March 12th

As a new day dawns, the Exchange as a whole gets a spare action as they arrange a meeting with whomever chooses to participate with Ursolan of Prowler this evening which will not count against Actions.

First major action: manage the Exchange. The new Foreman and Coordinators will take charge while Zeiss oversee the operations.

• investigate the four pieces of paper I found in my office (which was previously Bonebreaker's office) that talked about trade routes which might be profitable;
  
• find supplies chains;
  
• form contacts with the merchants of Holtburg;
  
• find clients;
  
• map the Veil;
  
• and move the food to the Hidden Veil.
  

New assignments:

• Send Mevrak (Moarsman thief) to search for Sareth. He is to not make contact with him, simply assess his situation.
  
• If he feels capable of doing it, Van will negotiate with the companies that would buy the food. Let's sell it in chunks, like 1/8 of the total food at a time.
  
• Map the areas of the Hidden Veil which are the closest to the newly developed space in Holtburg. We have to plan the construction of the Veil in this sector too.
  

Second major action: find the elven girl who made the little hand-stitched kitten doll for Zeiss when he was falsely accused of being a warmonger. He'll ask her whereabouts to the people in charge of the prison where he was detained. GI check otherwise. Zeiss will thank the little girl for the kindness she showed him and entrust Rainbow to her. He will have previously explained to Rainbow that she must guard the little girl and make sure she grows up to be a good person. Last thing: he'll give the girl a letter sealed with his magical signet ring and explain that it will ensure an audience with him if she ever needs something. I'll try to be discreet when I make my way to her house (roll stealth).

Third major action: I'll search for a "guild" of thieves, or a group of roguish travellers, who may prove to be good spies one day. I need decent, talented and trustworthy people who nonetheless are ready to get their hands dirty if the situation demands it. Burn one use of Persuasion. Quality over quantity. Basically, I want to fill the positions below Spymaster of this document: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4pdKgiss7uFMGFPX3JaeDNYUW8/view

The negotiations: Zeiss will take the lead and burn two uses of Persuasion and the non-combat action point.

1st major action: Take the Crew back to Holtburg and let them rest while i figure out my next move.

First action: guard training(locked)
Non-Combat AP: Rory has so far been teaching the guards how to fight and defeat enemies. Today(and possibly for another day or two after), he will focus on the "subdual" part that comes after. Specifically, how to do so without resorting to clobbering the crap out of the enemy first. The ex-adventurer sergeants likely know more than he retained about the subject during his training on Vesayen, so they will be encouraged to share their knowledge. Rory will consult Zeiss on the matter beforehand.

Second action: Will jot down the names of the candidates he observed since day one who showed promise as potential guard captains etc. He will hand the list off to Zeiss. If the update on the situation with Sareth is bad news, Rory will make himself available to help if the mission calls for a person(s) who can bust in doors and heads. Otherwise, he will move food and look forward to a reply from Kezrinthka.

Third action: Evening hours. Gather Info check. Rory has taken a seemingly whimsical interest in a trading company the others might not have heard of. He will pay a visit tothe docks and spend this action testing the waters, dropping the name "Riton". If people aren't phased by it, he'll try to find out whatever he can about Riton from said people. Basically "who are they? What do you know about them?" If anyone asks why, he'll tell them he heard about it while out at sea, far down in Naverre before the war.

Kolson will

1. Write a message to Zeiss informing him of the trip to Wildeash in search of an Olthoi representative and fill him in on his progress so far. Kolson also promises to send a new message with an update upon arrival. (@Zeiss: I'm doing this just in case anything happens to me.) He'll mail it as soon as possible.

2. Follow up with Gretta's underling about any information on Wildeash. Any significant news recently? Any new dangers along the road? Is route X still the best way to get there? (I'm assuming Kolson has been there even if I the player don't know anything about it. I hope that's okay. How long of a journey am I looking at?)

3. Prepare for journey. As part of that, ask Gretta to borrow a guard or two for the trip if she can spare it. Offer to negotiate a fair pay for their trouble.

4. If any actions remaining, leave for Wildeash.

Javan hears about some small time yet persistent banditry happening in the nearby woods and fields, preying on people's camps and tents while they sleep. While there's unlikely to be a reward involved, dealing with such a situation might help reputation. There is also another possible job in the making as a caravan hauling cargo south to Lightmont has spent some of the morning asking around town to hire some defenders. The caravan is mostly mixed merchants though they are hauling a decent amount of PTC goods.

Zeiss does paperwork stuff and sends his Mosswart slave off. Van is willing to sell food if given the go-ahead. Rather than detail results on a sub-day basis, suffice to say that Zeiss' middle managers are beginning to settle into their duties, and within a week will be fully productive.

Higaide sends his people back in the morning to Holtburg, remembering to give them their passes and documents that will allow them into the city.

Rory tries to teach his guards about subdual damage, but none of them are really getting the hang of it at all, as they're barely combat capable to begin with and trying to control their attacks to only do non-lethal damage requires precision they currently lack. They keep trying though, encouraged a bit by the presence of the ex-Adventurers.

Kolson gets ambushed by a Tarrasque... er I mean he preps the message and mails it to Zeiss back in Holtburg.

Van is given the go-ahead.

Lol. Tarrasque. You know, they say there's one in every setting...

2nd action: Javan decides to see the caravan leader and propose the caravan staying in town for a little longer, trying to sell the idea that dealing with the local banditry now will keep them from becoming a bigger problem later, probably when there will be no one to deal with them. By allowing the faery time to fix that problem, Ritholme stays a profitable trading spot for longer, which is a great for any traveling merchant, peace or war time. Non-combat AP used here.

If selling the idea like that fails, Javan proposes a 10% off (that gets taken from Javan's share) as thanks for delaying just enough to take care of it, getting the caravan a dragoon and 4 ex-military as escorts.

Failure means the White Scarves takes the escort job as is.

3rd action: Either:

• Attempt to lure the bandits into an ambush, giving orders to take at least one of them taken alive in order to verify numbers, leadership, etc.
  
• Or prepare and/or depart with caravan if Javan fails at convincing the caravan leader.
  

Advoc will stay behind to guard the Leycite while Zeiss goes at the negotiations.

2nd Action: Gather information on the current state of the war, namely, what areas have been affected the most (i already know about Marblebush, nothing there needs any help anymore), and what's the general refugee situation.

3rd Action (made it the third and not second, specifically to give my people time to rest): Interview my crew, one by one. Get their background, what kind of experience do they have (how many medics, craftsmen, guards, used car salesmen, etc, is the party made up of), and try to get a general feel for their character, and cross-check that with my earlier evaluations on the way to and at Janwall (i know this'll probably be a pain to do, Arch, but i see no way around getting stats on the group if i'm ever to give it any sort of structure. I'm obviously not after the whole 100 people individually - that'd be insane, just the ones that make more of an impression on Higaide).

3rd Action will probably take more than just the rest of the day to conclude. I'm fine with that. The thing i need to do the most right now is shape this party up anyway.

Seeing the err of his judgment play out before him, Rory commits to working on control and precision with the guard training...tomorrow, to save at least some face if he'd lost any.

It takes some doing but Zeiss spends the majority of the middle part of his day failing to find the little girl who made the doll for him, only succeeding at the end by the merest of miracles and stealthing his way to her house. It turns out the girl is the daughter of a local Order Ibrexi, a Dwarven girl named Felria of Ironforge, who recognizes Zeiss when he reveals himself to her. She is unafraid, as her mother told her all about how he was innocent, and she embraces Rainbow happily when given the chance. Rainbow seems uncertain, and ee's at Zeiss questioningly while he gives her the sealed letter and explaining its use.

Rory is back at the training area when Mevrak arrives announcing that Sareth was last seen at his house and the place was locked up but otherwise looked abandoned. Zeiss at this point in time is no where to be found, so deciding not to head to Sareth's place alone and without informing anyone he goes ahead and spends several hours taking notes of the 3 candidates he believes show some promise in combat. In this case 'shows promise' means they're not knocking themselves over with the swinging of their swords, but it's something.

Kolson learns precious little about Wildeash, other than what he already knows; it's a combination Aluvia / Order / Olthoi town which was originally an information and trade hub that grew into a city and only technically falls under Aluvian jurisdiction. Given the falling out the Order and the Aluvian Kingdom had recently it's probable that the situation has changed since then. He does know that for the most part refugees have not been drifting into that area for whatever reason, possibly due to their natural unease around the Olthoi.

Javan, after rolling three 1's in a row (I kid you not), fails to convince the merchants that waiting when they're already going to be facing delays is a good idea. However, when offering the discount and effectively taking a loss to get the job, he does (after blowing the AP) manage enough that the GM takes pity on him and lets him succeed because he rolled a 2. This gives him time to look into some info on the bandits, and learns that they never stray too close to city borders but mainly hit the grassy and woodland areas nearby that, at the moment, are dotted with tents and camps and the like from refugees squatting. He's also heard no info on the roads being hit.

Higaide learns that the Naverre have unleashed the full might of their secret Gnoll Attack Force on Aluvian lands and have been decisively defeating the Aluvian forces on all fronts. He also learns that the Sho built the super weapon that devastated the lands of Marblebush nearby, and have already deployed it in the Rithwic Region. He also learns that there is a secret organization devoted to keeping Aluvia in the war specifically to weaken them for inevitable conquest. He also learns that there are people on the moon who have allied with Naverre to supply an elite Tusker troop currently deployed in Yaraq. As far as the refugee situation as a whole, only a fairly small number of refugees have received official support and acknowledgement, though every 3 days a small 'Recruitment Squad' comes through the camps throughout the grassland and woods and offers the standard recruitment deal for anyone willing to take it (citizenship and food in exchange for military service). The other vast bulk of the refugees remain squatting with what they've managed to scavenge in the countryside.

Zeiss makes sure Rainbow stays with Felria, convincing her that her place is now with the Dwarven girl. He'll pet her one last time and say that he is sorry. He gives Felria a little pouch full of dried fruits to feed Rainbow and then leaves.

OOC:

Javan is going to leave town with the WS, change into his travelers' clothing, pack his armor and weapons, get some mud and dust in those clothing and basically act as a peddler stopping for the night and have another member do the same. They then make camp not too close and not too far from the refugee squatting, but certainly close to the woodlands. Once they are done eating a bland but filling supper, they are going to make a simple noise trap visibly aimed to scare animals with some empty cans, twigs and string, then retreat to their tent (closed kind that you can't see what's inside unless you enter it), don their armor and lay in wait inside the tent.

The other WS members are to circle around and careful approach the ambush site from the woodlands during the night. I'm going to give explicit orders to take all bandits alive unless they fight back. Hopefully, the bandits will take the bait.

OOC:

Zeiss spends his evening prior to his meeting with Ursolan searching for a thieves guild of some sort in Holtburg but finds very little for the day. Given the colossal size of the city it's likely such guilds exist but as to where, who knows.

Rory spends a fair amount of his evening looking for the name of a company called Riton. After hearing nothing at all for most of his time he does finally hear rumors of a shipping company based in Fujimi in the Hebian-To District of the Sho.

Gretta has no problems assigning a few of the local guard to escort Kolson, though it takes several hours for them to be ready to go. Thereafter Kolson begins his journey as the sun sets north to Wildeash.

Because Higaide hates his GM, he learns the following about some of his followers, with no names given.
A male who is good with metalworking and jewelcrafting.
A male who harbors fantasies about hunting mystical creatures like dragons and centaurs.
A male who made his living back on Vesayen Lassel selling sod.
A male who worked as a 'mercenary' (in the Human sense of the word) who is good with a crossbow.
A male alchemist who brews local remedies from herbs and the like.
A female worker who was a lumberworker.
A female tailor who specializes in bags.
A female merchant who sold small wooden goods.
A male herbalist who can identify tons of flowers that don't exist on this continent.
A young male who had no profession prior.
A male tailor who made cloaks with no functional use but were designed to look good.
A female merchant who didn't do any work herself just managed other sellers.
A male farmer.
A female farmhand.
A female former mercenary, worked with a crude wooden mace.
A female merchant who was good at convincing people to buy whatever she had to sell.
A female cook who was good at improvising meals.
A female carpenter who normally worked with medium sized jobs like desks, beds, and the like.
A male construction worker who worked on large scale buildings for the Hlaalu.

Javan manages all that he seeks and tucks in for the night. To be continued....


...meanwhile... anyone wishing to go to see Ursolan for the visit (which at this point appears to be just Zeiss) may do so and find him in his office, where he looks rather haggard as if he's had a very long day. He beckons whomever in, offering a seat and opening up by stating that his boss has explained to him what Leycite is and its relative value.

OOC:

1. A discharge for Rory's family, if they are still alive. Their service will be considered "complete". Zeiss will also send them a letter which details what happened to their mother and how to reach her. I will also ask to investigate whether Higaide's friends are in the military and do the same for them if they are.
   
2. Experienced personnel we would borrow for at least two weeks, preferably for a month. They are to help the Exchange get set up, hire the employees who will eventually replace them and train those who need it for the duration of their "contract".
   
3. Access to the information network with no name. Zeiss heard about it and would be surprised if Lady Lightmane didn't have access to it
   
4. Some equipment: a powerful focus for a red mage, a new armor fit for a human barbarian who somehow possesses grappling feats, a pair of gloves that enhances a monk's abilities, a materia ideal for Dragoons and a woven tattoo (transferable) which strengthens an Aspect through their summoner. Feel free to choose the stats Arch.
   
5. Money. I imagine we would get mostly Writs with some pieces of platinum and a small amount of gold. It will be calculated like this: Estimated price made by Zeiss, Kolson and Van (see OOC thread for details) minus the estimated price of these previous favours. This is OOC knowledge, but if Ursolan says the amount of money asked must be reduced because of the third favour, Zeiss will agree to this after a few rolls to determine whether he is telling the truth, knows what he is talking about, etc.
   

Edit:
Will burn my three uses of Persuasion and my non-combat action point when deemed necessary. Also going to ask Ursolan what he did today to be so tired. As a side-note, because Zeiss has worked 16 hours per day everyday since he came back to Holtburg, he looks just as tired as Ursolan. So yeah, he can relate.

The Drudge listens to your list of demands, nodding faintly, and glances at some of his notes, rubbing the back of his skull from headache. He seems rather confused at your mention of a 'network', having no idea what you're talking about, and he'll promise to forward that to his superior if you're adamant on that point. While he deliberates on the other points he confesses that he received a change in his job requirements over the last couple of days and hasn't actually been back to his house since to rest. After a few minutes of consideration he says he's willing to allow for an honorable discharge for the people mentioned, though of course they would have to be willing to take it since it'd mean the loss of their jobs and any potential military career. As for personnel, he thinks on that one for quite a while but ultimately decides that while normally he'd be all on board with that, Holtburg simply does not have people to spare right now, especially given how much of the bureaucracy has been conscripted to help facilitate the war effort. However he is more than willing to aid with this once the war has been won. As for equipment, he waves his hand idly and says he'll look into the Office's personal requisitions to procure some items as highlighted, though he notes that he is unaware of tattoos that can be transferred. Finally, he will have to consult with his superior about raw money but he's certain the Leycite is at least worth several plat, but he (personally) is not sure where they'll come up with the money at this point in time, but he'll look into it.

Let's forget about the equipment and the personnel. Here's what we'll keep:

• Rory's family discharge. Higaide's friends too if they are found. We'll send them some money and offer them a job with the Exchange if they're really desperate. I will also send the coordinates of Rory's mom to his siblings.
  
• Access to the information network.
  
• Money. There has to be some left. If Lady Lightmane has to give us less money than what the Leycite is worth, we'll accept some land titles that are worth a damn. I'll roll any useful skills I have to make sure we're not stuck with a worthless piece of land. I would prefer if these were situated within Holtburg (and connected to the Hidden Veil) but if she has an abandoned Keep laying around somewhere in the outskirts, I would take it (I imagine that's a pipe dream). In any case, we need to receive some money.
  

Ursolan agrees without hesitation to release the contract on all individuals listed... but he warns that it may take some time to even find them, let alone get them back from wherever they are. If they're lucky they aren't on the front lines yet, because if they are not only is it possible they're not alive, but it would take weeks for this to happen (traveling there on foot, and then back).

Ursolan, again, has no idea what network you're talking about but will bring it up.

And he will go and talk to his superiors and discuss monetary compensation, and the possibility of being landed.

Zeiss salutes Ursolan, thank him for his time and leaves his office.