Book 1: Rumors and Secrets

[ManWithDoor]

This is where I will be keeping (and updating) the various rumors and such that you gather in Book 1. I'll likely already state them in the standard Thread, but rather than having to go back and re-read everything, this will be the repository for quicker reference (for you and me).

[ManWithDoor]

RUMORS:

#1 - “My uncle is in the Lion Blades, and he says the Qadirans are planning to kidnap Princess Eutropia tonight to ransom!”
- A Note: The Lion Blades are rumored to be a Secret Society, dedicated to the defense of the Realm. Plenty of people claim to know a guy who's half-nephew is a member, but that's about it. They have a kind of Three Musketeers feel, if you've seen those movies/books.

#2 - "High Strategos Pythareus is back in the capital. I guess that means the marriage between him and the princess is back on. He’s so handsome; he’ll make a lovely emperor.”
- There have been many rumors that the Grand Prince has been trying to marry off his daughter to High Strategos Pythareus for years, but she isn't having any of it. Regardless of the rumor's truth, the High Strategos is well respected and successful, and many people would not mind him becoming the next Grand Prince.
- A Note: 'High Strategos' is the highest military rank in the Nation. Like the Shogun, Khan, etc. The only people that outrank him are the Royal Family, and technically only the Grand Prince can give him orders.

#3 - “Lady Morilla is back in town from Absalom. I wonder if she’s performing for the Exaltation Gala.”

#4 - “Ugh, Eutropia brought that disgusting mutt of hers to the Elbistan Tournament last spring, and the wretched beast drooled on the silk table dressings. She’d never get away with such impropriety if her father weren’t pulling strings to protect her.”

[ManWithDoor]

#5 - "Ah, I got to see Ms. Smiles at Duke Talbot's reception this week - the one where Baronet Jivarus got into a row with the servant - and that jester is delightful. Whimsical and biting all at once, and such grace. A tad off-putting, though."

#6 - "My uncle is a merchant. Says he's getting coins from all over the old colonies this Exaltation week. Maybe some of the colonies are starting to regret leaving the Empire."

[ManWithDoor]

Thought the 'Mission' Tab would get lost in the VIP thread, and didn't fully belong there. So I'm putting the Missions here for convenient reference:

Discovery: Martella is confident Eutropia has gathered the votes necessary for her cause, but she hates loose ends. She tasks this agent with uncovering the true dedication of two senators: Duke Centimus and Countess Abrielle Pace. It is unknown if either supports Eutropia’s bid to end agnatic primogeniture, and while their votes will be apparent after the senate convenes, Martella wants the PC to discover their positions in advance, as well as the reasons each noble holds that position. Divining each noble’s motivations requires a Sense Motive or Perception check after at least one member of the party has put the noble at ease with one or more successful Influence checks.

Fraud: Martella needs to discredit a few prominent senators backing agnatic primogeniture—not necessarily to sway their votes, but to undercut their influence after the vote. This agent must create a scandal surrounding one of the major opponents to the repeal of primogeniture. Doing so requires first identifying an opponent, either with a successful Sense Motive check or by coordinating with another PC (such as one taking the Discovery mission), and then by spreading rumors with a successful Bluff check and manufacturing or co-opting damning evidence on the fly with a successful Linguistics check (I'll also allow other 'evidence' checks with fun justification - Rule of Cool on this one, really).

Politicking: The orchestrations of Eutropia, Glorianna Morilla, and Martella Lotheed have swayed a great number of reluctant senators, and Lady Lotheed requires a vast web of influence to maintain that. To that end, she would like this agent to make a strong impression on Baron Nicolaus Okerra and remind him of certain debts he owes her. While Baron Nicolaus Okerra isn’t a senator, his war record and general popularity make him an influential figure—one whose reputation helped sway a number of otherwise neutral votes. The PC can accomplish this task by successfully influencing the baron (using the standard Social Combat rules).

Sabotage: Some senators are too powerful or stubborn for the PCs to influence their votes, but that doesn’t mean they’re beyond some petty revenge. Martella would like to exact some retribution against her more powerful half-brothers, who have contributed a large bottle of rare, 150-year-old red wine from family holdings in the Opparos province, now held in the senate’s kitchens. Martella provides a single syringe filled with a putrefying agent to render the wine embarrassingly undrinkable but warns her agent not to steal the bottle and to conceal any signs of tampering; it must be drunk at dinner and appear to be of terrible quality or—even more scandalously—a forgery. Recognizing the correct bottle in the crowded kitchen requires a successful Appraise check or Knowledge (nobility) check, while injecting the putrefying agent without leaving any trace of tampering requires a successful Disable Device check.

Spy: Martella needs someone to keep tabs on political rivals and update her if they change their tactics, most notably High Strategos Maxillar Pythareus. This agent must stay close to the military commander, watching for unusual behavior or listening for snippets of conversation, and warn her if he takes any unusual actions, all while remaining unobtrusive. Spying requires a total of three successful Perception or Sense Motive checks, but to approach close enough to attempt one of these checks while remaining unnoticed requires the agent to first succeed a Disguise or Stealth check (this check is not considered part of the PC’s social action - i.e. you can Disguise/Stealth and Perception/Sense Motive in 1 Round, but this requires a total of 3 Rounds of successful Spying).

[ManWithDoor]

Aide: In addition to spies, Martella legitimately needs a senatorial aide as both a cover for her other false aides and to run communications between allies politicians. This is by far the easiest job available, but also the most time-consuming, requiring someone to run messages between various politicians. Navigating the crowded senate floor to deliver messages quickly requires a successful Escape Artist or combat maneuver check (various Feats or Traits may make this easier). It is likely that there would be at least four missives to deliver between various individuals. If this agent successfully delivers all this paperwork, he succeeds at his mission.

Theft: To further undermine the influence of the disgraced Earl Calhadion Vernisant, Martella would like to see some of the historical artifacts that the earl donated to the Senate vanish from the Arcade of Triumphs before it is unveiled prior to the evening's vote. Martella indicates that her agent is free to keep the item; she wishes only for its disappearance to further embarrass Earl Vernisant and his allies. The artifacts aren't secured; the Senate assumes anyone sophisticated enough to attend this crowded Gala would never dream of stealing anything on public display. Stealing a single curio from Martella's list requires a successful Sleight of Hand check. Martella's list mentions five items - a buckler, a dagger, a fan, a journal, and a spyglass - but she needs only three of them to go missing to disgrace the Earl.
- (Side Note: More Vernisant drama!)