Total War: Broken City, Book 2

[Ragnar Lodbroke]

"I understand, but since you don't consider votes to be a valid way to determine this matters, I believe it's for the best.

I thank you for rspecting the set conditions.


And, in this cases, simple majority is the best we can get. There is no way to get an unanimous decission here."

[oblivion6]

Mercantile's Guild

Hosts-watch/Drover's Guilds[PM]

Spoiler

Show

I have a proposal that should help lessen the load on your people...The SGA is getting together and forming the Guilds Watch. You may have heard of the Blackspell Watch? This will be similiar to that group and will have the authority to move freely across SGA territory to catch known criminals and smugglers. This would greatly lessen the load on your own organizations.

Any help you could offer in terms of training and funding is of course appreciated, but at the very least, I would just like you to recognize the authority of the Guilds Watch.

SGA[PM]

Spoiler

Show

Guilds Watch:
I agree that the Ansigiris is a fine organization, same with the Hosts-watch and Market Guard, but they simply do not have the authority to cross into other neigbourhoods to catch criminals.

Lord Wallen
Very well. If this Lord Protector thing doesnt fan out then I shall just keep my troops home as well. I'm sure they can find other uses.

Hold off on promising aid for the City-walls. I am in discussion with Wardens and I believe what will probably happen is the Wardens spend this month improving the quarry's, securing access to cheaper materials, and next month we work on the actual walls. This way, its better for all. It allows me to contribute more next month. Sav Altulas has stood this long with such poor walls and it can probably survive another month without reinforcing them.

I can secure the arms for you. I believe the cost was 14 WEL...On that note, I eventually plan to arm the Guilds Watch with Blackpowder Weapons as well.

Technists Guild
How are your factories coming along? The infrastructure is about the only thing we lack in being able to mass-produce our own [Blackpowder Weapons IV].

[Copper8642]

Heladuit Court

D Esp: 6

Oh.... whatever, damn it all.

Do you, Members of Sav Atulus Second Great Council Meeting, agree to the following?

I defied the first Council meeting, I don't know why you expect me to participate in this one. I can't actually stop you from forming this government for the city, but I won't take part in its creation. I abstain from voting.

SGA:

Spoiler

Show

Markus, as you've likely heard, will have nothing to do with the choosing of the leader and his powers, but nobody in the Court is averse to protection from a well funded and trained army. We will do our part to dress the soldiers. Do we have a style or color scheme in mind?

[ragingrage]

The Silversmith's Guild

1 - To elect a Lord Protector within this walls now? YES

2 - To give the Lord Protector the authority to command the standing army of Talidor? YES

3 - To form the first draft of the Talidor Standing Army by lending soldiers and resources to the government? YES

4 - To allow the Government to form the definitive Army in 6 months? YES

5 - To allow the Lord Protector to give different legal standings to the different guards of the City, organizing them and giving them different duites in peace and war? YES

6 - To give the Lord Protector power to conduct the foreign policy, acting as the voice of Talidor in dealing with the foreign nations? YES

7 - To give the Lord Protector command over the resources of the city in times of crisis, when lives and welfare of the citizens are threatened? YES

8 - To give the Lord Protector the power to organize independent investigation in abuses of law and in cases of gross corruption and treason? YES

9 - To demand the Lord Protector to stabilize the situation in former Blackfist territory in Runner's City and Wren territory should they leave town with the force lent to him by the Factions, so to prevent further bloodshed? YES

10 - To demand the Lord Protector to allow the City Factions to peacefully intervene in such neighbourhoods starting next month, without favoritisms? YES

11 - To demand the Lord Protector to organize an Assembly next month, representing with justice all factions of the City? YES

12 - To give such an Assembly the power to rewrite and renovate laws? YES

13 - To give the Assembly the power to destitute the Lord Protector in grounds of proven incompetence or corruption, with a two third vote? YES

14 - To demand to the Assembly the duty of outlining the principles of the definitive government? YES

[Thelonius]

SGA [PM]

Spoiler

Show

''Naturally it’ll follow the color scheme of the old Talidor army, as described in the [History of Talidor], that was recently published. Of course we can affect finer details to fit better with the modern age.''

''While I expect part of the army would be financed with taxes, I believe we can also come to an arrangement, that the outstanding citizens, who contributed in the time of need could receive titles to land, that the army will reclaim. Well… I shall discuss my proposal in greater detail, once the time is right.''

[Murska]

While we are here, I would like to assess the matter of the Prison, and Warden Exarn's return to his rightful post keeping it safe and secure for the criminals of our city.

[Thelonius]

Lord-Protector

’’I would like to suggest, that if this position is established and Lord-Protector is elected, things must be done properly. A public ceremony must be held for the masses, a private one for the city’s dignitaries, attributes of the office must be presented and oaths of fealty to the city must be spoken. As Ram has expressed fear about the possibility of corruption of the man – let the dignity and oaths of the office hold the fallible mortal in check.’’

ESBA

’’I believe your officials must be part of the ceremony and look through the oaths of the office, so that they reflect the ancient values of Talidor.’’

Silversmith Guild Representatives

’’Would you be able to create an appropriate attribute of the office for the Lord Protector? It must reflect the Talidor heritage, that Lord Protector will be sworn to protect - a reminder to both the man and the people of the weight of responsibility of this position.’’

[Ragnar Lodbroke]

Wardens
Speak with the EBSA. We planned for them to take the matters of the Prison into their own hands after we liberated it.
Make no mistake, I'm not disputing Exarn's right to return to his job and home.

But the people who liberated the Prison should have the right to run it at least, and the EBSA are the ones in charge of stopping criminals.

May I suggest a joint administration?


By the way, this seems beyond your duties.
Surely you don't want to use our best soldiers as watchers in a local prison?


Lord Protector
You seem confident that we will choose a Lord Protector, Doctor.

Do you believe we have consense?

If we do, may I suggest we move on to candidates & electing before the month is over?

To the Exchange

Spoiler

Show

Is the loan confirmed?

To SGA [PM]

Spoiler

Show

Merchants:
I'm finishing negotiating a loan to pay for them, so I should have the money ready.

OOC merchants:

Spoiler

Show

Make a condition in the EoT to send me the weapons only if you receive the money, to prevent shortcircuits. There is no reason not to aprove the loan, but I don't want you to lose money on this.

[Murska]

The EBSA is in charge of judging the prisoners. Keeping them imprisoned has been the job of Warden Exarn for decades. And he is very good at it, as evidenced by no-one managing to escape before the Prison was overtaken by an outside attack.

Malcolm Exarn has been a loyal friend and a true ally to me, and I will do what is right by him.

[Ragnar Lodbroke]

"Fair enough. Have Malcolm Exarn to run the day-to-day activities, under EBSA jurisdiction.

I will point out that it wasn't Exarn who recovered the Prison, nor you.

My men the EBSA White Cloacks shed their blood in the field that day, to take it back from the anarchists.

You speak of duty and tradition now. It would have been great to hear those words last month, when you and the Traitor spoke against finishing the Fists."

(Hearing the mutters of the audience, he raises his hand)

"I'm not accusing YOU of anything, let's make this clear. James had his reasons for not wanting the RSA down.
I can't assume to know yours.

Your men were needed that day, and that will sufice.

But wasn't a swift battle worth it, to stop a City-wide threat?
So much about civilians failing to asses military situations.

Given this circumstances, It's just not apropiate for you to just take over with no EBSA intervention. Your place is in the shattered lands and in military matters; you made it clear.

Let Justice and Civil matters be administered by those who know how."

[Imperial Psycho]

"That Traitor is a man you call King, whatever your feelings about him."

"As for the Greycloaks taking the prison, is this a warlord state? Do we truly award prizes based on right of conquest?"

"Prison should go to the best man for the job. That man choses to fly a Warden flag, that's his business. "

[Ragnar Lodbroke]

"We all called him King, and we have good reasons to wonder why. You included.


Even if we were to consider Exarn the best man for the job without discussion, where was him when we recovered the prison? Why didn't he speak in favor of recovering it?

We have been alone in this battle, while the people who were traditionally responsible for the prison stood back and said nothing.

Where was Exarn when James transformed the legal system in a joke? Why didn't he speak to the Council?


Finally, and without justifying what the Blackfists did; he was in charge of the political prisoners.
Those uncomfortable enemies that the important people of the City deemed too dangerous to be on the records.


Do we really want him back without external control?

I'm disregarding most of this questions when I suggest a joint custody over the Prison, however.


Alas, this is not my discussion. Talk to the EBSA. Sort it out."

[Murska]

"I advocated attacking the Prison, with the caveat that I would send forces if said assault gathered enough support for it to work. I was informed that at most the attack would have the forces of Lord Wallen, and no-one else mentioned their intention to join. In addition, I had no idea of the Ram betrayal.

If you would have trusted me enough to tell me of your attack, you would have had my men helping you. Since you did not, do not blame me for not being there.

It is not the task of a jailor to decide whether or not his prisoners are meant to be in prison, it is his job to keep them there. And, I seem to recall that the Wardens were voted out of the Council, and thus had no say in anything the Council did, plus the Council did not have a meeting at the time nor does it have anywhere public that one can go to with a complaint."

[Ragnar Lodbroke]

"Still, the attack was in his best interest.
And you have not said a word on the political prisoners, nor in his absence during James's Changes.


I assume you don't think that revealing your plans to everyone is a proper military strategy.

We shared the plan to everyone who, we knew, was determined to help in the battle.
In fact, James knew of the attack and spoke against it, costing us support.

You refused to help, so you were left out.


And, for the record, nobody knew of the Ram. We kept their true side secret until the last minute."

[Murska]

"We offered to help, and were left out. We take no blame for that."

[razovor]

The Champions of Sovereignty:

"Yes, I did speak against a suicidal attack against overwhelming forces. Would you have preferred me to encourage more men to what I thought was their deaths?

"How many men died because you didn't trust the SGA to know the truth? Because you didn't trust me?"

"I'm not even going to go into the Ram's stupidity. Enough has been said about their maddening approach to the Blackfist problem."

[Ragnar Lodbroke]

"A maddening aproach James forced them to, by isolating them politically!

Are we all insane? James confirmed it to me when we spoke! He broke negotiations on purpose and created the RSA, directing its efforts against his own allies!

And "suicidal", the attack was not. We knew what we were doing. We showed it in the Stacks, and showed it again in the Prison, against all chances.

The only reason we lost men was the diminished support that was caused by James's meddling.

Do you really wish to discuss this?

You put the logic of the attack on the prison under doubt, but you never say anything of the disastrous James policy that formed the RSA in the first place, and the way he tried to destroy the Merchants!


All I did was for the Ram was offer them a way out of a dirty alliance that James pushed them to.

And Wardens, I will concede that I hesitated from offering you further information.

I was unsure of your loyalties.
I apologize about the most harsch words I spoke against you today.
My men's lives still weight heavy on me.

I ask you respectfully to speak to the EBSA, and agree on the terms for running the Prison with them. I will have no further dealings in this matter."

OOC:

Spoiler

Show

Wait, is James speaking now? If he is, I'll edit

[razovor]

The Champions of Sovereignty:

Rebuttal by James;

"Yes. I isolated them politically. Because they were, and still are arguing for policies that would destroy this city. I didn't tell them to side with radical terrorists and launch violent attacks on the citizens of this city!"

"I was not their enemy. We both wanted the same thing, their methods were simply wrong. If they'd dropped this democratic madness, and used their resources to do good, as they were doing to a degree, we could have been good allies."

[Ragnar Lodbroke]

"Please, spare me that.

They were your enemies, just like the Sausage Guild and the Merchants were.

No, I will not discuss this further.


Assistants of the meeting, have we reached a decission?"

[razovor]

The Champions of Sovereignty:

"I am not enemies of the Sausage Guild and the Merchants. They have done good in the city, upheld the law. They've shown me more loyalty than almost anyone in the city. Certainly more loyalty than I deserve. I can only thank them for their hard work, and hope your lies do not damage the integrity of this city further."

At the Meeting:

"Let us move onto our candidates for Lord Protector."

[Imperial Psycho]

"Looks like a no on messing with my territories."

"I'll ensure my affairs are in order. "

The Wren smiles to himself, quietly slipping out of the meeting.

[ForzaFiori]

"First, I'd like it known that James stopped being called king by the revolution the minute he gave up his morals in his attempt to gain the throne. He is not called king by all of us, and somehow I doubt he ever will be, without the addition of the word false. The Prison, which is currently still in my care, will be handed over to the EBSA, to do with as they wish, though I hope they think twice about giving control back to the corrupt system it was under before this mess started. Finally, James, saying we would have been allies save for my push for democracy would be like me saying we would be friends if you didn't claim to be king. Neither is the point - Lord Wallen and myself have started a good friendship, and he is far from a democrat. Our arguments, James, are because of a lack of compromise on your part, and your continuing to make promises you cannot keep. I won't be a pawn in your games again."

"Now, as for Lord Protector, he is to be a man of diplomacy and tact, who is to simply give suggestions to the generals of the standing army, correct? So someone such as the Grand Master of the Warden or General Krodok would not fit the description, due to being military men?

[Zemalac]

Militia of Order and Justice to Church of Neposh (6)

Spoiler

Show

My Friend,

I would be honored to undertake this duty for you; I do, however, have some concerns about having the Militia explicitly being a military arm of the Church. I feel it might be good to have some kind of official buffer between our actions, so that those who are recruited because of the Militia's message do not feel dissuaded if they disagree with that of Neposh. It is a minor concern, to be sure, and if you do not share it I will easily acquiesce to your plan, but I felt it ought to be mentioned for the sake of thoroughness.

Your humble servant,
High Watchman Kos

The Exchange to House Wallen (7)

Spoiler

Show

A minor correction, if I may--you would have to pay [13 WEL] in total (OOC: The Exchange rounds up to the nearest full point of WEL). Otherwise, yes.

House Laurier to Wardens (7)

Spoiler

Show

Ah, yes, of course. I asked some friends from the University at Ver Arcana about that. A few of them disagreed on methods of slaying skin-walkers--and, indeed, disagreed on just what skin-walkers were--but the most common method described was coating bullets or arrowheads in white ash before attacking. Curiously enough, there was no mention of blades, though I do not see why a similar method would not work with a sword or knife (admittedly, my family is not particularly gifted when it comes to the supernatural realm, so I may be incorrect in my assumption).

Thelonius (PM)

Spoiler

Show

1. Influence: Can give it to other players? As in ‘’I support X for the throne’’, so my INF becomes his, until I revoke such endorsement in the EoT?

2. I used my Verdan Contacts to inquire about custom prosthetic hand for a fighter with superhuman strength (also adding that it might be further enhanced with magic by the client and asking for recommendation for suitable enchantements). I should have Bloodhand’s specs in terms of how much the hand should weight and it’s shape.

3. How much WEL does SGA Infrastructure has? I count about 3 [WEL] (1 from trade, 2 from Emeralds) and we were planning to add 2 [WEL] from Industrialization. How much can SGA Infrastructure hold?

1. Endorsements of that nature provide an Influence boost, but will not transfer all of your INF.

2. Such things are of course possible, and are in fact a specialty of many in Veras, considering the dangers of working in the labs there. Purchase of a custom, combat-ready prosthetic from a lesser smith would run you 3-4 WEL, but from Deplorian himself would be about 6.

3. SGA Central currently has 3 WEL, and can support up to 4 stat points.

Verdan

Don't forget my question to Verdan about prosthetic arm filled with weapons (hmm... Guts from Berserker style?) for Bloodhand. How much is their best offer? If it's more then 8 WEL, do they have variants for 8 & 4 WEL?

P.S. Counting on Gerard Neilson's goodwill. We provided Gaspar Aeroyard for a price of a few words of advice... If his master, the mad scientist, can work on the hand, that would be nice.

LSD

I'll be making LSD for Wild Mages. Well, the best equivalent I can muster - reading on wiki it's made from some grain fungus. Hopefully they can give a few pointers, if they accept my offer.

Laudanum (if I didn't mix up the name)

I think you mentioned Clerks in Gilded use Laudanum to stay away through the night to work on their account books? Would that be a viable business expansion for Peacocks? And will it require MOR actions to effect the switch as in Sky District?

Dycatropic laudanum, was the specific one. Regular laudanum is used to induce numbness, not the other way around. And yes, that would be a direction that the Peacocks could go. Switching the nobles from their preferred smugglers would probably require ESP rather than MOR, to be frank.

Peacocks to Bloodhaven (PM)

Spoiler

Show

Much obliged, Doctor. We'll see if we can arrange for a suitable crowd in the Harrowing Fields, once we've done our work there.

As for the Wren's territories, as loath as we are to move in two directions at once, there is a bit of a time limit in this situation, ain't there? If we don't move, the Ram will get their hands on those neighborhoods, and while I have nothing but respect for the Ram they're more into ideals rather than business. The one problem that I can see is that we may not have the resources to do everything it is you're planning, especially with the other grand scheme you just dropped on us (and a very grand scheme it is, too!).

SGA (PM)

Spoiler

Show

Would it be possible for the Talidor Standing Army to have its own stat cap, should it be based in the Forts?

Yes, but bear in mind that the stat cap that the forts offer is not particularly high.

The Grave Guard to Church of Neposh (8)

Spoiler

Show

Certainly you may, though thanks to our diligence I doubt you will find any.

House Laurier to Sausage Guild (5)

Spoiler

Show

I do not think that would be a particularly wise decision. Tremorous is so named because the ground there shifts on an irregular basis; it never really recovered from the Godsfear Quake. For the sake of your construction crews, as well as those citizens who would be using the metro, I am afraid I must insist that the underground system not be spread to that particular neighborhood. Others in Lomb Circle would be fine, but you picked the one where such tunneling would be most liable to shake the whole neighborhood apart.

ArcaneStomper/Thelonius (PM)

Spoiler

Show

Yes, you do have samples, unrefined and unfiltered though they may be. Bloodhaven's Pharmacology trait would let him get the poison out of the infected blood samples you have without spending any stats to do so, however.

The Exchange to Sausage Guild (5)

Spoiler

Show

Of course. We will send Ms. Furs to speak on our behalf.

Ambassadorial Guard to Sausage Guild (5)

Spoiler

Show

The Captain is on his way, sir.

The Conductor to Sausage Guild (5)

Spoiler

Show

i aM AfrAID I CANnOT AttenD aT the mOment. imPORTANT WORK CaLLS.

Downline Mages to Doctor Vassari (1)

Spoiler

Show

Ahe. Aheheheheheheheheh. You're offering some interesting things, omae, but as you say, your words are silver (and, so it seems, spend as well!). The question of the day is, you know, what do you want out of it? You got feathered friends looking for a new toy?

Gonna have to say no, Doc, much as it breaks my heart. You want to become one with the Tower? Then step with care, my man, because that **** drives people insane. And this is me saying that, so you gotta know it's a serious matter, yeah?

Host's Watch/Drover's Associations to Mercantile's Guild (4)

Spoiler

Show

Certainly, though I can't say I much like the idea of someone else having jurisdiction in my territory.

[oblivion6]

Host's Watch/Drovers Association[PM]

Spoiler

Show

"Of course you dont. Your respective organizations would of course be in charge, the Guilds Watch would mainly be meant for tracking those criminals that hope to escape by crossing neigbourhood boundaries.

I think what your resources would best be put towards would be building barracks for the Guilds Watch across the Stocks. Probably close to the fortifications and neigbourhood boundaries, so they can quickly intercept anyone trying to escape.

UAL[PM]

Spoiler

Show

[PM sent using the offices I consructed in Stacks...]

Would you be willing to hook me up with some laborers to help construct barracks and police barricades in the Stacks? The SGA is organizing a Guilds Watch association to jointly catch criminals. This would indirectly help you and ensure better quality people join the Union.

Lord Protector:
"I am sure this will be debated by many here, but I shall propose it anyways. What I propose is that Lord Wallen or someone of his house be elected as Lord Protector. They are honorable men and have shown great resolve in helping all groups of this city. Be they nobles, merchants or commoners.

[razovor]

The Champions of Sovereignty:

"Honour? Absolutely not. They keep secrets from their allies, tell gross lies to the public, and use citizens as pawns in their political games."

"They knew the Blackfist would attack the Stacks, but they did not make the knowledge public. They needed the Blackfist to launch the attack, to kill innocent citizens, so they could convince the SGA to destroy them in retaliation."

"If the knowledge had been made public, the conflict could have been prevented. Many of the dead from the past two months would still be alive, but the Blackfist would also still be operating."

"It is debatable whether their actions were good, but they certainly were not honourable."

[ArcaneStomper]

To the Exchange, and Ambassadorial Guard (5)

Spoiler

Show

Excellent then we will get right to the heart of the matter. There are two projects we have in mind. The first is the security of Gilded. You may have heard rumors that the SGA is putting together a city wide guard force. This is true and it got us thinking. While we here in Gilded have no overt crime, due to the hard work of the Ansigaris, we are not so sure about what goes on in the shadows. Thieves, burglars, and such. Protecting against them is not one of our strong points. It occurred to us that your factions might also have the same concerns, and that if we work together we would be far more secure against such shadowy criminals.

That is our first proposal a simple increase in cooperation between our various security forces to better guard the vaults of Gilded from thieves.

Now on to the second proposal. We know the work of changing the currency is a slow process, but it occurs to us that what better place to speed up such a work than right here in Gilded, home of every reputable money changer, lender, and bank in the city. We are prepared to support such efforts financially. We expect a loss of course, but it is a small thing beside the improved economic stability that having a solid domestic currency would bring to the city.

To House Laurier (5)

Spoiler

Show

Very well we will revise our routes. Thank you of informing us of the danger.

To Bloodhaven (PM)

Spoiler

Show

We will see what we can do in Southside Black.

We have no reason to interfere in others working to bring order to the Blackfist Territories. In fact we have little interest in the region ourselves other than to continue the extension of our Metro.

[Zemalac]

Host's Watch/Drover's Associations to Mercantile's Guild (4)

Spoiler

Show

We'll see what we can do.

UAL to Mercantile's Guild (4)

Spoiler

Show

Sounds like a good deal to me, guv.

A Gilded Meeting (Sausage Guild, Exchange, Ambassadorial Guard)(5)

Spoiler

Show

Ambassadorial Guard: We will of course work with your police forces in any way that we can to ensure the security of Gilded. We are, however, not so good at the investigative side of things, which I understand is the problem here.

The Exchange: We would like to keep our own guards around our vaults, but having some sort of overarching presence capable of investigating matters beyond our walls would indeed be helpful. As to your second proposal, it does indeed bear merit: we have designs that we believe would make a suitable replacement for the current, rather eclectic, currency. We went with notable city landmarks on the coins rather than anyone's face, until the Council comes to some sort of a conclusion on who is actually running the city.

[HerbieRAI]

Church of Neposh

Sister Serina interjects. There has been a lot of fighting over the past year, and while I mean no disrespect, Lord Wallen has been in a good bit of it.

I believe if this Lord Protector is to get off the ground, it will need to first be seated by someone who has not fought against other legitimate groups in the city. I would like to submit Harvey Hashawk for a shortened 4 month term as Lord Protector. This should be enough time to get a strong assembly in place, have some good talks about the next Lord Protector, and allow tempers to cool from the recent outbreak of fighting. After that time he will step down unless voted for the position again. Before this idea is shot to pieces, Let me make a few points.

First, for this new government to succeed we need strong support from the different factions of the city. There are many opposite ideas and taking from those opposites will only lead to this chance at peace failing again. The Church does not reside in one of these opposites, and therefore has a chance at holding this group together.

Second, the Church has always fought for as little government as possible. We feel this Lord Protector isn't useful unless we come under attack, and the districts can govern themselves well enough. For these reasons, those skeptical of the churches actions can be assured that the if Harvey is elected he will not impose any more than the post demands of him.

[oblivion6]

To GM

Spoiler

Show

I see no reason to waste a PM for something so trivial.

If Lord Wallen sends me the money, I will immediantly redirect it Mr. Nielsons way in exchange for Blackpowder Weapons IV being shipped to Lord Wallen.

[Thelonius]

Peacocks [PM]

Spoiler

Show

''Let us leave the Wren project aside then. I might be able to persuade him to provide some of the territories, at least the one with my clinic. Plus I expect that we’ll have an edge there. Wren keeps company of thieves - there are whispers of the [Den of Thieves] in the Runner’s City. I don’t expect all of them would follow him to the Shattered Lands, their sort being more interesting in coin and pleasures of the big city. Some will stay. And if we take control over the underworld, then joining us would be a natural choice for them. So let us build the Imperium of Shadows and they will come to us.''

''I think with the recent demonstration against Druemont we can easily recruit those Worldbreakers, who didn't join up with the Gears. Some of my old contacts may have survived and I expect they are rather emboldened, after Druemont were crushed. And Druemont themselves are pliable right now, after such crushing defeat - I'm certain they can be persuaded to do us a few favors, in exchange for us confirming, that they indeed were in their homes the whole year.''

''Of course if this isn't the best way to proceed, I'll defer to your better knowledge and experience.''

''I will also see if it could be arranged, that Gilded can be supplied with their fix by us. And perhaps their watch organizations can put pressure on the criminals… who aren’t part of our good family.''

[If this stretches our resources too thin, then forget about Triphage and go with Gilded, if Suasage Guild backs me up there]

Wild Mages [1]

Spoiler

Show

''Very well. But a word of warning. I have studied the history of the Longspeak Tower and I have spoken to you about its nature. I understand its importance and how it shouldn’t be disturbed. You had an arrangement with Blackfists, but it will last as long as they do, which won’t be that long. Then it’ll be you alone. Others in the city may not be as wise or might be crazy enough to do something foolish. I do believe you require an ally to back you up against such threats. So if you would require assistance, feel free to contact me.''

Sausage Guild [PM]

Spoiler

Show

''The prosthetic arm, at least of the appropriate quality, will require more funds than I can supply. Will you be able to provide [2 ECO]?''

''If you can contribute to establishing a supply of the poison, I shall see about tinkering with it a bit.''

[If you have some Blood Magic Trait, it wouldn’t hurt. I’ve got an idea I’d like to try…]

''I won’t lie. I’d like to establish control over the city’s underworld. No matter how long the arm of the law, there will be crooks and crime. It would be better, that it’s managed by responsible people. A hundred watchmen on the streets wouldn’t do more in curbing violent crime, then criminals managing their own. Your defences were formidable, yet the assassin managed to breach them. You can use more allies, even if they are the sort to keep in the shadows. Especially those in the shadows, for they are the sort most likely to warn you of the coming knife.''

''Right now many clerks in the Gilded use dycatropic laudanum to stay awake during the night, writing in their ledgers, and perhaps other similar substances. If you could use your influence with them and perhaps with the Gilded watches to put pressure on the regular suppliers… A pressure, that would disappear, once my associates make new arrangements with them, I’m certain this would open ways for future cooperation.''

Council

''I don't think establishment of the Assembly requires Lord Protector. And four months of him doing nothing about our lack of army, fortifications and foreign policy would be a disservice to the city. It's true the Districts can govern themselves. Which won't change that much with Lord Protector, unless disaster strikes and he'll have authority to coordinate the emergency response.''

''We can compromise in the we can make the appointment temporary and hold the second vote in three months, to confirming the candidate for the position.''

''For now I will second Lord Wallen, as Lord Protector, as I do believe most of the city factions support him.''

On Military

''I'm actually expecting Lord Protector to appoint a military men as the leader of the Legions during the war, while leaving them semi-independent during the peace time, as long as they don't provoke fights we don't want to fight or act against the city laws and engage in dishonorable conduct.''