[LP] The Way of the Tiger. (Complete)

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sat Aug 31, 2013 8:39 pm

We might want to wait for now and hear other pitches before recruiting him for sure.

It's pretty damn clear that he's not going to take it hard at all if we don't recruit him right away.

angelfromanotherpin · Sat Aug 31, 2013 10:07 pm

Greystaff bows and thanks you, then walks humbly into the Star Chamber.

The sixth supplicant is a striking and impressive figure. It is Foxglove, head of the Usurper's Secret Informers, the Order of the Yellow Lotus, and a priestess of Nemesis. She is unusually beautiful, and wears the rouge and eye paints of a courtesan, while her look betokens a swift intelligence. She curtsies low before you, her wasp-waisted peacock-tail coloured dress a shimmering rainbow of greens and blues.

'Only the Lord High Steward knows as much as I of this city and its people,' she says. 'The Steward is a symbol of the Usurper's tyranny. Oh yes, he tyrannised us too, Avenger; I counsel you to watch him carefully. But I can represent the many who revere Nemesis, winning them to your support, for though you have ended the time of our rule, life must go on for us too. A wise ruler will always have Secret Informers, and I command a skillful Secret Society without whom you will never know a moment's security in this strife-torn city.'

Her look as she finishes is one of challenge, as if she were almost daring you to accept her.

• Ask her to step into the Star Chamber?
• Disappoint her?

Charter of Rulership
The four Privy Councillors appointed to Star Chamber are:
1. Force-Lady Gwyneth
2. The Demagogue
3. Greystaff
4. TBA

Popularity Rating: 1

MisterDee · Post by **MisterDee** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 12:17 am

You know what? I like her chutzpah.

Let's have her.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 5:04 am

Do it. I don't think she'll betray us.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 6:31 am

We get all the shit the Steward threatened we wouldn't have, we get to show we aren't yet purging Nemesis from our city, and apparently we get Foxglove's security network. If they're used to it already then any inevitable incidents that force us to change their standards would be propaganda opportunities surely.

Corsair114 · Post by **Corsair114** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 8:01 am

Foxglove: An in with Evil and a spy network. Probably our last best hope for disappearing people and making sure the Nemesis followers tow the line without having a fit of open revolt.

Greystaff: An in with Good and probably the only one not hiding an agenda. Possible conflict with Foxglove given his desire to scour the sewers of "Evil." May just really dislike poop, unsure at the moment.

Gwyneth: Troops to keep everyone in line, appreciates rule of law. Confined the Usurper's troops to barracks and has already made certain to secure the city streets.

Demagouge: Knows how to sweet talk people and knows that he knows it. Should be watched carefully, but having an in with the common citizens isn't a bad thing in the least.

angelfromanotherpin · Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:42 am

Foxglove curtsies most elegantly once again and steps into the Star Chamber. There is a discontented murmuring all around you, for you have chosen the leader of that most despised section of Irsmuncast society, the infamous Order of the Yellow Lotus. Subtract 1 from your Popularity rating.

(Personally, I think Foxglove is a worthwhile choice just to get the description of all the crazy outfits she wears.)

The selection of your Privy Councillors is complete. The other four seats beside your own in the Star Chamber are filled and it is time for you to take your place at the head of the table. The servants and courtiers disperse as you stride quickly towards the Star Chamber. The rheumy old eyes of Parsifal, High Grandmaster of the Temple to Kwon, follow you reproachfully.

(Force-Lady Gwyneth is a member of the Privy Council.)

Before you can join your Privy Councillors in the chamber, a royal messenger arrives with news that there is tension in the streets due to there being no law-keeping force or Watch at present. You stride into the Star Chamber intent on solving this problem first. The Star Chamber is a large oval hall, the ceiling of which is black marble covered with five-pointed stars in gold leaf. A large marble table separates a small throne on one side from four tall straight-backed chairs in which your chosen Privy Councillors sit.

Standing near your throne is a clerk in emerald green robes, the Master of the Chamber. You beckon him and, in an undertone, tell him of the unrest in the streets. He asks if you wish to make this the first item on the agenda, and you agree. He convenes your first session of Star Chamber and tells you Councillors that the first issue is that of immediate civil unrest. He then invites the four Councillors to give advice.

Parsifal

Parsifal clears his throat nervously, but when he speaks it is quite clear that he feels there is only one course of action: 'It is surely right to restore the custom of your father and make the shieldmaidens of the temple to Dama the Keepers of the Watch. They enjoy high esteem as keepers of law and order, as does my illustrious compatriot, Force-Lady Gwyneth.

Force-Lady Gwyneth

Force-Lady Gwyneth stands and bows, then runs a hand through her short, spiky, steel grey hair, before saying, 'In the time of your father, the Loremaster, I served in the Watch that was kept by the shieldmaidens of Dama. It was a happy time for all; crime was driven from the streets. Restore the custom of your father, Avenger – there is no-one in the city who can secure order for you, save I and my shieldmaidens.' She sits and looks down at the table, visibly tense.

The Demagogue

The Demagogue is quite agitated; his voice changes pitch disconcertingly. 'The people are only reacting high-spiritedly to the good news of your coronation, Your Majesty. Is it not time for the common people to be allowed to be law-keepers themselves? The Watch are no more than a symbol of oppression. We must encourage men and women in the streets to report wrong-doings to the Palace instead.'

Whose advice will you act upon?
• Parsifal and Gwyneth?
• The Demagogue?

Charter of Rulership
The four Privy Councillors appointed to Star Chamber are:
1. Force-Lady Gwyneth
2. The Demagogue
3. Greystaff
4. Foxglove

The Watch is kept by: TBA

Popularity Rating: 0

MisterDee · Post by **MisterDee** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 12:11 pm

Restoring a respected order to the watch sounds good. Plus, it's a D&D world. Commoners can't deal with even basic threats anyway.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 2:17 pm

We have a 2-1 majority vote in our Star Chamber for what sounds like the most reasonable course of action anyways, so we should restore the City Watch by using Gwyenth's homies.

Our enlightened despotism should prevent them from partaking in any corruption that the Demagogue fears.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 2:56 pm

Force-Lady Gwyneth heads the Watch to good effect. The sight of the shieldmaidens patrolling on horseback, two-by-two, restores calm to the city. The impartiality shown when she and her troops bring wrongdoers to justice wins you instant popularity (add 1 to your Popularity Rating). Over the tenday, you will see that Gwyneth is able to carry out a difficult job well, and Irsmuncast becomes one of the safer cities in the Manmarch. The Force-Lady undertakes to bear the large costs involved in paying the shieldmaidens' wages from he temple's funds, if you will exempt the Pyramid Temple from temple tax. You agree gladly since the treasury's coffers are empty. Note that you cannot follow the advice of anyone suggesting a tax on the Temple to Dama.

The business of Star Chamber is done for today. You dine in peace, alert for any sound of mayhem near the Palace, but the disturbance are happening out of earshot. At tomorrow's session, the real tasks of policy-making will begin.

When you awake, the stillness of the Palace reminds you of how alone you are, how far away from your people in the bustling streets outside. The servants treat you with ecery respect as you don the cloth-of-gold robe that is worn by the Overlord of Irsmuncast when he attends the Council of Star Chamber. The Master of the Chamber in his emerald robes stands by as you break fast and suggests a series of questions of outstanding importance be placed on the agenda for today's session.

(Avenger has not ordered Golspiel imprisoned or to stand trial.)

You enter the Star Chamber, together with the Master of the Chamber, at the appointed hour and greet your Privy Councillors.

The Master of the Chamber announces that the first business before Star Chamber is the proclamation by the Overlord of his choice of a personal bodyguard. The monks of Kwon have, until now, been fulfilling this task, merely because they were on hand when you needed guarding. Alone as you are amongst the people of a city that contains many who are hostile to you, the choice of your personal bodyguard will be most important.

• Retain the services of your fellow monks, though their prowess at martial arts falls far short of those on the Island of Tranquil Dreams?
• Make Gwyneth – if you have not killed her – Captain of a personal bodyguard of shieldmaidens?
• If Onikaba and his Samurai came to your aid in Book 3: USURPER!, you may wish to choose your bodyguard from these staunchly loyal élite troops.

Charter of Rulership
The four Privy Councillors appointed to Star Chamber are:
1. Force-Lady Gwyneth
2. The Demagogue
3. Greystaff
4. Foxglove

The Watch is kept by: Force-Lady Gwyneth and the shieldmaidens of Dama.

Popularity Rating: 1

Popularity Rating corrected.

Ancient History · Post by **Ancient History** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 3:04 pm

Fellow monks. Don't want to rely too much on the shieldmaidens.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 3:05 pm

Wait, we could have killed Gwyneth?

And shouldn't our Popularity be back up to 1?

Well, Gwyneth would make for the best bodyguard out of what we have but we also need her to be running the town watch and be our adviser, so for that reason I suggest we use our fellow monks.

Omegonthesane · Post by **Omegonthesane** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 3:25 pm

Either you forgot to add +1 to our Popularity for restoring the good old Watch, or you forgot to mention a -1 that we picked up.

I also vote for retaining the monks as bodyguards, be they competent or no. We're still a ninja, their number one task is alarm-sounding so we have time to go from overlord to ninja.

Korgan0 · Post by **Korgan0** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 7:46 pm

Monks.

Corsair114 · Post by **Corsair114** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 8:16 pm

Anything the monks can't handle we can with our mighty roundhouse.

MisterDee · Post by **MisterDee** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:46 pm

Somehow, I doubt the answer to every challenge in the book is "let Gwyneth handle it." The monks can take over dying-like-mooks-in-the-flavor-text duties.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 6:32 am

Your announcement that the monks of Kwon will be your personal bodyguards causes no surprise. Henceforth, there will be two monks close to your person at all times, and these will be reinforced with more whenever you leave the palace.

The next item on the agenda is the fate of the army. In the fighting, most of the forces, particularly the Orcs, remains loyal to the Usurper, only changing sides when all seemed lost. Perhaps two hundred were slaughtered, including General Barkant, but they still number nigh on four thousand sword-arms: about a thousand Orcs, the same again of noseless crossbreed Halvorcs, plus two thousand humans – almost all men. The great bulk of them are loyal to Nemesis, but loyal also to their city.

The problem facing you is one of dilemma. On the one hand, they help to protect the city against raids from the Bowels of Orb, so without them the city's military defence strength will be weakened. On the other, certain of their captains long to revenge the humiliation of their defeat when the Usurper was overthrown, so if you allow any of them to remain in your new army, they will be a constant threat to you.

The Demagogue:

The Demagogue rises to his feat and spreads his arms theatrically: 'What need have we of a professional army? Are we followers of Moraine, god of Empire, wishing to subdue all the lands of men under our dominion? Our walls are tall and strong. There are twenty thousand able-bodied men and women in the city needing no more than elementary instruction in the arts of war to become a fine fighting force, buoyed up with revolutionary ardour. Why not form a citizens' volunteer militia and do away with the exorbitant cost of the army at a stroke? The people can defend their city from the spawn of the Rift.'

Force-Lady Gwyneth:

Force-Lady Gwyneth stands stiffly erect, hand on sword-hilt, and says, 'The Followers of Dama are professional soldiers, but their allegiance is not to money as is the case with Antocidas the One-Eyed and his mercenaries. Nor are they liable to trip over themselves in battle as are the Usurper's troops, trained by the clerics of Nemesis, instead of by true soldiers. You have no further need of any army beyond my two thousand trained swords.' She sits down, looking around as if daring anyone to gainsay her.

Greystaff:

Greystaff has not yet uttered a word in Star Chamber; he seems ill at ease, as if being in the chamber itself somehow tarnishes his halo. But, getting to his feet, he says, 'Now is the time, Your Majesty, to banish the filth that contaminates the airs of the city, to rid our streets once and for all of the infiltrators from the Rift, the Orcs and their cross-breed brethren, the Halvorcs. Disband the army and call on the shieldmaidens of Dama; they are fierce and doughty of heart. It is the evil once who make possible the rule of evil in this city. Without them, the power of the Temple to Nemesis would be greatly lessened. You must act now, Sire, for the sake of your people.' He mops his brow and sits down, suddenly bowing his head.

(Foxglove does not seem to offer a lot of policy advice.)

Whose advice will you follow:
• The Demagogue?
• Force-Lady Gwyneth?
• Greystaff?

(The distinction between Gwyneth and Greystaff may not be clear. She wants to disband the army and replace it with her own followers. He wants to do that, and also drive the Orcs and Halvorcs out of the city altogether.)

Charter of Rulership
The four Privy Councillors appointed to Star Chamber are:
1. Force-Lady Gwyneth
2. The Demagogue
3. Greystaff
4. Foxglove

The Watch is kept by: Force-Lady Gwyneth and the shieldmaidens of Dama.

Your chosen bodyguards are: The monks of Kwon.

The army is composed of: TBA.

Popularity Rating: 1

hogarth · Post by **hogarth** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 1:35 pm

I vote for the racist idea that sends a professionally trained army over to the evil forces outside of our gates. No really, it sounds like it might lead to interesting times.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 3:27 pm

I'd like to know what happens if you follow Greystaff's advice and expel all of the greenskins from our city, but I don't think we should actually do it.

Gwyneth in general tends to offer the most reasonable course of action, so let's go with her plan again.

MisterDee · Post by **MisterDee** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:02 pm

Man, the Demagogue is an irritating idiot.

Coin flip says to go with the racism plan.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:23 pm

The Orcs were brought as slaves from the Purple Mountains to the City of Irsmuncast three hundred years ago. Their families were given citizenship a century later. Your proclamation banishing both them and the mixed-blood Halvorcs swings the general mood against you. The people become fed up; you are a tyrant to them, no different from the Usurper. They lose their confidence in your ability to rule wisely.

Agitators whip up feeling against you and scrolls accusing you of weakness, injustice, favouritism, treachery to the people, and a list of other criticisms almost without end, circulate the city. You are reading one of these scandal-mongering rags when the priests of Nemesis come for you. Nobody will lift a finger to save you. After a valiant struggle, your bodyguards are killed and you are taken to be broken on the wheel in view of the Temple to Kwon. Evil rules once more in the city of Irsmuncast nigh Edge.

<rewind noise>

Whose advice will you follow:
• The Demagogue?
• Force-Lady Gwyneth?

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:29 pm

I just knew that would go badly, but I'll admit that I was curious.

I stand by my prior vote to follow Gwyneth's advice, and rather hope that at some point the Demagogue gives useful advice, and that Foxglove gives advice at all.

MisterDee · Post by **MisterDee** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 10:21 pm

Yeah, listen to Gwyneth then.

Corsair114 · Post by **Corsair114** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 10:25 pm

Twenty-thousand mooks or two-thousand veterans...

...I vote for using the Shield Maidens as our army on the grounds they probably train more in a pinch if necessary.

angelfromanotherpin · Mon Sep 02, 2013 11:34 pm

Your move to replace the army with the shieldmaidens is popular with all but the Usurper's army and others who follow Nemesis. Add 1 to your Popularity Rating. Disbanding the standing army, however, causes problems. There are now four thousand jobless men and Orcs roaming the streets and unable to feed their families. Idle hands turn to no good, and there is friction and violence on the streets.

(The Watch is kept by the followers of Dama.)

They manage to keep the situation under control.

After the debate concerning the army, the Privy Council does not resume session for a tenday, giving you time to assess how the changes you have ordered are affecting the city.

(Avenger's Popularity Rating is above zero.)

You have just returned from prayer in the Temple to Kwon, having sought the guidance of the Redeemer and found only empty silence, when Foxglove arrives at the Palace and craves audience.

• Call your bodyguard close and give the order to bring her to you in your study?
• Tell her never to call on you at the palace uninvited?

Charter of Rulership
The four Privy Councillors appointed to Star Chamber are:
1. Force-Lady Gwyneth
2. The Demagogue
3. Greystaff
4. Foxglove

The Watch is kept by: Force-Lady Gwyneth and the shieldmaidens of Dama.

Your chosen bodyguards are: The monks of Kwon.

The army is composed of: Force-Lady Gwyneth and the shieldmaidens of Dama.

Popularity Rating: 2