Week 6: April 28th - 3th May

The Hobbit, Unexpected Journey:

• Convince Gretta to help me pull off this plan. Use Persuasion and non-action combat point.
  
• Convince the Aristocrats to follow this plan. Use Persuasion and non-action combat point.
  
• Coordinate with Kolson who reveals to the Lady of Holtburg that he has a mole within the Aristocrats' leadership who managed to convince the rest of them to follow a specific plan. All the merit for the strategy I'm proposing goes (in lore anyway) to Kolson.
  
• Execution of said plan.
  

First sketch:

Second sketch:

Third sketch:

Fourth sketch:

Fifth sketch:

Sixth sketch:

• The rumor that I killed my best spy? Well, I want my employees to know it's false. So I'll gather them for an announcement which I will do in person. Here's what I tell them: I haven't ordered the death of this spy, nor did I want him dead. After we discovered he was working for someone else, we had him interrogated to find out who was conspiring against us. No, we didn't torture him. That employer, whoever that was, had installed a device within the spy's body to ensure his loyalty and silence. Once it was obvious that he wouldn't manage to ease our concerns, this employer had the spy killed to ensure no vital information would leak. I have a good idea of who this "employer" is and I advise my employees to refuse any suspicious offer made to them. No need to be worried, these "conspirators" obviously don't want to hurt us, only to control the Exchange by positioning key members throughout my organization. Roll diplomacy and Persuasion.
  
• Again, let's invest more resources towards setting up these projects: the Shadow Depository, the Black Butterfly (the inn where people go disappear), the Criminal Headhunting Force Task (giving a name for you the GM to make your work easier) and more importantly, the unification of the Blocs (by replacing the Undermarket middle managers).
  
• I give Sareth an important task: weed out the conspirators within the Exchange. We know they're here and probably plan to take control over the Exchange. However, we'll have to rely on something else other than gold to ensure our employees' loyalty. Which is why I'm setting up a secret movement: the Gilded Sparrows. The Sparrows will help with rooting out the conspirators.
  
• The Gilded Sparrows is a movement of like-minded individuals who are prepared to go to great lengths to ensure the freedom of all sentient beings, even at the cost of "prosperity and order" (kind of like the Assassins in Assassin's Creed, but with the ruthlessness of the Templars). Its members are, for the moment, all handpicked by Zeiss and Sareth themselves. They are elite individuals who excel at their own field of expertise: combat, infiltration, scouting, management, persuasion, etc. You can't apply to become a Sparrow, you're always put forward as candidate by one of its members. However, once you're in, you're given two things: a woven gilded ring of copper which is automatically destroyed when removed from your hand (or when your hand is cut, or if you die, or any other circumstance)... and the truths about Primus that have been discovered up to this point. That knowledge includes: the existence of several organizations (the Pinnacle, the Supremacy, the Directorate, the Eleven, etc.), the Phoenix spell, the Scions, the suspicion that the Pinnacle is governed by one or many Scions who rewrite the memories of the inhabitants of Dereth, Gaerlan, the Lassels, the death of the green mages 14 years ago and everything else I can't think of right now. Since this group is very selective, all of its members will have a name (I can take care of naming the members if you prefer) and have no interest in personal gain. Of course, since this world is crumbling as we speak, the Sparrows will also be charged with the mission to preserve the existence of Dereth, so we won't be recruiting only from within the Exchange, but also from other organizations and nations. Each time the movement finds a potential candidate, we'll take our time to make sure they won't betray us (and scan them for any device once they joined us). Another caveat: we accept Desolate members. We'll figure out a way to hide their condition before we recruit any of them, but I want to make sure every member is aware of that fact. Immediate goals of the movement: scout out potential candidates from within and without the Exchange, free the Exchange from external influences, expand the Exchange's reach to ensure a continuous source of income (and resources) and build up its power base by infiltrating the military, economical and political factions. Long term goals: foil the Pinnacle's plans, stop the war and kill the remaining hostile Scions who still live (or at the very least disable them) One last thing: all Sparrows are given the right to use the Hub.
  
• Find out if Biggs, Wedge and Qui-Gon would make good candidates for the Gilded Sparrows. It doesn't mean we're going to recruit them right away, but only start the process of "reviewing their intentions". That will be the same for all candidates. I'm always, always, on the lookout for candidates. If you think any NPC I encounter would make a good addition to the movement, feel free to notify me and I'll add them to my list of candidates. The other Sparrows can also make their own suggestion as to who to recruit.
  

ooc:

Archengeia wrote:I've read both plans (there will be many dice rolls in my future) but I want to make one thing absolutely clear: You guys are aware that the vast majority of the Separatists forces have evacuated Holtburg by now, right?

• -Zeiss is personally involved- With Kolson's help, I will arrange a secret meeting with the Lady of Holtburg. We will then reveal that I'm a mole within the Separatists' leadership and I'm actually planning to gain more influence until I'm able to bring the whole rebellion down. But to make that happen, I have to make sure the Lady of Holtburg doesn't destroy the Exchange. So I'm basically proposing an alliance. If I do manage to foil the Separatists' plans, we could then talk about the possibility of a reward (some of the Aristocrats' companies for example), but that's for later. We'll also have to come up with a convincing excuse as to why she won't be attacking the Exchange's headquarters; maybe if I act as a secret leader of the rebellion would do the trick. It's not like I've had a PR campaign proclaiming the Exchange is working with the Aristocrats. Use Persuasion and non-action combat point.
  
• -Zeiss is personally involved- Once the previous task is done, I will now fully commit to the Aristocrats' cause and take a gloves off approach. No more kindness for the Nationalists anymore. Only by doing this will the Aristocrats let me on their most secret plans. If the situations presents itself, I will take it upon himself to coordinate the Separatists forces across Aluvia to increase the efficiency of the rebellion as a whole. I will also attempt to come up with the most devious schemes to ensure the Aristocrats' victory (kind of like the other plan I made in this thread) and secure my position within the Separatists' leadership. In short, I'm trying to play the role of the ruthless, cunning and intelligent villain who takes it upon himself to lead the other bad guys towards victory. I have an idea of how best to defeat the military, but I'll roll knowledge politics to make sure: focus on the takeover of the military assets across Aluvia (supplies and source of income) and the disruption of their chain of command. The Aristocrats might have already a good idea of what to do, so we'll consider their options first. I will also be on the lookout for any good opportunity to crush the rebellion from the inside in one swift blow. I use Persuasion when needed.
  
• -Zeiss is personally involved- If the Aristocrats are open to the idea, I will suggest that we publicly commit ourselves to stopping the war with Naverre. This way, we might gather more support from other Aluvian factions as well as the public; at the very least, we will create tensions between the Nationalists which we could exploit. If the Aristocrats are worried about the economic problem in Aluvia, I'll just explain there's another way to resolve it and I'm already planning for this. If taking over Aluvia is our goal, we cannot be too greedy. Use Persuasion.
  
• -Zeiss is personally involved- Investigate the companies of the High Queen, and anything related to her, to meet her. Kolson will help. To accomplish that, I have an idea: let's inquire into buying out certain companies... on the Queen's behalf. Obviously, we're not trying to upset her, but we're obvious enough in our approach to have her take notice of us. Hopefully. At the same time, we'll use this opportunity to find out which company would be a worthwhile acquisition to make for the Exchange. Anything that could help with my other activities? In this order of importance: unifying the Blocs by replacing the Undermarket's middle managers, the Shadow Depository and the Criminal Headhunting Task Force (giving a name for you the GM to make your work easier).
  
• -Zeiss the Delegator- Gretta's men will try to find worthwhile allies that could provide support in the future when we try to take over Holtburg. Some people must not like the fact that both sides still want to go to war with Naverre.
  
• -Kolson's actions- Kolson will continue to work with the Lady of Holtburg to take out the Separatists while also strengthening his position within the Aluvian military.
  

• Week's profits: ?
  
• -Zeiss the Delegator- Continue to rebuild the Exchange Intelligence (spy network).
  
• -Zeiss the Delegator- My alliance with the Aristocrats is an excellent opportunity for the Exchange to gather more contacts, making my plan to take over the Blocs by replacing the Undermarket's middle managers a lot easier: after all, the middle managers were as important as they were because of the knowledge they possessed.
  
• -Zeiss the Delegator- The rumor that I killed my best spy? Well, I want my employees to know it's false. So I'll gather them for an announcement which I will do in person. Here's what I tell them: I haven't ordered the death of this spy, nor did I want him dead. After we discovered he was doing something we weren't aware of, we tried to talk to him about it to discover if he had any hidden agenda. Then when he tried to escape, he mysteriously died. We're not sure what happened. Use Persuasion.
  
• -Zeiss is personally involved- Again, let's invest more resources towards setting up these projects: the Shadow Depository, the Black Butterfly (the inn where people go disappear), the Criminal Headhunting Task Force and more importantly, the unification of the Blocs (by replacing the Undermarket middle managers).
  
• -Zeiss the Delegator- I want the Black Butterfly to rent out quiet rooms, where for X amount of time, a Silence spell is cast. If I can afford to have a permanent Silence spell cast on a few separate rooms instead (or at the very least, a device that uses charges to cast Silence) , that's what I'll do.
  
• -Zeiss the Delegator- I want to upgrade Zeiss' office. If necessary, I will change it to another place within the Veil. Features: it has to be in the middle of all the Exchange's bureaucracy for more efficiency, it has an overhauled records keeping system which makes my job easier, there are at least two secret escape routes built within it (that are littered with traps that only I can deactivate), it is connected to a separate "War Room" with an interactive table shaped like a map of Dereth (which can add markers and pieces to identify different factions, their borders and their forces/resources), there's an area dedicated to meeting my business partners (where I can also offer refreshments), there's another separate area connected to my office which allows me to live there (like my own apartment) which contains a large and hidden safe woven for my soul exclusively, and a permanent Silence spell cast on the whole office (or something that uses charges to cast the spell). Style: it is very practical and has no decorum whatsoever. The only things that are luxurious are there for the sake of important meetings with business partners (nice chairs that change shape for its user, different types of alcohol and pipe-weed available, refrigerated juices from across the continent, etc.). There are two windows which offer a woven view of a nice landscape you could find near Glenden Wood and the weather changes accordingly to Holtburg's. Special note: remember the cell I was put in because the Order claimed I was a warmonger? It had a time warping spell on it which made time pass faster in the inside. I want that, if I can afford it, for my office. I made a deal with the General, so I'll ask him if he can help me acquire this "feature" and maybe reduce its cost.
  
• -Zeiss is personally involved- Choose the three best and trustworthy bureaucrats I have (who are not interested in bribes and such) and have their office move next to mine. These are now my personal secretaries. They will be among the few people allowed to step in my office.
  
• -Zeiss is personally involved- I hire my own cook/butler (double check with Sareth to make sure he or she is trustworthy). They will be allowed within my office and will also serve my partners when needed.
  
• -Zeiss is personally involved- Let's buy some antidotes to any poison my cook might use. Juuuuuuust in case. Could I have some in my stock?
  
• -Zeiss the Delegator- Let's put up a cafeteria for my employees. I want to cater to every race possible. It has to be a nice environment for them to be in where good food is served. Might as well get back some of the money I pay them with.
  
• -Zeiss the Delegator- I give Sareth an important task: weed out the other conspirators within the Exchange. We know they're here and probably plan to take control over the Exchange.
  
• -Zeiss is personally involved- We'll have to rely on something else other than gold to ensure our employees' loyalty. Which is why I'm setting up a secret movement: the Gilded Sparrows. The Sparrows is a movement of like-minded individuals who are prepared to go to great lengths to ensure the freedom of all sentient beings, even at the cost of "prosperity and order" (kind of like the Assassins in Assassin's Creed, but with the ruthlessness of the Templars). Its members are, for the moment, all handpicked by Zeiss and Sareth themselves. They are elite individuals who excel at their own field of expertise: combat, infiltration, scouting, management, persuasion, etc. You can't apply to become a Sparrow, you're always put forward as candidate by one of its members. However, once you're in, you're given two things: a woven gilded ring of copper which is automatically destroyed when removed from your hand (or when your hand is cut, or if you die, or any other circumstance)... and the truths about Primus that have been discovered up to this point. That knowledge includes: the existence of several organizations (the Pinnacle, the Supremacy, the Directorate, the Eleven, etc.), the Phoenix spell, the Scions, the suspicion that the Pinnacle is governed by one or many Scions who rewrite the memories of the inhabitants of Dereth, Gaerlan, the Lassels, the death of the green mages 14 years ago and everything else I can't think of right now. Since this group is very selective, all of its members will have a name (I can take care of naming the members if you prefer) and have no interest in personal gain. Of course, since this world is crumbling as we speak, the Sparrows will also be charged with the mission to preserve the existence of Dereth, so we won't be recruiting only from within the Exchange, but also from other organizations and nations. Each time the movement finds a potential candidate, we'll take our time to make sure they won't betray us (and scan them for any device once they joined us). Another caveat: we accept Desolate members. We'll figure out a way to hide their condition before we recruit any of them, but I want to make sure every member is aware of that fact. Immediate goals of the movement: scout out potential candidates from within and without the Exchange, free the Exchange from external influences, expand the Exchange's reach to ensure a continuous source of income (and resources) and build up the Sparrows' power base by infiltrating the military, economical and political factions. Long term goals: foil the Pinnacle's plans, stop the war, and kill the remaining hostile Scions who still live (or at the very least disable them). Philosophy: the Gilded Sparrows are the protectors of freedom. However, they know that their own freedom cannot supersede everyone else's, which is why they attempt to strike a balance between their own ambitions and the well being of others. While a Sparrow might use blackmail against one particular target, or even murder, they will never take an innocent hostage. The people who are not part of the "game" are to be left alone. At most, a Sparrow could lie to their target and imply they will hurt their loved ones, but they will never follow through with that threat. It's also acceptable for a Sparrow to have subordinates to order around, as long as some form of oral or written contract has been made. A Sparrow is also someone who believes that the general population should be entrusted with certain truths (the existence of the Phoenix Spell for example) and learn how to deal with it. The only thing that prevents Zeiss from revealing the truth about this matter is the lack of proof and the fact that the Order would probably grow stronger following this revelation. If he could avoid that, he would most certainly make sure that everyone learns about this spell and attempt to guide the citizens of Dereth towards a solution as to how to deal with it. One last thing: all Sparrows are given the right to use the Hub.
  
• -Zeiss is personally involved- Find out if Biggs, Wedge and Qui-Gon would make good candidates for the Gilded Sparrows. It doesn't mean we're going to recruit them right away, but only start the process of "reviewing their intentions". That will be the same for all candidates. I'm always, always, on the lookout for candidates. If you think any NPC I encounter would make a good addition to the movement, feel free to notify me and I'll add them to my list of candidates. The other Sparrows can also make their own suggestion as to who to recruit.
  
• -Zeiss the Delegator- Sareth and our most trusted spies will try to find Zeiss' father.
  
• -Zeiss the Delegator- Any employee who is still working for someone else other than the Exchange, even after I made my two previous offers, are going to be given a new job by the Criminal Headhunting Task Force at another company. They're definitely going to work for someone else now. If they refuse this new job, I'll just fire them. However, let's wait until the task force is set up before I do this.
  
• -Zeiss the Delegator- Since there's no fighting for now, my two black mages will go back to training people. Also, anyone that signs up for this training has to accept a magical contract that they will offer X years of working exclusively for the Exchange with a slightly reduced salary than what they would usually get. Because it's free training.