn’t tried to pursue Baron Okerra for herself.
Mercutio hits up socialization, trying to connect with various nobles to feel them out. For some reason he just can't manage to get in good with anyone over breakfast, but does manage to hear small-talk concerning Dame Crabbe and her daughter.
Rumor #1: “Dame Crabbe’s girl hasn’t been the same since her beloved Opilio passed last year.
Poor girl just won’t let herself move on, and her overbearing mother isn’t helping.” (See Area L in the county map - western end of the county is Moost, where the Crabbe Estate stands)
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 ManWithDoor » Mon May 29, 2023 5:41 pm

Event 8: The Hunt

The main event for the second day is a mock hunt: peasants are dressed as animals and released from the estate to hide within nearby territories to which they have been assigned, and then the assembled hunters are allowed to track their quarries and bring them back to the palace. The use of fake quarries helps prevent accidental injuries (at least to the nobles) that might otherwise mar the grand event.

Titus Lotheed-Casava has recovered his composure after losing at the jousting, and is the host for this event. He assigns the various groups of nobles to different territories. The quarry are brought out - four local criminals that have been gashed across the cheek to give the hounds their scent before being sent on their not-so-merry ways. The are dressed as various farm animals, and look thoroughly dejected. Lord Titus announces to the 'animals' that if they can evade capture until nightfall, they will be absolved and granted a handsome rewards of 50 gold pieces to re-enter society with. The criminal sent into the party's section of the woods is dressed as a dairy cow with preposterously oversized udders. Titus laughs as the man waddles away, and warns the heroes to "beware the vicious beast" lest they get a shot of milk in the eye chasing after the dangerous quarry.

For the next hour or so, the hunters sit around drinking warmed brandy, eating, and talking, while their quarry is given "a sporting chance". Each group of hunters is assigned a local guide (theirs is the same jester that was their helper the day before), as well as a pair of Taldan bloodhounds to assist in the hunt. Each group is encouraged to bring whatever weapons, armor, or equipment they deem appropriate to the challenge, or even amusing to bring.

Afterwards, the groups separate and head out separately into the forest, tracking down the costumed and wound-marked peasants.
The Taldan bloodhounds come with the following tricks: come, down, fetch, heel, stay, and track.

The winner of the challenge would be he who catches and returns the criminal the fastest, with the rare occasion of a tie being broken by who tells the best tale afterwards of their catch.
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 » Wed May 31, 2023 9:42 pm

And there it is. The jape host planned at their expense has dulled the wound he received over dinner. When it comes time to spin a yarn about catching a cow, however, clever wordplay could be used to turn this jape on its head.

Emilia calls for her horse and seeks a blunted implement from the armory to use in lieu of her guisarme for tripping. Preferably a mancatcher. Relaxing and eating in the open brings back memories of home, and as the time draws near, she holds the reigns of her dapple brown jennet and calls the bloodhound.
Unless it would be impractical to ride in a dress, I'll leave my armor at the palace.

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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by Bohemond » Sat Jun 03, 2023 8:28 pm

Bala's eyes narrow as Lord Titus leaves the group. For the first time since his arrival, the monk has an expression other than one of serene contentment. He clearly does not approve of the circumstances surrounding the 'entertainment' provided for them.

"My apologies. While I can accompany you, I do not believe I can provide much help locating the cow. Hunting is not my area of expertise," the Vudrani offers as a means of cover of his refusal to help in the capture of their prey.

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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by RorytheRomulan » Sun Jun 11, 2023 3:16 am

"That is well, our bloodhound will be doing most of the work anyway. I'm not fond of this little sport, if anybody is interested in my thoughts, but I shall make the most of it."

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Re: Book 2, Act I: Songbird

Post by ManWithDoor » Sun Jun 11, 2023 6:18 pm

The bloodhound does not have any moral qualms such as the party has, excited for the chance to chase something down. The hound leads them into the Brashen Deeps, about an hour from the palace on foot, although much quicker by horseback. It is a hilly pine forest run through with rocky creeks and shallow caves, and covered in low-lying ferns, chicory, and wild asparagus - a challenging environment in which to ride, let alone hunt.

After half an hour of searching, Emilia stumbles upon a single set of fresh human footprints, more by accident than skill, if she is honest about it.
Survival (tracking) checks - DC 15: Mercutio (12), Bala (14), Emilia (17). Emilia success.
Shortly after finding the tracks, the bloodhound leads you into an area where trees have blown down and the undergrowth thickens, to the point that riding becomes impossible. Being forced to go on foot is annoying, but best to finish this farce as soon as possible rather than draw it out.

After a half an hour of digging through this thicker undergrowth, you hear a deafening roar, followed immediately by a scream for help. In a clearing ahead, you can see a man dressed as an ox bleeding and desperately dodging the swipes of a massive manticore!
The poor peasant has wandered into the lair of a manticore, a fierce beast with a vaguely humanoid head, the body of a lion, the wings of a dragon, and the tail of a scorpion.
Image
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 Zorbeltuss » Mon Jun 12, 2023 2:31 pm

Mercutio had looked for opportunities to be more than fashionably late to this farce, but seemed like he was out of luck in finding an "adventurous" woman of reasonably attractiveness, and it would not do to seem overly eager and lecherous either. Tempting as it was to try out the aunt again, he did not feel like pushing his luck.

"At least this would be a proper trophy" he mutters without a thought, hoping after that it was not so loud that the beast might have heard and understood.
Plan=Start singing if combat happens

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