Total War: Broken City

[Grimsage Matt]

To the SGA

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The UAL are somewhat decent. Sure, they're ruthless bastards and thugs, but at least they happen to be somewhat honest about it. Besides, better to have the thugs on our side.

We're also going to be using 4 WEL of blackpowder explosives, and the personel to use 'em. Should be useful in the harder areas.

On the shadownet. We will contribute more next month, but... we have to take care of some internal things first. However, we will be droping a device off next week. To the representive from the Bookbinders guild, it is not a printing press, it's a codebreaker.

To the Blackfists

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We have the Codebreakers ready. You can pick it up next week.

[Imperial Psycho]

A Cold Morning

The Wren leant back in his chair soundlessly, picking up the wine. "I see. An agent of the Chamber of Nobles, you think? " Contempt seeps through into his tone. "I would be surprised to learn they are meddling so. So much bluster, so little action. Far too busy watching each other to make sure no-one else is able to accomplish anything. "

"Still... a Merdallan agent.. I am afraid my knowledge of the Merdallan court is rather out of date. I have few friends there now. " His tone remains light, but there is a hint of bitterness. "That said, if the kingdom really is meddling in Sav Altulas affairs.. It would be best that we discover their motive. I will offer what aid I can, small though it may be. "

"So, what do we know of this agent? He must be a prominent one, for his origin to be so obvious to you."

[Eldan]

To the Techinsts

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Much obliged.

To the Chosen:

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Either would be sufficient. I think the Underdocks would be best, we are closest together there.

[puppyavenger]

GearFist meeting (PM)

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Joshua arrived at the harbor office a few minutes before the anointed time, accompanied by a fawning Dreumont Incanter who quickly brought the temperature of the room to a comfortable level just below freezing.

Dressed as finely as any of the Chosen ever did, Joshua was wearing high quality if overused travelers clothes under a threadbare brown cloak, with a clasp bearing the Chosen's vigil of cogs and lightning.

[Eldan]

Gearfist Meeting [PM]

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Joshua's opposite is an elderly, slightly overweight woman in a threadbare grey dress. She is holding a walking stick of carved and polished wood in one hand and a large stone pipe in the other. Even without being bent over, she'd hardly be taller than Joshua's chest.

"You must be the Chosen's boy, then? I'm the middle finger."
She sits down with a sigh.
"Now, the Bureaucracy, yes? We are gathering support against them. The King doens't like them much, and if we play our cards right, this whole legal issue should bring a lot of bad blood between them. The Wren is on our side as well.

Our first plan was to overload their bureaucracy. We have a lot of boys with not enough to do all day. The first idea is to simply flood their offices, citywide, with requests and forms. Give them something to do.

After that, the ideas got a lot more violent. Burning down buildings, hunt them through the streets."

[puppyavenger]

GearFist (PM)

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Joshua gives the woman a slight bow as she introduces herself "Yes, I'm Joshua. At this point I suppose you could say I'm mainly Van Ryan's man about town. It's an honour to make your acquaintance."

After she finishes explaining the plan, he replies, "Well, I'm afraid we can't really help for the first stage. Our manpower is pretty much all tied up in electrification work. For the second portion, well I'll just say we aren't paying the retainer for a Laiheim commander so he can sit around and look pretty.

[Eldan]

Gearfist [PM]

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"Very good. Our main problem with the first plan, of course, is that we'd have to have samples of bureaucracy forms, and a way to replicate them .Could you help with that? The bookbinder's guild doesn't like us too much."

[Greystone]

EBSA

To the Champions / Bloodhaven

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That is a... difficult request. Not because we don't trust you or your men with the knowledge. Its just that the literal amount of information and law is staggering. Honestly, it is the main reason for the Field Offices existence, besides allowing us to enforce the law we are also able to help with any legal issues.

If you wish we can have some of your men tutored in the Halls, give them access to the legal archives but it really isn't going to help much unless they have time to do a five to ten year internship, or perhaps a four year course at the new school of law.

Understanding the law is an art, steeped in precedent and written word, some as old as the city itself.

[razovor]

The Champions of Sovereignty

To the EBSA / Bloodhaven [5]

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"I'm sorry, but that's utterly ridiculous. You can't seriously expect the people to be able to able to obey the law, if it takes four years of training to even understand it. How on earth did the cities legal system get to such a ludicrous state of confusion?"

"Actually, that's not the important question. Something is clearly wrong here. Will you entertain the idea of fixing it with me?"

[puppyavenger]

Gearfist (PM)

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Joshua nods at the old woman's question and replies "Well, the Bookbinders Guild are completely in the EBSA's pocket, so I'm not sure there's a way to get it from them without arousing suspicion.

On the other hand, we inherited a couple of field offices in Icy Mount and the Run, and since they're supposed to be there to provide help in the first place, I'm sure you could get quite a few different types of forms from them if you're subtle about it.

[oblivion6]

Mercantile's Guild

Market Guard[4]

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The Mercantile's Guild would like to extend its greetings to the soldiers of the Market Guards, we have heard alot about you and you sound quite a bit like my close friends in the Hosts-watch. as potential new owners of the area, we would like to assure you that trade should flourish and we are already pulling a couple strings.

if you are willing, i would like to personally come and take a look around. as the commander of the Guilds security division, i would also love to tour your barracks and perhaps make a few suprise inspections since i would like to get to know your organization better.

-General Brador

UAL[2]

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i think i have a job for your boys in the Stocks. the SGA has allowed us to hold a short little meeting in the Commerce hall if your willing to discuss this?

[razovor]

The Champions of Sovereignty:

To the Orcs of Gregoria [PM]

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"Greetings Free-Orcs of Gregoria. My name is Ambrose, I am here representing my Lord, James of Sav Altulus."

"My Lord is pleased to hear you have freed yourself from oppression, though we do question the violent methods that were used to achieve that end. Regardless, we would like to open communications with your people, to discuss improved relations between Sav Altulas and your people, the refugees displaced by your conflict, and military cooperation between our people given the state of the shattered lands."

"Would this discussion be acceptable to you?"

[Greystone]

EBSA

Champions/Bloodhaven

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The problem is not the basic laws that mostly pertain to the citizens: Don't steal, Don't Murder, Don't Rape, Don't own carnivorous magical creatures larger than a timber wolf without the proper permits. Its the mountains of precedent that have built up. For instance, a woman not properly clothed may get a citation for public indecency, but due to the 543 Dove Law if she is a accredited prostitute then it is her economic right to undress above the waist as she sees fit.

We cannot change law, only interprete it.

If when you saw 'fix it', you mean our legal system then we are with you. We need to streamline laws and get a code that is easier to understand without years of experience. We cannot do that without acts of a legitimate government. We are willing to work on narrowing the laws once we have a legislative body to do so.

[razovor]

The Champions of Sovereignty

To the EBSA/Bloodhaven [5]

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"We will continue our efforts to form a legitimate government."

"Returning to the issue of the Blackfist, their language was quite extreme, but they've never taken such action before. I'm confident they're bluffing."

[Greystone]

EBSA

Champions/Bloodhaven

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We will not take any chances. We don't want to be destroyed by a group of anarchists and their allies. If they attack us, we will be ready to defend ourselves.

[razovor]

The Champions of Sovereignty

To the EBSA/Bloodhaven

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"Isn't that exactly what they want? For your men to stop enforcing the law, to withdraw back to your base, and let the streets descend into chaos?"

[Greystone]

EBSA

Champions/Bloodhaven

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We didn't say that we would pull back, just that we would prepare for violence in response.

[Eldan]

Gearfist [PM]

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"What's stopping us at the moment is that we don't have the printing capacity necessary to replicate that many forms. Could you organize or build a press or copying machine for us? We don't care if it's magical, dangerous or inexact, we just need volume."

[puppyavenger]

GearFist

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Joshua nods. Ah, alright. It will take some diversion of funds from certain other projects, which may include lighting Tippest I'm afraid, but if you can provide one of your hand presses to start from I'm sure we can work something out quite quickly.

[Eldan]

Gearfist [PM]

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"Certainly, we can do that. Pleasure to do business with you. We can also provide some of the funds" [2 wealth]

[puppyavenger]

Gear's Chosen (8)

Gearfist Meeting

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Joshua smiles "And you as well m'am. The funding should make things much easier to organize, and I'll see if I can rearrange our current balance of payments with the Ram as well."

Stopping for a sip of ice water, he continues "Now, if we may talk of slightly grander issues for the moment, may I ask what your ultimate goal in all these conflicts with James is exactly? No offense intended, but I've seen the Wardens and at the moment marching on the Upper City is not very plausible..

To Ram

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The Blackfists have just approached us with an interesting offer. In essence, they're giving us an example of one of their hand presses in order to help us up size it and create something more industrial scale. Unfortunately, our budget is rather stretched at the moment, so I am curious whether you want a stake in such a project? We'd be happy to mass produce any pamphlets of leaflets of yours you wish, and in exchange we'd merely ask that you assume the full costs of electrifying your remaining territories (i.e., I wouldn't supply 2/8 of the wealth/morale necessary)

[Eldan]

Gearfist Meeting

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"WE don't plan to march on the King. Quite the opposite. As we see it, he's currently busy digging a hole for himself. HE can not control the city, half of it is not willing to follow him, and he's alienating one ally after another while trying to please them all.
We have an ally who is close to the King. A faction of double agents, if you will. What we want to see is the King trying to seize power and utterly failing to the worst possible degree."

OOC: I just saw that you told the Ram that morale works too for funding. We have plenty of that.

[puppyavenger]

GearFist/ GM

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GM: Do we have any idea how much setting up an industrial printing press would be?

OOC: Ah,, well when I know how much it is I'll tell you how much morale will be useful in getting it done this month.

The surprise on Joshua's face only lasts a moment before he regains his composure and says "Double Agents you say? Well, feeding poison through the ear is always a good way to deal with people you can't fight openly I suppose. Although if the King fails, then what? At the moment the SGA seems to be the majority of his support anyway, and the organization could certainly survive the fall of the king.

[Ragnar Lodbroke]

To Doctor Vassari

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We agree then. I will prepare my mages for the investigation on Dessoui’s corpse. On other matters, would you agree on having a special Council meeting [next turn]? The time has come to change some things, I think.

SGA [PM]

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“We’ll collaborate with the forts construction. I’m sure our administration skill would help to lower the building costs a bit without changing the quality of the final structure. Should I ask Lord Wallen for his troops?”

OOC: The Guild acts as a trait that allows me to lower the cost and difficulty of constructions. Zemalac; how much would the cost be with the Guild’s help?

Projects
Forts: "Free Mason’s Guild" trait. 3 Wealth.
I will be unable to help with the Spider Web this turn.

To EBSA

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”In that case, the Palace should be the new meeting place for the Council. I wish to propose a special Council meeting next turn. The time has come to move forward, don’t you agree?”

“I offer collaboration to your officials in my district; and wanted to ask you about hiring lawyers to help my Party in legal matters.
I would like to ask you a favour: Please grant the Wallen troops status as “watchmen”, or an equal police figure; only when they are acting in the Sky District.”

“On the matter of the Prison, the King seems to have accepted the terms. I believe you should let the Ram to run the Prison for now, as long as they collaborate with you.

If they let you open a Field Office in the Prison district, and send an inspection to make sure everything goes according to law, we could keep things running smoothly. AND you would have a prison.

To the Ram

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Thanks for your trust. I accept to run the scholarships, since I’m planning to create my own in the future.

It is my wish to create a school that allows workers who have some extent of
magical talents (But have been unable to train them due to economic difficulties or whatnot) have a school to allow them to use their abilities to improve the quality of their work. I’m trying to make it work from within the University, but I wanted to ask you if you shared that idea.”

“The King has accepted to the Blackfist’s terms, right? I hate to see you working with them. However, since the terms have been accepted, you should be running the prison in a short time.

While we disagree in many things, I know you are no fool. You will not let the scum of the city come and go freely. With that knowledge, I ask you to collaborate with the EBSA in this.

Allow them to open a Field Office in the Prison District, to send an inspection once things are quiet to certify that everything is going according to law, and allow them to lock up criminals there.

Maybe we can finally get over this problem that way. “

LEGAL ISSUE: Public Lodstrom Party declaration
1 - Prison should at least be at the hands of a Council member. The Blackfist's actions are not acceptable, and should be punished. We pray for the day when they are shown what true justice is like.

2 - We congratulate the King for accepting the terms, as unfair as they are; and thank him for it. We can have no more neighbourhoods reduced to rubble, and burned by war.
And we can't allow the criminals to go around the city, burning and pillaging. Free, because other criminals thought it would be a good idea to free them.

3 - The laws MUST change. More the reason to begin creating a legislative chamber. We thank the EBSA for their continued work for the good of the city, and hope the Ram will collaborate with them in this matter.

4 - The Games tradition was horrible. Finishing it may be the only good thing the Blackfist has ever done. While Exarn and his men were professionals, it would be unwise to reinstate them. We urge the King to find them a new occupation, but we need to change the Prison Guards.


To Council

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The King's government talks have been productive, but they have not finished in a viable alternative for the Council.

I call for a special, OBLIGATORY meeting in the Palace for [Next turn], to discuss the creation of a new, final government.

All Council factions must be there.

The discussion should be centered in prepare elections for creating a new Constitution, and a new Legislative Chamber.

To Board of Education [PM?]

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"Ehem... I… I must apologize.”

The Guild representative started to breath quickly, but stoppeds and took a sip of water

“I misread the Documents. We are a part of University Administration, not the Board. I apologize again.

The school… The school idea was Lord Wallen's.

He wanted to train any worker who showed magical capabioities to cast at least simple spells. He believes that such spells would boost our capabilities of working, as well as opening the possibilities of creating basic magic Items... which are more expensive and better quality than normal ones."

To King James

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“Your Majesty:
It was unwise to move against the likes of the Blackfist without creating a united strategy first. We are lucky we are not in a Civil war for now.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t go to war with them, I’m saying that all allies should be prepared for it before engaging them.

On other matters; the Noble's Chamber require an Election, same as the Commoner's. There can be no legitimate Legislative Chambers without elections. I am proposing a special Council meeting next turn to organize them.

[razovor]

The Champions of Sovereignty

To House Wallen:

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"Elect the nobility? What are you talking about?"

"The nobility are already a group. All we need do is invite them into the House of Nobles."

To the Council:

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"We would attend such a meeting, but we again fail to see the need to invite the Ram Revolution. Their refusal to even consider our compromise proposal is a clear sign of their inability to participate in diplomatic discourse."

[oblivion6]

Mercantile's Guild

SGA[PM]

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i am not sure if Lord Wallens troops will be necessary this month. between the rest of us, we should have enough to man the forts.

Council

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i suppose i would attend this meeting...

[Thelonius]

Lord Wallen [7]

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‘’Of course.’’

SGA [PM]

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Excellent. You Guild’s expertise would be most welcome. We’ll need to tally our resources, before we can confirm, if we’ll need additional soldiers of Lord Wallen.

Council

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''Should the meeting be limited to the Provision Council only? Whatever decision, it must have support of all factions and people of Sav Altulus to carry weight.''

''Let the commoners, nobles, merchants and mages speak – what form of government they wish and who should be in charge. Let the factions voice their support.''

[We’ve got Influence stat to determine legitimate ruler. That’s more or less how many votes each player has to cast. Plus Zemalac can assign bonus influence based on whom various segments of city population support. Whoever gets most of Influence, personal or from supporters, would get Legitimacy Trait.]

Board of Education [PM]

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''Well, the purpose of the University is to teach magic. Usually students pay tuition, get accepted on scholarships or get student loans, repaid either in coin or in service to the University. Are you proposing for an arrangement, under which the Guild will pay for the tuition of your gifted?''

[Ragnar Lodbroke]

To King James

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Your Majesty, the nobility is, as you said, a group.
You must have misinterpreted my proposal in the meeting, allow me to explain again:

The objective of the Chamber would be to have representatives from nobility (Not ALL nobles, but a group), with experience and expertise in the field of ruling, to check and aprove/disprove the laws made by the Commoner's Chamber.

Yes, some seats would go to the most important Houses. But most seats would go to nobles elected by their peers, from houses both big and small.

If we make the Chamber now, and start naming who we want, it will be apparent that we are the ones deciding who goes where, and not the nobles. Certainly not what my supporters want.

Second; we have no consense. A third of the city stands against the proposal, and half of the rest is not sure. There can be no government with no consense. Hence, the need to have a new talk with all Council members to decide how to continue.

If I form an assembly now and start to try to change the city laws, I will become the laughingstock of Sav Atulas.

To Council

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Your Majesty, if the purpose of the meeting is to generate consense within the Provissional Government to generate a new, more stable (And, if I may say so, more useful and active) government; then all the members must attend, including the ones we disagree with.

Doctor, you are right as always. But I believe that it would be convenient to generate consense from within the Provissional Government first, before opening the doors to others.
After all, we were all elected on an open doors meeting. What I am proposing is to do the job we were elected to do.

I am pursuing three objectives on the meeting:

1 - To discuss the possibilities and logistics for having general elections to elect representatives per neighbourhood, and prepare for them.

2 - To generate consense of what will be the main task of the representatives. Are they to generate a Constitution? Are they to form a Legislative Assembly?

3 - We all agree on the necessity of a new government, but we must agree on how. That is the biggest objective of the meeting.

[ForzaFiori]

Ram Revolution (D ESP 9)

Council

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I will be at the meeting next month. I also would like to ask that James refrain from continuing to slander myself and my organization Should he not, I would like it known that I intend to press charges, as well as for his removal from the Council.. You may want to take notes on what I just did, James - I'm under the impression that no one ever taught you how to ask nicely form something. It's how non-pretentious twits try to get things done, rather than just ordering people about.

EBSA (PM)

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A large orc opens the door, ushering Anala and her 2 bodyguards inside. They lead them to a door, where they stop. "You may enter." he says to Anala, but these two have to stay here. Only Ricther is in the room, you may look in and check with the door open if you wish. He simply wishes completely privacy for this meeting." He adds.

When Anala enters the room, Constantine rises to great her. "Welcome. I appreciate your coming here, and apologize for the immense secrecy, but the Blackfist has eyes everywhere, so I prefer not to speak about them unless I know no one is listening. As to the request of your agency, I am not so much allied with the Blackfists, as much as forced to work with them as the lesser of two evils. The Fist may want the city to burn, but James is currently lighting the match. In order to keep the city from falling back into monarchy, I find it a necessity to work together with the Blackfists. While I may make occasional deals with them, please be reassured that I have not lost my senses, nor will you find me to suddenly be a pyromaniac."

Gears

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That deal sounds exceptional. We will supply 4 MOR and 4 WEL to pay for and install your lightning wires. When you complete your printing press, I can already think of a few pamphlets we would like to have produced.

House Wallen

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You may single handedly force me to change my opinion of nobles if you continue your habit of having good ideas. How could we assist you in opening this school for magically gifted workers?

We had already decided to ask the EBSA's help in running the prison, though we appreciate knowing that it is considered a good idea by others as well.

EBSA

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Would you be willing to open a branch office in the prison, to help insure that all trials are held in full knowledge of the laws - allowing the juries to see what laws are typically punished by the city, and for how long, could give them a basis for how they should sentence a prisoner, as well as allowing prisoners to adequately defend themselves and decide if they should appeal a decision.

[Eldan]

Blackfist

On Judges and Juries:

"It was our impression that the place of a bureaucracy was not to make decisions or give orders, but to execute them and make sure things run smoothly. How we came from this to "we are the judges" is certainly an interesting topic for discussion. How about you do your job and make sure the trials are fair and the participants informed, instead of calling for the entire judicative power to be placed in your laps?"