So, you have several choices on how to make it into the governor's heavily-guarded palace. You thought of possibly asking around the local trader's guild, possibly meeting some of your old contacts if they're around.

Ruul suggested taking the sewers; that's how people sneak into everywhere, isn't it?

Rei & Kei recommended looking around the Red Light District for info, as anything seedy is bound to have someone helpful.

You also mulled around the idea of disguising yourself as Navy soldiers and simply waltzing in the front door, as risky as that is, the military always commands respect anywhere in Prism.

>>46657296
>Head to the trader's guild.

Best to know the legal ways before trying anything more shady. Plus, they might tell us of a nice brothel to go to.

>>46657296
>Traders guild.
It's a fun place, lots of trades, and traders. Maybe we could attach ourselves to some delegation going to meet the Governor.

>>46657473
>>46657432
Right on. Writing!

You figure the best place to start is the one thing you know; the trader's guild. Technically you are a member, even if only C class. Besides, you never know if you might meet someone you know from your old traveling-by-land days.

You and your group follow the signs for a short while until you notice a very busy building with numerous lines, people arguing loudly, carts with heavy loads of goods and obscenely opulently-dressed men and women surrounded by throngs of guards and sycophants carrying bags and pretending to be genuinely in love with every word that comes from their lips.

You're back in your element.

There are several places you could check out: the front desk for general information, staffed by very unhappy-looking clerks being yelled at by even unhappier guild members.

The "common grounds", as they're usually referred to. A place where members congregate to talk shop with one another, meet with contacts or just generally hang around while waiting for deliveries and the like.

Lastly, there's the guild-sanctioned trading offices where members go to either apply for better licenses, ordering goods directly through the guild or to claim goods entering or exiting the city. They also handle fines and guild stipends.

Where to?

>>46657739
>Common Grounds

Shouldn't there be a bounty on us? I mean the militia we rallied in the prolouge would of most likely leaked our identity to the military through interrogation or torture. So wouldn't the traders guild inform the military if we visit one of their offices?

>>46657786
Please roll 1d20.

Rolled 10 (1d20)

>>46657916
Sorry.

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>46657916
I'm not.

>>46657913
As far as you know they don't have your identity...yet. The militia you rallied is all VERY dead. The Porphyran guards do not fuck around when it comes to killing terrorists. Then again, they may have your identity and are just trying to keep their biggest flub in years under wraps for now. Until they can nab you and get you good and killed.
>>46657935
Writing!

>>46657913
The Government don't know who we are, yet. And I doubt word has reached all the way to Ao about us if they do.

>>46657913
We're still not sure who was left alive, if any. That aside, we should be careful, but there's no reason to assume they'd have gotten the word out 2-3 days after the attack.

I think going to the trading offices still sounds nice eventually. Since we have such a big ship we could raise our merchant rank by quite a bit just hauling cheap items to far off destinations. There's just the risk of capture with each interaction.

You head to the common grounds to rub elbows and possibly find some people you know. A few minutes of looking and there isn't a terribly fruitful endeavor; there are a couple people you've exchanged basic pleasantries with or seen a few times on routes, but nobody you're exactly familiar with.

There's two brothers, you think their names are...Jameson? Jacobs? You've just seen them around once or twice. They're currently arguing over something while wildly gesturing to their cart.

A woman who must be one of the Class A's. She's decked head to toe in fine silks and jewelry that are probably worth more than everything you've ever traded and then some. She's heavier set, a generous amount of décolletage showing over her straining corset. She is sitting on a bench fanning herself while her servants load up one of her carts. You cannot, for the life of you, recall her name, but you remember her having some important ties to Porphyra's mercantile this and thats.

There is a small group of people, two men and a woman wearing meager clothing and sitting in a smaller cart idly chatting. They're relatively new, but you've passed them before on the road before. They primarily trade in grains used for alcohol production. You believe they call themselves "Blue Wings Trading". Not something class C's do often, but they probably have high hopes for reaching class A status.

Who do you speak to and what do you say?

Back in a moment. Think carefully as to what you want to say! You don't know who you can trust!

>>46658191
>Make small talk with the Blue Wings. They might know something and the brothers sound a bit busy.

The plump lady would be our greatest chance at getting a way in, but I don't want to talk to her without a plan of attack. Perhaps if things aren't going well we could mention her to the Blue Wings and hope they know her better than we do.

>>46658191
Talk to the blue wings about something. I'm not sure what. Kinda busy getting ready to go to a lecture to bother thinking that much. Someone else do it for me please.

>>46658362
They're newbies who might appreciate a fast track to success. I'm not saying we mention our Beast... but having them aboard lets us trade without using our own papers.

We ARE looking for a way into the palace right now though. Not sure how they could help us there.

>>46658446
If they are currently supplying the palace with alcohol they could take us in through smuggling or replacing the transporter. But there is always the concern of what we can offer them to compensate their risk.

>>46658488
The only deal in grains used to make alcohol as far as you know; barley and yeast etc. But even if they did, odds are the fat lady would be more likely to be the one supplying anything to the palace. Big, important jobs that involve royalty, nobles or government usually fall under Class A jurisdiction. But hey, you never know.

Please roll 1d20.

Rolled 3 (1d20)

>>46658560

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>46658560

>>46658586
You approach the Blue Wings, waving a friendly hello which they return. You rack your brain trying to recall their names. The girl is...Eddie, you think. The taller guy is...her boyfriend? Fiance? Ed. You always thought about their names being basically the same, Ed and Eddie. The third one was Rufus...you're pretty sure, anyway. You attempt some small talk, which works out for a little bit, but their mind is on trading and trading alone right now. You play with the idea of a "fast track to success" around them, hinting at the idea that they might have a place in it, but they politely decline, saying any "easy in" is usually more trouble than anything and rarely ever bare fruit. They're perfectly fine working for their position. It'll come someday.

You ask about the palace and if anyone has any dealings or ways into it's good graces, possibly for a trade deal or audience with the governor. They only shrug at this and recommend asking one of the Class A's, provided you can get them to give you the time of day. They're not known for chatting it up with lowly Class C's like your lots.

They apologize that they can't be more help, but you tell them it's no problem and wish them safe travels.

What now?

>>46658741
Go talk to the brothers, see what they are arguing about.

>>46658741
Talk to the lady about trading opportunities unmatched that the Governor just has to know about.

>>46658741
Go to the front desk and ask about the requirements for an audience with the governor. After that flops we can hit the red light district.

I'm not enthusiastic about our chances with the class A lady and I don't want to burn our bridges with the trader quite yet. They could still be useful.

>>46658812
>>46658854
>>46658858
I see some conflicting ideas. Anyone wanna be a tiebreaker?

>>46658946
We can talk with the brothers. Depending on what they're arguing about they might be surprisingly helpful even if we can't get a favor outta them.

>>46658946
Talk to the brothers?

>>46658990
>>46658998
Okey dokey. 1d20!

Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>46659009

Rolled 15 (1d20)

>>46659009

File: Map.jpg (1.05 MB, 1024x768)

1.05 MB JPG

>>46659029
You approach the...Jacobis...Jen...Jaa...fuck, it's on the tip of your tongue. Anyway, you ask if everything's alright with them. They've been yelling quite loudly. They both freeze for a second, looking at you for a moment before relaxing. They might've thought you were with the guild and wanted them to shut up or something. They wave it off, saying it's just a simple argument over where to head next. Nothing major. One says Vert for it's simplicity and reliable trade, the other says they could make their way to Peck and start up a new trade route, since nobody goes out that way due to the proximity to Ironwood. They could make a killing and hit Class B within a month. The other says it's suicide. They both ask your opinion, looking for an unbiased opinion.

Should they stick to the safety of Vert or take a chance with Peck? From what you recall of Peck, they certainly could do with the trade and it would be very profitable. You've been to Vert once or twice and trade is pretty commonplace there. It's reliable enough and more than safe enough, but that means it's not nearly as lucrative as being the only traders in a town.

>>46659203
Earth to quest. Anybody there?

>>46659203
I'd head to Peck, lots of money if they can handle the risk.

>>46659203
>Don't take sides.

"I've been to Peck recently so I can say you'd definitely make a pretty penny. On the other hand, they also were being attacked when I was there. Unless you pay extra for some muscle I wouldn't suggest it. Speaking of risk, I've got myself into a pickle as well... You see, I need to get two messengers to the governor quietly.."

>>46659417
Might just be the day AM. Not many people are around apparently.

>>46659437
>>46659475
Alright, I can work with this.

Writing.

You tell them they'd make a killing in Peck, provided they could hire some protection. The risk is substantial, but the town isn't without it's own defenses. The brother for it gives a smug grin to the other, who just waves it off and sulks by the cart. He snorts indignantly and goes quiet.

You then carefully bring up your own predicament, telling the remaining man, who introduces himself as Arnold Johansson. Fuck, that was what it was! You explain that you are in need of getting into the palace to bring a message that could net you a pretty important deal to the governor, but don't have any way in. He scratches his chin for a moment, then looks around carefully, motioning you over.

"Now," he whispers "this is just...a guess here...but I've HEARD that there is a POSSIBILITY of a man who may OR MAY NOT offer...less than standard papers. Hypothetically speaking, should he...or maybe she...would probably be in the red light district...and were I a betting man, and I am not, I'd bet he'd hole up in a store listed as Wong's Teas and Herbs...but that's just a guess, you get me?" he gives you a "I'm doing you a favor, you didn't hear shit from me" look. He pats you on the shoulder, gives you a wink and goes over to argue with his brother some more, who still hasn't come around to the idea.

Well, forgeries, if any good, are an option. Ruul seems pretty excited at the idea of going into the city's seedy underbelly for espionage and the like. The girls seem a little concerned, but are resolute and willing.

What do you do?

>>46659832
Well you heard him ladies go. Look around for any trading info. If anyone has airships going out soon.

>>46659832
>Let the girls leave and meet us at Wong's while we do business.

>>46659870
Are you saying you want the twins to head to Wongs while you do other stuff?

>>46659870
>>46659965
Whelp, works for me then. Writing.

You inform the girls to head to Wongs and see what they can find about acquiring a Class A certification or something else that might let them into the palace. The eye one another, obviously uncertain, but nod and hurry off. You hope they know what they're doing. Or at least don't talk to the wrong person.

In the meantime, you have business of your own to attend to. You ask around a few places and talk to some people inquiring about any out-bound airships as well as general gossip about current events. You silently wonder how Porphyra is dealing with your theft of their war machine. You don't exactly have a criminal record or anything, but that doesn't mean they have no way of figuring out who you are.

Roll 1d20.

Rolled 11 (1d20)

>>46660252

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>46660252

>>46660302
>>46660310
Awww, close. Writing.

>>46660310
Ffff- I shoulda waited 30 seconds.

Business-wise, there are a few ships here and there. There's been a sudden increase in need for metals in Ghel again. Nobody's sure why, but demand is demand. People go where the money goes. Asking questions usually just gets you into trouble. There are a few theories, though, but nothing terribly believable. Porphyra wants to start a new city to the south, they plan to go to war with one of the neighboring nations, the crown wants to start increasing taxes on ores and minerals, so on.

On the current events, nothing major to report. Still no word as to what's going on in Blakkaz. Trade is good in Vert and Saffron. One of the captains of the guard in the capitol is planning on cracking down on crime and focusing on looking for their hideout, the rumored city of thieves.

Looks like you're in the clear for now.

It's been about an hour and still no word from the twins. Maybe the place is hard to find, far away, or...

What next?

>>46660466
Better go check on them.

>>46660466
>>46660510
Agreed. Let's check on the twins.

Smuggling precious gems comes later.

>>46660585
Y'all just want Isaac to become Han Solo, don't you?

Would you kindly roll 1d20. (Sorry for all the rolling. Just how it be.)

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>46660655
If I wanted that I'd be smuggling spice. Which is drugs. Can we smuggle drugs?

>>46660696
Drugs are always an option if you know where to find them. You guys are free to do as you please in regards to pretty much everything. But just remember you need to find it and also actions have consequences.

Writing. /tg/ dice are fickle tonight.

>>46660696
I don't think Freyja would appreciate that.

You head down to the red light district, once again following the handy signs. Thank god for them, too, because you would be unbelievably lost without.

The red light district is pretty much how you'd expect it to be; unsavory looking bars, shops and an almost unnerving number of brothels. You swear, almost every street has one and a large number of the women (and occasionally men) they have on display look very unhappy to be there. The chains on many of them offer a pretty good explanation as to why. Though some seem genuinely into their work, offering come-hither looks and lewd displays. This city is...unique, to say the least.

After some time you manage to find the little tea shop, sandwiched between yet another brothel and an "antique" shop. Upon nearing it, you check through the window; you see the twins...they're between two rather large men with firearms in their hands and an old man at a table drinking tea or something from a small mug. The girls do not look to be in any pain or tied up or anything, but you do not think they're there willingly. Shit.

What now? They haven't seen you yet, but there's only one way in to the store from what you can tell.

>>46660727
Just being a bit facetious. I don't think Isaac would try dabbling in the drug trade unless he had gotten himself wedged in a corner. And at that point I think the fun of being Solo would be a bit besides the point. (I'm not sure we'd do so well in a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Let alone look so cool mounted on a wall.)

>>46660985
>Have Ruul hang back and let's go in alone. Hopefully he'll help if all hell breaks loose. "Gentlemen, is something wrong? I apologies if my associates have said something to distress you."


Does Ruul have a gun? We can give him our pea shooter if not.

>>46661062
Supporting

>>46661062
You both have rifles with you. You brought them with you just in case. Most cities will allow open carry provided you don't start waving them around like a loony.

Writing.

You tell Ruul to hang back for a bit and keep his gun handy. If shit goes south, you want him to spray through the window on your say so. Ruul is beside himself getting to act out one of the old gangster stories you read. You contemplate telling him to be serious, but you have a feeling this is the closest he gets to that.

You take a breath, compose yourself and enter the store, putting on your best brave face.

"Gentlemen, is something wrong?" you say confidently "I apologize if my associates have said something to distress you."

"Ah, come in, come in!" the old man says, beckoning you to sit at a chair in front of him "You must be Isaac. Your lady friends here have informed me they wish to purchase some very illicit products, yet were unsure of what, exactly, they wanted." He pours you a mug of tea and places it on front of you. Not wanting to be rude, as well as praying it isn't drugged or anything, you give it an experimental sip. Very light and tasty. He smiles and sips some of his.

The girls don't say a word, though they both have a look of frustration rather than fear on their faces. Their curved swords are sitting neatly on a desk behind the old man.

"Ah, where are my manners." he bows lightly "My name is Wong and this is my fine establishment. My...guards here are merely keeping your friends under close watch. You can't be too careful these days, Mr. Isaac." a warm smile never leaves his face, as if this were perfectly normal.

"So, would you mind telling me precisely why your associates came to my store today and what it is, exactly, that you're hoping to find here...besides quality teas and herbal cures, of course." he folds his hands neatly on the counter.

What do you tell him?

>>46661372
>I heard from a friend that you might know how to find some trader certifications for us.

Make it more secret sounding or soemthing.

>>46661372
>Don't tell him of Arnold, but explain our need for the papers.

I don't want to rat on Arnold if we don't have to, and Wong doesn't need to know it. All we need is to be sincere enough to convince him we won't bring unwanted attention towards him.

>>46661508
>>46661544
Copy that. Writing.

"I heard from a friend that you might know how to find some trader certifications for us." you say, trying to remain vague.

Wong eyes you carefully, then hops down from his stool. It's then that you notice that he is almost comically short, his head barely reaching over the counter. He shuffles over to the windows, pulling the blinds shut and locking the door. "And who, pray tell, might this 'friend' be, young man?"

"He...wishes to remain anonymous, I'm afraid." you reply, trying to remain firm.

"Mmm, quite a number of people wish that here, you know." the old man nods, but keeps his eyes locked on yours. He looks you up and down, checking out your rifle, clothes and everything else. "Mmmm..."

He proceeds back to the counter, climbing back into his seat, opening a drawer and removing a pen, some papers and a stamp. "Very well." he says cheerfully "I assume you're looking for a Class A license. I don't care why, that is not my problem. It's 2,000 up front, no negotiations, no refunds. You get caught, which will be no fault of my own, you say nothing or I have some very unfriendly men find you and do very unfriendly things to your arms and legs, understand?"

You stare in shock, but nod quickly.

"Good! So, do we have a deal? Oh, and tell Arnold I said hello." Wong smiles broadly, taking another sip of tea.

Do you agree to his terms and pricing? It doesn't look like he's willing to haggle.

>>46661867
>Lay down the money. "I'm sure I don't know who you're talking about."

>>46661867
you're really persistent on this write-in only setup, aren't you?

>>46661867
Rack your own mind of high-class contacts who wouldn't turn a suspicious eye on an unfamiliar Class A, and/or ask Wong.

>>46661867
Well, the twins said we would be handsomely rewarded, so I'll agree.

>>46661938
Well, I aim for a mix of write-in and multiple choice. I give you options, I just don't list them in a standard format. I prefer the players exercise their creativity as much as possible! Challenge me as a QM!

>>46661995
I've seen more than my fair share of quests die because of this "nonstandard but standard" format.

but we've gotten this far, so clearly something's going right.

>>46661938
Oh and most Class A's are too far up their own asses to care about anyone else they don't know. Your clothes might be an issue, but you wouldn't be the first "rough and tumble adventurer trader" who likes to get dirty in their work, so it's not unheard of.

Writing!

>>46661867
Will this license work in places that aren't Ao?

You place the payment on the table, which Wong counts quickly, weighs on some scales and then files away in a lockbox, thanking you for your patronage. He then gets to work, filling out the paperwork at the speed of light. He's no novice. Which makes you wonder just how many of the Class A's are actually fakes who simply used his expertise for a leg up.

A few minutes, loud stamps and sips of tea later you have your very own, very real-looking Class A paperwork. You haven't exactly looked at one of them closely before, but as far as you know this looks pretty damn legit. Money well spent, you think. You thank him for his assistance.

"Think nothing of it." Wong remarks, motioning to his men to let the girls go and retrieve their weapons for them. They seem a little flustered, but are otherwise unmolested. "Have a pleasant day, Mr. Isaac. Oh and...once you're finished with whatever errands you may have here in Ao, I may have a proposition for you. One that could make you back this payment many times over...feel free to come see me if you're interested." he smiles again as one of his guards opens the door.

You exit, the door shutting behind you and locking as you leave. That's an ordeal you'd rather not deal with again.

"We are...not experienced with these kinds of things." Rei says, bowing in apology "We are sorry."

You wave them off, just glad it didn't end in bloodshed. Ruul almost looks disappointed.

You have a license that could get you just about anywhere now, provided no one discovers it's a forgery. It's getting a little late and most places are closing up. Do you wish to make for the palace now or turn in for the night?

>>46662188
Yeah, it's a traders guild license. Those are pretty much universal throughout Prism. So long as nobody figures out it's fake, you'll be in the clear.

>>46662210
Let's turn in for the night, go check that the elves haven't ruined our airship while we were away.

>>46662210
Go to a high class hotel for a night. For sure bring the twins, but maybe bring Freyja to appear to have "exotic" slaves. I don't know if Ruul even wants to, and at least a couple people need to keep watch on the Beast.

This is to ensure that if they run a background check on us at the palace, we don't look shady as fuck.

>>46662273
If Feyja leave the Beast then the Veil will stop working and everyone will see the giant airship with no markings on the outskirts of town.

>>46662306
really? Damn

>>46662210
>>46662273
I guess the daughter isnt distinct enough for the tactic to work, and risking her at all is kind of dickish. Guess we don't bring them, then.

>>46662334
Lisa is Freyja's daughter. It's pretty much a given there is no way in hell she'd let you just take her into some strange place that's potentially dangerous.

Writing.

You decide to turn in for the night, heading back to the beast. You invite the twins back to your ship if they need a place for the night, but they don't wish to impose and assure you they have a place to stay for the night. They will meet you at the gates in the morning and bid you good night. To each their own, you suppose.

You spend the night aboard the ship, making sure your new crew is behaving and nobody is causing any problems. Thankfully, everything seems to be fine, though Freyja is very confused as to why they keep calling the ship your name and who exactly this "U'Wah" person is. Other than that, they seem to be getting along well. Many of them have families of their own elsewhere, so they're sharing parenting stories and such. Lisa is curled up in her arms fast asleep.

Come morning you awake to Ruul, once again, shaking you awake. You swear you locked the door this time. "Captain, s'morning. Also, we have trees on the roof and Ay'ia says thanks and stuff. She says she'll have something for you within a week to thank you. No idea what, but hey, free shit, right?" he pats you on the arm, clicks his heels together and heads off, twirling a wrench in his hand.

You head to the bridge, bidding Freyja and Lisa good morning. The little girl is currently loudly chewing a banana, bits of it flying out of her mouth as she does so. She waves happily.

Ruul and Wella are probably working on the barrier at the moment and Ay'ia is probably on the roof tending to her trees. You cloud readily speak to any of them if you'd like, or you could head into town and make for the palace with the twins. If so, who do you bring? Keep in mind if you take Freyja, the veil will go down and reveal your ship in all it's unmarked glory.

>>46662562
Can we meet with the new crew and try to explain to them once again that we are Isaac, and the ship is the Beast.

>>46662588
No. We will not. :)

>>46662562
Get the new people sorted out over breakfast, and I suppose ready them incase we need to get out of Ao very, very quickly.

>>46662615
Sorry anon, looks like attempting to rally the troops under the banner of your real name wins. Writing.

You head to the mess hall for some breakfast and a chat with the crew about proper names. You'd rather not have the tale of "Isaac being ridden by over 30 men and women around Prism" start to spread.

The two chefs you hired are diligently working, serving the others with gusto. They wave with a smile at you, actually enjoying the work. That's good. Once one of your crew notices you, they shout "Captain on deck!" and all the others stand at attention and salute. They're a little too into the whole "captain-ship" romanticizing thing. You can only roll your eyes, then wave it off.

"Nooo no, that won't be necessary guys." you say loud enough for them to hear "I just wanted to say two things. First of all, uh, welcome aboard. I hope you guys enjoy your time here on the ship. It's nice to see an actual crew at work here rather than just me, Freyja and a few others." they cheer at this "Right, ah, as for the second thing...so, a lot of you seem to be a liiiiittle confused. See, the truth of it is that *I* am Isaac. This is the Beast." you point downward to indicate the ship "Not U'Wah. Isaac. I. Am. Isaac."

There is a silence for a moment, then one speaks up happily. "Yes! Yes, sir, I too feel a great oneness with this ship! I, too, am Isaac!"

"Yes! I am also Isaac! I am a part of something greater!" another replies.

"I am Isaac as well! And Isaac is me!" a third pipes up. Soon your whole crew is shouting about them being a part of the ship and cheering about feelings of togetherness.
Fucking hell.

You give up for now, these ELF people make your head hurt with how dense they can be. You put your mind on the task at hand instead. Who do you bring with you, if any, to the palace?

>>46662832
We could see if Wella wants to come see the town, if not just head off by ourselves and meet the twins.

>>46662832
Yeah, bring Wella. She wanted an adventure, and it's not like she's much less subtle than the twins.

>>46662906
Shygirl ahoy. Writing.

You invite Wella along to see the city and possibly lie your way into the governor's palace. She looks at you a little incredulously, but Ruul just rolls his eyes and tells her to go. That it'd build character. She agrees and packs some things into a satchel. You get the feeling she works best with someone telling her what to do, a position which Ruul is fitting nicely.

You bring along a rifle, giving Wella your pistol after her being too scared to use anything that large. You wonder how she managed to survive in that little pseudo-warrior village without ever fighting, but that's a discussion for another time. She gingerly places it in her pack, making sure the safety is on.

You head to the gate, meeting up with the twins who bow in greeting. Short introductions are made, then the four of you head into the city after flashing your license proudly. The guards treat you much more kindly and professionally than when you used your Class C, that's for sure. You could get used to this. You make a bee-line for the palace.

The palace is grand indeed; statues, topiary bushes, fountains, ponds filled with big, brightly-colored fish, rock gardens and more cover almost every inch, and that's just from what you can see. The guards at the gate check your papers carefully, then concede to let you enter. Huh, that was easy. You happily walk in, head held high, people rushing about all around you, no doubt with important government work to do. You even see the portly woman from yesterday having a discussion with someone and laughing haughtily, her entourage still ever-present.

(Cont.)

File: heavy armor.jpg (106 KB, 736x905)

106 KB JPG

Once again, you have to flash your papers to enter the palace itself, but this time one of the guards escorts you to the governors chambers while asking you a myriad of questions and filling out some papers as you go. Standard questions like reason for visit, expected duration of stay, any assets to declare (he marks down your weapons, instructing you that they are to remain out of hand and on safety at all times) and other such things. After what seems like an eternity of talking about what you're doing there, you make it to the chambers themselves, guarded by men in very heavy armor, who open the doors wide and announce you loudly. Man, you think, this piece of paper is fuckin' awesome.

The governor sits atop a series of steps on a large throne. Perhaps he thinks himself royalty of some sort. You nearly snort at this. He is a corpulent man, a large chalice of wine in one hand and the end of a chain connected to the collar of several slave girls of varying races and little clothing sitting at his feet in the other. There are guards flanking either side and at the doors and very exotic-looking suits of armor decorating the grand hall, including an enormous one directly behind him.

He eyes you for a moment, silently, then says one simple word.

"Speak."

What do you say?

>>46663217
Introduce ourselves, then get the twins to present their stuff, it's the reason we're here afterall.

>>46663217
Let the twins speak, gauging the govs reaction. If it seems like he will be hostile, step in to offer to safely quell any slave rebellion. We'll silence the twins, of course.

Itll be because we hired them and theyd be pirates, not slaves, and that we'd be ferrying the twins to their master to raise a retaliatory force, but he doesnt need to know that.

>>46663240
Supporting this. Though I'll add that we're still a fugitive. Let's take a lesson from Wella and try not to stick our nose in what's about to go down.

>>46663277
Sure thing. Writing.

Rolled 10, 2, 1, 6, 8 = 27 (5d10)

You introduce yourself, offering a bit of an exaggerated bow which your people offer up as well, though Wella seems a little nervous about it and is unsure if she should curtsy or not. You explain that the ladies with you have a business proposition for him that he may find very interesting. His eyebrow perks at this, obviously a man that very much enjoys making money. Kei produces the sealed scroll and hands it to a guard, who then brings it to the governor. He looks at the seal for a moment and frowns, then eyes you for a moment before opening it, a pensive glare being his only response. He takes a moment to read over the paper carefully, you can visibly see his face growing redder, an incredulous look filling his chubby visage with each passing second. Finally he closes his eyes, the obvious rage subsiding slowly as he takes a deep breath. He holds up the scroll and tears it up, tossing it into a nearby brazier to burn up into so many ashes, a soft crackle being the final mark of it's existence. He cackles mercilessly, tugging on the chain holding the slaves, causing them to jerk forward and cry out as they hit the floor. He takes a long, messy swig of his wine, dribbling down his numerous chins as he resumes his guffawing.

His laughter subsides after a few moments, then he looks you dead in the eye. "Jail the man and the little one for now. Tell the hangman to be ready by dusk. The other two..." he wipes his disgusting mouth on his sleeve "Fit them with restraints and...prepare them for my chambers." The roiling, churning undulations of his immense gut begin anew as he laughs once more. The guards step forward, weapons drawn...

Two flashes of steel and the guards behind you fall, gurgling as blood erupts from their throats in unison. The twins have drawn their long, curved swords and are ready to fight.

Roll 1d10 for initiative!

Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>46663502
Well, that's just rude.

Rolled 18, 16, 7, 12 = 53 (4d20)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iviAIgZKIKU Some mood music.

Guard 1 swings his own curved blade at Rei!

Kei attacks Guard 2!

Rei attacks Guard 1!

Guard 2 attacks Kei!

Wella panics and searches through her pack to find the gun.

Your action?

>>46663611
On a scale of bad idea to great idea what is shooting the Governor in the head?

>>46663634
That's not for me to decide, anon. All actions have consequences.

>>46663657

Level pistol at him and cock it loudly.

No need to kill and at the least it doesn't need to be at our hands. A gunshot will have the guards running after all.

No, much better if the twins slaughter him. Quietly.

>>46663688
You have a rifle, but good enough.

Guard 1 gets a solid hit on Rei!

You level the rifle at the governor's head and cock the hammer as loudly as you can. The governor screams and his cup goes flying, clattering on the ground and spilling everywhere. The slave girls, scream as well and scamper away.

Kei slashes Guard 2!

The rest miss and Wella has produced her gun and it shakes in her hands. She looks like she's waiting for your orders as well as being near-ready to faint.

Roll 1d20+1 to intimidate.

Rolled 3 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>46663790
Man, this is the most piracy we've done yet. How exciting!

Rolled 16 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>46663790

>>46663801
We are not very good pirates...

>>46663801
God dammit anon

Best of three is starting to look really fine.

>>46663813
Best of two even...

Rolled 12 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>46663790
weeee

Rolled 7, 15, 4, 4, 13 = 43 (5d20)

>>46663801
No good, the governor is scrambling out of his seat as fast as his pudgy body will let him, but he isn't calling off the guards or surrendering.

G1 attacks Rei once more.

Kei aims for G2.

Rei goes for G1.

G2 aims for Kei.

Wella is still waiting for either your order or, god willing, the fight to be over. She's petrified.

Your action? Giving orders to Wella, who is useless without them, is a free action. You can attack and order her at the same time if you'd like.

>>46663855
Whoops, that should've been 4. Ignore one of those 4's.

>>46663855
Try and run and tackle the Governor. Yell at Wella to help the twins, preferably by shooting something.

>>46663855

"Wella, give me your pistol please, also be a dear and load this for me."

Aimed shot, near the guv' but missing him on purpose. Then hand the rifle to wella for her to reload while taking the pistol.

"I'd really prefer not to put a bullet in your knee, guvernor. Make transporting you much more difficult."

>>46663855
>>46663917

Are the guns in this verse cartridge based or basically muskets?

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>46663914
Going with the first response in order to keep things moving. Roll 1d20+2 to tackle his rotundness due to him being more ham than person.

Rei deftly dodges G1's attack.

You charge the governor while commanding Wella to shoot one of the guards!

Kei stabs G2 good and deep!

Everyone else misses!

Wella screams as her gun fires at G2!

Rolled 19 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>46663991

STOP RUNNING FATTY

Rolled 4 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>46663991
I feel like I should stop rolling now.

>>46663959
Magazine-based. For future reference, assume the tech is essentially WW1-era. Cars, radios and semi-auto/automatic firearms, but nothing terribly fancy save for things powered by magic like airships and automatons.

So question. What do we do from here.

Do we roll his fatness outside and aboard our ship as insurance or what?

Or we call the Isacc down on the city as intimidation.

Seeing that big thing over the city should galvanise the elves into launching their attack.

>>46663991
>>46663999
You tackle the girthy governor to the ground, his porcine form landing with a fleshy "fwap!" onto the tiled floor. You currently have him grappled and easily over-powered.

Wella, through sheer luck, hits G2 square in the chest and he falls in a clatter of armor and splash of blood.

You have the governor at your mercy and can attempt another intimidation roll at +3. Or you could just off him and save yourself the trouble.

Rolled 3 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>46664039
"My good governor. Do kindly stand down your guards. I'm quite fond of this suit of mine. Bit of shame if I were to get blood on it."

Our training as merchant should allow us to poker face ALOT while we WTF internally at this situation.

>>46664076

Oh dear god.

Rolled 4, 7, 8, 12 = 31 (4d20)

>>46664039
In the meantime...

G1 swings at Rei once more.

Kei stabs at G1.

Rei stabs at G1.

Wella fires at G1 once again, screaming her fool head off.

>>46664039
I feel like we should ask the Twins what we should do about this.
So lets not off him quite yet, atleast not till the guards are dead.

>>46664039

Can we just knock the bastard out.

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>46664076
The governor just screams in response and struggles his piggy best to get free. Looks like he's too panicked to be even more afraid of you.

Everyone misses!

>>46664114
That's probably a good idea.

>>46664123

Rifle butt to the head please.

Jeez AM I know I've complained about how you take to long to move stuff along sometimes but slow down till we actually decide stuff dude.

>>46664123
Tubby's not going anywhere, though his sweaty undulations are a little gross.

You can attempt to knock him out at a +1...and offing him is still on the table if you want.

>>46664145
Right, sorry, just trying to make combat exciting. Will reign it in a bit.

Going to wait to see what people vote for what to do with the governor, but looks like KOing him is pretty popular.

>>46664144
What he said.

Rolled 3 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>46664146

Bop him on th head.

>>46664146
Please knock him out.
Also ask for dice after we decide stuff, to stop dice rolls affecting votes.

>>46663801
>>46664076
>>46664176
These 3's!!!

>>46664176
we are the worst pirates ever.

>>46664185
Yeah, just more me trying to streamline things. Blame it on years of WoD.

To make up for my horrid handling of combat, I'll let you reroll to rifle-butt. 1d20+1.

Rolled 6 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>46664202
Not a 3?

>>46664218
No. Just 2 3s.

Fuck us.

>>46664218
Maybe I should've wished for something slightly better than not 3.

Rolled 18, 12, 1, 4 = 35 (4d20)

>>46664218
No dice. His squirming is too erratic for you to get a clear shot.

Combat continues. Everyone is ganging up on poor G1. G1 goes for Kei this time.

Do you attempt to KO porky again or do something else?

>>46664242
Kick him the balls. Or tie him up. I don't care too much.

>>46664242
Well, with everyone else dealing with the single, sppn to be dead, Guard left I suppose we can just sit on ham-man and point a rifle at his face. The twins know more about whatever is happening here than us.

>>46664242
Tie up the pork barrel.

>>46664242
Is the second guard still up? He got stabbed then shot.

As long as reinforcements don't arrive we're fine with grappling the governor. We need to call the ship. Now.

>>46664283
True, I doubt we'll be getting far in the city after this.

>>46664260
>>46664282
You don't exactly have anything on you to tie him with.
>>46664283
Guard 2 is down. As for calling the ship, you don't have a radio with you to do so and a flare gun doesn't do much indoors.

>>46664294

Wella, block the doors, stop anyone from coming into the room.

Now girls, what do we do with the barrel of pork.

>>46664294
Just intimidate again. Stop him from being such a big baby then.

>>46664294
We've got a shirt don't we. Give these women some fanservice and tie this guy up. We may not know how to brain a guy with a rifle, but we've tied many a knot before.

>>46664348
That's slightly lewd and I support it.

>>46664348
Okey dokey. Roll 1d20 to use your shirt to tie up the squealing man under you. And give the ladies some tickets to the gunshow in the meantime.

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>46664369
SIGH

>inb4 3 again

>>46664376
We are terrible at everything. Except tackling.

>>46664389

This is what we need the hired help for.

>>46664376
G1 gets a solid hit on Kei while avoiding the other attacks.

You remove your shirt to use as a makeshift rope to restrain the man below you, but the sight of you disrobing only makes him flail more. No good.

Rei's whiff travels her directly into the path of an armored elbow, taking it in the face, staggering her backwards! She is stunned for one round!

>>46664414

Fuck it.

Kill him.

I don't care to roll anymore.

>>46664414
Attempt to tie the man again. Afterwards draw our dagger. Gotta get the other guard to stop beating up the girls.

Rolled 7, 12, 13 = 32 (3d20)

>>46664414
Combat continues, with G1 following Rei for an attack!

What next, Isaac?

You hear running from the other side of the door...

>>46664431
WELLA, BLOCK THE DOOR PLEASE.

>>46664450
Try and tie up the fatman properly while yelling at Wella to get that door locked.

>>46664461
What he said.

>>46664450
>>46664461
>>46664472
Fatso's getting tired of all this moving, roll 1d20+1 to subdue him.

Rolled 1 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>46664496
please just
please
please

Rolled 7 + 1 (1d20 + 1)

>>46664496

DAMMIT TO HELL STAND DOWN OR FUCKING DIE

>>46664514
brb killing myself

File: Pokerface.jpg (12 KB, 500x356)

12 KB JPG

>>46664514
>>46664519
I don't care anymore.

Just shoot the fucker.

This system needs work boss.

File: Exploding Knees.png (190 KB, 288x600)

190 KB PNG

>>46664514
G1 misses!

With one mighty buck you are flung off of the fat man, who pants heavily and begins to crawl away. You scream for Wella to block the fucking door.

Kei scores a slash on G1!

Wella, more than happy to do something other than fight, grabs the plank of wood used to seal the door and begins pushing.

>>46664528
To be fair, it's not my system that's been rolling low. Blame /tg/ dice.

>>46664562

Kick him the balls. Also shoot G1 with the rifle. Just end that fight.

>>46664562
AM just gave us our next objective. Kneeling rifleshot to his leg.

Rolled 6, 19, 14 = 39 (3d20)

G1 attacks Kei once more.

Kei and a now recovered Rei attack once again.

Wella gets the block in place.

What do you do?

I feel bad about the hilariously bad rolls, so I'll let you subdue him with a shot to the leg if you so desire. He's fat and tired, easy target.

>>46664595
Fucking shoot that fat fuck for fucks sake.
Fuck.
______Fuck

>>46664605
For what it's worth, I am laughing at the absurdity of this whole thing.

G1 fails to connect, only to have the twins carve a bloody X into his chest with their swords. He falls to the ground in a heap.

You get sick of manpig's bullshit and take out his knee with a shot from your rifle. He squeals in pain and stops crawling, instead clutching his leg and weeping openly.

The door Wella blocked is currently being banged on by what you only assume are reinforcements. Wella sees you shirtless and sweaty and blushes, trying not to stare.

Your quarry is disabled, the guards are dead, but you're still not out of the woods yet. What do you do next?

>>46664667
Ask the twins what the fuck is happening.

>>46664677
Then work out a way to contact the Beast and get out of here.

>>46664677
>>46664698
Writing.

You pant heavily after tying the governor's arms. Turning to the twins as they clean the blood off their swords. "What...the fuck...was that?"

Rei points at the guards. "They...they tried to kill us, so...!"

"It was self-defense!" Kei follows up.

"I get that..." you say, trying to keep your cool "But WHY?!"

"...Guess he didn't like the offer?" they say in unison, shrugging sheepishly. You glare at them.

"Okay okay..." Kei speaks up "So...our um...benefactor...the governor's brother...was not on the best terms with him..." she scratches the back of her head nervously "They'd been at odds for years and it only got worse once the slavery began. So...he instructed us to come and offer him a deal. A portion of our master's trade revenue in exchange for an end to the slave trade..."

"But..." Rei continues "He said that, should negotiations go sour, we were to...kill him. But the offer was more than fair! Untold amounts of gold would be his if he stopped something so...immoral! Hundreds of thousands easily! His own stubbornness is what caused this!"

"And if he hadn't attacked us, but still refused?" you ask, your patience running thin.

They both look away, their silence speaking volumes. This fight was inevitable from the beginning.

You put your face in your hands and do your best not to scream. One thing at a time, Isaac. "Is there, like...a radio in here or something? Or a backdoor? Some panic room?" You ask, looking around.

"U-uhm..." a tiny, feminine voice speaks up. It's one of the slave girls. She points to a small switch behind the large suit of armor behind his chair. "I-I think that...leads out..." You'd almost completely forgotten about them.

>Hit the switch and hope she's right
>Could be a trap, try something else

>>46664796
>Hit the switch and hope she's right
>I mean, if the twins stab him while we aren't looking it's not our fault.
>Also try and free the slaves

>>46664825
seconded

>>46664796
Hit the switch. Then offer the slaves a ride and the guard's swords.

>>46664796
>>Hit the switch and hope she's right

To the slave girls: "Do you know how to disable the cities defences or shut it down? have you seen anything like that?"

>>46664889
Anon, I doubt these slaves see much more than the throne room and the bedchamber.

You point at the twins to tell them to stay right the fuck there and approach the switch, taking a deep breath. With a quick press, there's a soft "click" and a small door opens up between the armor's legs just big enough for one or two people to fit through at a time. You breathe a sigh of relief, thanking the girl. A quick root around in the governor's pockets produces a small key that unlocks the girls' restraints. You must say, the feeling of three half-naked women embracing you is not one you're used to, but you're certainly not going to fight it.

"Pack up, grab the swine." you bark at the twins "We're getting the fuck out of here. And you have a lot to answer for."

They nod, unable to speak to you out of shame or fear, you're unsure which.

And that's going to be it for tonight, players. Sorry things were a little rocky for a bit there, but I'll do my best to make sure things get better from hereon. RNGesus is not a kind man.

If you liked the thread, please vote for it on the archive and follow me on Twitter! I can't stick around to answer any questions right now, but if you post them I'll try to answer them next thread. I think I'll do a bonus one tomorrow at 3PM PST tomorrow! Watch Twitter for updates! Thank you all and good night!

>>46664905

Thanks for running.

Did we use our real name on the false documents?

>>46664905
Thanks for running AM.
I feel like you need to work out your combat a bit better.
Here's my list if tips based on never QMing but playing plenty of quests with combat
>Don't do only write-in, some basic options ie intimidate his dumb face, shoot his dumb face, stuff your shirt into his dumb face, as well as a write in option if people want to suggest new stuff
>Rolling after votes decided
>A bit more description of what the combat actually is would be nice, not just "X stabs Y"
>Work out an ordering for posts/rolls cause it seemed to jump around a bit for the other characters and when they did stuff.

Also I understand why you want to do best of 1, but it feels like we fail 90% of rolls, and quests aren't that fun if it's failure after failure. You're still cute though. And it's not my fault I rolled 89 in PQ last week.

>>46664970
Yup.
>>46665009
I'll take it to heart. You guys'll have to bear with me here, this is my first time doing combat rolls. My other quest is almost entirely social. The only one of those I might have to pass on is the description one. I get a want for more description for combat, but if I fleshed out every action as some fancy to-do thing, it would slow down combat immensely and I'd like to keep it fast-paced.

As for ordering posts, how it works is thusly: your allies and enemies work automatic. Initiative is decided and they all roll together. You roll for Isaac in a separate post. Then once actions and rolls are finished, they are mashed together in one post in order of attack. That way, say a mook goes before wella but after you. Mook rolls a 20, Wella is in deep shit. But, you roll a hit that kills the mook. That way, you prevent mook's damage to Wella.

Whole thing would look like this:

(rolls: 18, 20, 3...)

Isaac kills Mook!

Because Mook was killed, no damage is done to Wella!

Does that make sense?

>>46663502
I FUCKING TOLD YOU GUYS

>>46665076

Perhaps not very descriptive is required but just a basic run down of options.

1) SHOOT PORK
2) Talk him down
3) Non-lethal Tackle

Something that would be rather fast and allows a quick overview of what MC would immediately see.

>>46665076
Hm. ok. That makes sense I guess. Maybe just put a ">Cont." at the end of posts that aren't the final one in the sequence so people don't get ahead of themselves.

Wait, I know this isn't PQ, but how is Mouse going to find out if the condom was used or not? Is she just gonna bug Doc and Babsy forever about it?

>>46664562
....No AM, you've been here long enough to know how /tg/ dice work, you have no excuse to work around them.

And this combat STILL feels like "every quest thread that dies before thread 2", you're running entirely on momentum here.

>>46665076
Too many dice rolls, too little text. In a quest that is deeply involved with martial combat and guns, this might be appropriate, but most of the quest is general piracy.

You can go statistical, or you can go cinematic, but don't go blow by blow. One decision should always account for an entire story post's length, it doesn't suddenly shorten to single lines when combat starts.

If you need examples, I advise that you take a look at Combat Chain from Deniable Assets, Extranatural Enforcer, or Holy Sword(towards the middle).

>>46665185
she left a camera on the packaging

>>46665201
>she left a camera on the packaging
Sneaky.
What if we throw that one out adn get some new ones.Wait then Doc would need to go and buy them and idk if he's up to that.

>>46665229
doesn't matter, she'd know it was used.

>>46665076
>it would slow down combat immensely and I'd like to keep it fast-paced.
It doesn't matter how fast paced it is if no matter what happens all we get is "G1 gets a solid hit on Kei while avoiding the other attacks." You got to use them words to make it exciting, "Kei swings her sword at the guard, but he brings his own sword up just in time to parry the blow. Ducking under a slash from Rei he elbows her in the face, and then slices at Kei causing her to hiss in pain." I'm sure you could write something better than that, and it didn't take me too long.
Trust me, if every single other quest can do that then I'm sure you can. It also helps to set the scene, as by the end of that fight I wasn't sure what state anyone was in.
Though I will forgive you a wee bit because the most violent thing you've written before this was an android microwaving pigs.

File: do it for her.jpg (87 KB, 1024x640)

87 KB JPG

>>46665115
I'll do this from now on to avoid confusion.
>>46665153
I'll try, though I usually prompt you guys when it's time for you to act.
>>46665185
I wonder...
>>46665201
Haha! Jokes on you, this was thread 4! Check and mate.

But seriously, if you want to know a secret, I literally lifted this system off of Lamia Daughter Quest almost entirely. I might need to tweak it some, but to be fair that quest did last for 90something threads. Granted I'm no Echo, but it's the most simple, straight-forward system I've seen. It works sort of like a standard turn-based RPG format, but with AI-controlled NPCs that fight as their character would. Ship combat will be mercifully easier, using a simple best of 3 1d100 system like Pandora does. The quest is still in it's infancy, I promise things will work themselves out as it goes along. Bear with me! At the very least I have some pretty interesting (in my opinion, though who am I to judge?) plot lines and characters. Not to mention a few tweests here and there I hope you'll like. The number one way for you guys to help things along is feedback and discussion. That is super helpful in more ways than one and I welcome it. I am unbelievably thankful to have you guys as players and am more than grateful to hear what you think of my quests. I do this for you as much as I do it for me.
>>46665229
Paranoia isn't always the way to go.

Or is it?

>>46665427
I'll do my best to spice up the action scenes for you, anon. This is new territory for me, so all I can do is get better as it goes on.
Though to be fair, microwaved pigs are pretty hardcore.

>>46665471
>>46665484
That didn't really answer my concerns, so let me restate them:

What are you trying to accomplish with combat? High flying cinematic action? Number management as you allocate your crew this way and that? Do you feel the current turn-based system aims to accomplish that goal?

>>46665471
>Paranoia isn't always the way to go.
>Or is it?
AM please I had my share of paranoia and fear playing AT-TE Commander Quest today.

>>46665484
>This is new territory for me, so all I can do is get better as it goes on.
Yeah, at least you learnt how to format so everything isn't one massive box of text like the first few PQ's.

>>46665549
For the most part, number allocation. Things can and will get heavy on the numbers depending on decisions you guys make. So far you've been pretty heavy on the diplomacy side, so it hasn't been a big deal, but there is still a chance for a lot of people in combat at once. Now, should things get to crazy "army size" battles, I'll switch to 1d100's like with ship combat. Nobody wants to roll 200 dice. But in the future, expect hefty numbers to come into play. Which is why I'm going for a quick, simple system that doesn't demand a whole lot of cinematic, grand explanations of things. In both the interest of time and my sanity. I'll fruit up the descriptions a bit rather than simplistic stuff, especially if it comes to a "group vs. big baddie" situation, but with big battles I think less is more.

>>46665556
Oh it'll only get worse the more you think about it, I'm sure.
And yeah, those first few were a doozy. I was a nervous wreck back then and absolutely terrified I would just make a fool out of myself...I mean I did, but I've gotten over it. Upward and onward.

As it comes down to it, as far as my storytelling, I will always be a "scene" writer over combat. Character interaction is my preference, but action is still something people enjoy. I ask that you not hold Pandora up to BitS, as they are both very different in theme and tone. Pandora is more "comfy learning and growing", where as BitS is more "action, drama and gathering your crew" kind of deal.

>>46665599
I suppose if you're up for it.

I'm generally against any kind of system with a lot of rolls. This isn't automatically bad yet, but if large-scale battles is gated at ~5 rolls a "round", why not do the same for smaller scale?

Be careful how much all this number-crunching and bookkeeping is actually relevant to the actual story, and....you know, cut the fat. Don't let combat become a chore.

>>46665737
Honestly, for the drama aspect of it and to show off how each character interacts during combat. I realize I didn't exactly do that this thread, but that will change in the future. Plus, other crew members you find and use will serve different roles in battle. Not all of them are simple beatsticks like the twins are. There are others with special properties.

>>46665774
>I realize I didn't exactly do that this thread, but that will change in the future.
gotcha

>>46665808
Tell you what, next thread I will hold a vote on whether people want a more cinematic combat (one roll per side that decides all outcomes each "turn" and allow for flashier stuff) or stick with this one.

>>46665861
No, I was only asking to make sure YOU had a clear idea of what you wanted.

In retrospect, I don't think I really know any QMs who DIDN'T go for cinematic combat, so if you've got a plan to make a numbers game work, go for it.

Maybe uh....maybe make more stuff happen each "round", so that we have time to make choices and have those choices matter without bogging down the thread? I dunno, 3 "rounds" per story post or something.