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Post by Sutton on Jan 25, 2009 21:34:48 GMT -5
Okay, I've put this off FAR too long. Let's get this started.
The story so far -
You each are relatively important nobles, in the free city of Heldara. You all have one circumstance in common - You've been invited to the annual spring banquet at the Duke's Manor, in the scenic hillsides on the outskirts of the city - Great view of the river, lavish decorations, the works.
Things haven't been the same since the previous duke, Wildir II, died last summer of a sudden illness (The peasants suspect witches). He was a strong ruler. He was rarely a kind man, and he wasn't overly concerned for the plight of the commons, certainly, but he kept the city safe against aggressors and imperialists, and he kept the various opposition elements too weak or distracted to cause any real disorder in the kingdom.
His only son, now entitled as Duke Halbern V, has, based on his actions, not been lucky enough to inherit his father's competence. Since his reign began, the peasants are unruly, the merchants are suffering under his overly cruel scheme of taxation, and to make matters worse, he squanders the resultant wealth on useless trinkets and baubles. Tensions are reaching the boiling point as the spring begins - Rumors of other potential claimants and even of treason circulate in hushed whispers when the Duke isn't near.
What remains to be seen now is what YOU will do - Your actions and allegiances may prove decisive in the struggle for the throne that most agree is becoming more and more inevitable each passing day.
Most of the discussion, of course, centers around potential heirs - A legitimate successor must be selected and raised to power if any coup is to be made at all - Without at least a pretense of legitimate succession, there will be dangerous precedents set, precedents that nobody wants the peasantry to take inspiration from.
As such, here is a listing of the known potential claimants -
Count Heinrich XI, a prominent noble within the Empire (because there is ALWAYS an Empire) - A very unpopular choice, because giving him the throne would be seen as surrendering the independence we fought for so hard under the late Wildir III to preserve, the people would never support it. That said, there thought to be at least something of a minority that thinks he is the best man for the job, as he posses both military and managerial skill in spades, as evidenced by his recent successes on campaign and the relative wealth of his holdings.
Knight-Marshall Joahen Corville, one of the leading military commanders in the realm. Very popular in some circles, and well known for his skill at arms, but only very vaguely related to the Duke himself, which is something of a problem.
Helnas Martensi, the nephew of the former Duke, whom works as a merchant in the city- The more informed conspirators claim he even has been plotting with the merchant families to resist the Duke on they're own. Has the skills needed to manage a city, but his other schemes and beliefs are worrying - More conservative nobles claim he may even attempt to destroy the Ducal title entirely, and proclaim a republic on the model of the southern cities, and naturally that cannot be stood for.
The realm is at a crossroads. Your choices may determine the fates of hundreds of thousands.[/size]
March 25th, 14XX The Ducal Manor
The manor is, as expected, opulently decorated and furnished. A massive table seats some 40 or fifty noblemen, and quite probably holds enough food and wine to provide for that a dozen times as many peasants. In the wings are a quite large company of musicians, playing numerous instruments, but you can hardly hear it all over the many running conversations anyway.
Feel free to introduce supporting characters / plausible past events as you like while at the dinner, as I'm informed the plot will be moving along at it's discretion shortly. (Subject to veto if you claim to be a close personal friend of the REAL TRUE KING or something, but in general you have a free hand)
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sgtkill
Expierienced
"*pulls out shotgun* I like to keep this*chic-chic* For close encounters."
Posts: 658
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Post by sgtkill on Jan 26, 2009 15:01:28 GMT -5
Walter is a very well known military leader and knight in the empire. He is famous for his brilliant strategies in the Battle of Floria and his methods as being a front lines leader, almost always thrusting himself into the mist of a fierce combat. He currently is mingling with other knights about said battle."So then my men started to route. Being me I ran forward to the front lines and unbeknowst to me, the enemy had their infantry charging the routing troops. When I figured this out, I was surrounded.He then takes a sip of ale from the mug in front of him"So I say to them, 'Back away now and I won't harm you.' They didn't listen. So after gutting 40 of them, my men finally rallied and assisted."
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Post by Sutton on Jan 26, 2009 15:52:32 GMT -5
One of the older knights to your right begins laughing: "Haaha! Reminds me of the time me and young Charles here (He was my squire at the time, dont'ya know)" He indicates the young man sitting accross from you. "were defending a northern pass with a detachments of regulars. So, this was back during the lead up to Floria, and the supply lines needed to be kept safe, o' course. So, me and Charles were told to guard this pass, in the mountains - The rocks there were like razors, and there were precipices a few dozen feet deep at the least -"
"More like a hundred."
"Probably right. Now, this was late autumn in the mountains - It was cold enough to freeze you in hours if the fires went out." "Minutes, even!"
"Yes, minutes! So, the men, they wouldn't stand for this - They wanted to go home!" *booing from the surrounding parts of the table* "So, we tried to get them to stay, but the damned cowards walked off! But, we held to our duty, we did - We were told to hold that pass, and by god we would! So, later that day the enemy arrived - Dozens of em."
"Ah, a hundred at least!"
"At least a hundred, possibly even more than that - against an old man and a boy. So, I got my arms and armor, and Charles grabbed himself a spade and a wagon wheel -"
"Like a hammer and shield."
"- to use as weapons, and we found the narrowest part of the pass and got ready to stand our ground. It was only a few feet wide, with ravines on either side - with razor pointed stones at the bottom, about a hundred feet down. There was barely room for we two to stand abreast! So, on the enemy came, a thousand levied peasants against a knight and his square."
"We fought for hours - hundreds of them falling either to our weapons, or off the edges of the cliffs themselves, before the enemy commander had the good sense to call a retreat."
"Naturally, we gave chase! I mounted my steed, and Charles found an old Mule, which our traitorous men had left behind in their haste to flee, along a spear and we rode off in pursuit!"
"We chased them all the way into the imperial heartland before we decided to head back to the pass."
"That we did. Those sure were the days, weren't they. Those were the days..."
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Post by Miles on Jan 26, 2009 16:03:35 GMT -5
Seditch sits with the heads of two noble families, one on either side of him. To his right, the renowned swordsman and baron, Heironius Frenswa, head of the Noble House Frenswa. To his left, the illustrious baron Lestat Du'blia, head of the Noble Hourse Du'blia, notable for their shrewd bartering skills and effectiveness as merchants.
Not far from Seditch, on the opposite side of the table, sat the lovely Marionette Jacques. She was a lovely young woman, Lady Jacques, with long, bright blond hair that glistened in the light, and soft, lush, pink lips. Her beauty was beyond compare, but her father, the baronet Gregorius Jacques, despised Seditch and those who kept his company. A pity that, for it was clear that Marionette, whom Seditch fancied, was quite enamored with him as well.
Her eyes sparkled a light, almost crystalline, blue in the candlelight that night, and Seditch could hardly help but notice her gaze across the table from him. He looked to her for a moment, and curled the corners of his lips upwards slightly to show but a small smile. Seditch then stood up from the table, with his glass of red wine in his left hand.
"My friends,"He said to the nobles,"I propose we drink a toast, to Duke Halbern the Fourth!" Seditch thrusts the cup upwards"Long live Duke Halbern the Fourth! May his reign be long and prosperous, so that the fields never are wont of grain, and the sea never be wont for fish, so that we might feast like this every night for the rest of our lives!"With that, Seditch puts the glass to his slips and drinks the red wine with a joyous glint in his eyes, before sitting back down and placing his cup back on the table.
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sgtkill
Expierienced
"*pulls out shotgun* I like to keep this*chic-chic* For close encounters."
Posts: 658
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Post by sgtkill on Jan 26, 2009 16:30:14 GMT -5
Walter cries out"Here, here!"and takes a giant sip of his ale.
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Post by Sutton on Jan 27, 2009 10:03:30 GMT -5
"Here, here!"
Glasses, mugs and goblets are raised and drunk. The Duke himself drains his glass, then stands and begins to speak.
"Thank yo- wha? my moaaaaufh! my mouaafh!"
He drops the glass, which shatters on the floor as he falls back into his seat, a pained expression on his face.
"The Duke is poisoned!"
(Those of you wanting to can make Per tests to try and see more of what's going on, if so specify what area of the room you are looking at / what you are looking for and post your rolls)
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sgtkill
Expierienced
"*pulls out shotgun* I like to keep this*chic-chic* For close encounters."
Posts: 658
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Post by sgtkill on Jan 27, 2009 10:12:15 GMT -5
Walter scans the room. He looks for anyone that looks suspicious.
Per Check - 5,6,10,4,1
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Post by Sutton on Jan 27, 2009 10:24:26 GMT -5
You note that Joaren van Herdon, Viscount Morington and Margrave Juerich (Whom holds two titles, one in our realm and one in the Empire, which makes him something of an unofficial Liason between the two nations) has a smirk on his face - At least, until he catches your gaze, and then puts on his best "Oh emm gee what happen?" face.
As well, several of the knights around you - In particular the old man who had just been speaking, seem a bit... less concerned than they should be for the plight of their liege. But then, can you really blame them?
(As well, anyone wishing to hide their reaction will need at least a 2 margin of success or higher on a SOC/Sincerity roll, or else Walter (and perhaps others) will note their true thoughts)
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Post by Miles on Jan 27, 2009 11:11:42 GMT -5
Seditch stands up abruptly, takes a quick look over at the duke, then stares at the nobles around the room.
"What treachery is this?"he shouts, looking for any sign of guilt in the group around him"Who would poison the Duke, kill him in his prime? Don't you realize we have no successor?! May he who poisoned the king be cursed ten fold! A curse upon your head, for leaving us leaderless!"
Okay, acting rolls being made now... 5;17; 9; 9; 18; 2; 12;7 Five(5) Acting successes and nice exploding tens there.
Now, sincerity rolls being made. 7; 4; 16; 8; 17; 9; 2; 6 Six(6) Successes, I love having such epic soc.
And, finally, perception rolls to see anything that could be taken as a sign of guilt on the faces of any of the gathering... 18; 8; 5; 23; 3
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powley
Sarah(Newb)
Girlfriend
Posts: 6
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Post by powley on Feb 13, 2009 23:01:33 GMT -5
Marionette looks over to where the king's dying body now lays, and an expression of horror crossed her face. Her eyes begin to widen in a show of horror, and she reaches her hands up to her face to try and cover the ghastly visage she sees at the end of the table. She leans forward onto the table, with a hand to her mouth, too distracted in the process to notice she's leaning in such a way that her bosom almost slips out of her shirt. She leaps back slightly and cups a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening as she pedals backwards away from the table in horror.
Edit: Spelling error was bugging me
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Post by Miles on Feb 13, 2009 23:33:49 GMT -5
Seditch walks hastily over to Marionette and places one hand on either shoulder "Why, this sight is nothing to be seen by a proper lady, look at how she trembles in fear and disgust of this vile act that has here been committed!" Seditch looks at Marionette to address her, trying to catch her eyes in his so that she might calm slightly. "Lady Jacques, let's away from this place. You've no need to see such things as are to be seen here, come and let the night air calm your nerves." With that Seditch starts to try and lead her to the door
Rolling on sincerity; see whether people notice Seditch has other motives: 4; 6; 6; 1; 1; 17; 2; 5 (3 successes)
Apparently he's not terribly good at keeping his composure with women as he is with murder. Funny that.
Also would like to note, this is NOT an attempt to turn this into a soft porno, I've no wish for that, that WILL be avoided, I've my own plans here which would SEEM like it's going there but is not. That is all.
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Post by Sutton on Feb 15, 2009 6:23:43 GMT -5
The Duke's Steward (who by tradition will rule in his stead until a successor is crowned), Randolf viscount of Bernaby, rises to his feet. "Everyone, please remain calm. A panic will not serve anyone but the traitors who caused this - if they are here, they will hide in plain sight, no frenzied witch-hunt will result in their apprehension. To that end - This banquet is over. The Lords, and a few of you who will be spoken to in private, will meet tomorrow morning in the keep to discuss the urgent matters that now face our realm. The rest of you - please keep this quiet. We don't need a furor among the commons at a time like this."
Skittle's character will be introduced when the meeting begins. Those of you whom have plans for the time between now and the meeting... well, here's your chance. If you want to do anything covertly, PM me. Otherwise, post as normal. Thank you.
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Post by Sutton on Apr 3, 2009 11:17:32 GMT -5
Okay - it's been a month and a half. It had SOUNDED like people had things they wanted to be doing. If they DON'T, then things need to get starting - to further that purpose, I am putting a ONE WEEK deadline on this - if noone posts before the end of FRIDAY, APRIL 10TH (2009, obviously), the game will advance directly to the Lord's Meeting with the assumption that nothing of real note happened. If someone does something before then, the deadline will be removed to allow the events to proceed at their own pace barring further gaps like this. [/u]
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Post by Sutton on Apr 30, 2009 18:14:17 GMT -5
It has ONLY BEEN A WEEK. REALLY. The date function is BUGGED. REALLY.
The next morning...
The late duke's council chamber is filled far beyond the 6 nobles it was meant to accomodate - by your count there are at least 20 people in the room. You're packed in like... likes commons! If the situation weren't this urgent, many of the lords here would be so disgusted by the "intolerable" accommodations that they'd refuse to meet until a more suitable location could be found! Unfortunately, this is one of the few places thought to be secure enough that no assassin could infiltrate the proceedings, so here you are.
Steward Randolf is sitting in the duke's throne, the rest of you are in the main part of the room, where the table has been moved out and more chairs from the hall brought in. Seeing that everyone who's supposed to be here IS, he stands.
"Thank you for coming, everyone. Given the gravity of the situation, I think it's best we get started straight away - Our realm is in peril. Our leader is slain, and his murderer remains a mystery. We must organize ourselves and act quickly, or it may be too late. Our first priority must be establishing clear succession - only with a leader, can we set to the task of finding and punishing the ones responsible for this crime. Those of you with claims to present - please do so. I would ask that reactions to and opinions on the various claims be withheld until all have had a chance to present their claim."
At this point, the three claimants already mentioned in the first post present their claims.
(Anyone else with a relevant claim should probably speak up, if they intend to press their claim and seek the throne.)
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Post by Miles on May 3, 2009 0:54:50 GMT -5
Seditch steps forward towards Randolf, looking him square in the eye. "Randolf, I, too, have claim to the throne. Unlike the other three claimants here, I'm not prominent in the empire, nor am I a military genius, and I'm not the sort to try to make us into a republic. What I do have, however, is a direct relation to the late Duke. I'm his brother." Seditch places his right hand on Randolf's shoulder "Surely you remember the carefree youth who used to run around the courtyard with Halbern, playing the games that children play, laughing and frolicking with the frivolity of youth? Little Sedgy?" Seditch flashes an innocent grin at Randolf.
Seditch is now going to attempt to use his domination Vagary to make Randolf think how similar I look to the boy who used to be around the court before disappearing. Splitting dice 4 for spell success 9 to resist aging, TN of 7 because I'm touching him. House rule on the drives ups it to 8-9 spread
7; 13; 4; 8; 9; 9; 8; 4 for a total of six(6) successes 9; 13; 1; 3; 9; 6; 9; 16; 25 for a total of six(6) successes to resist aging, falling one short.
"The death of my little brother has been hard for me..." Seditch drops his arm from Randolf's shoulder and turns his head to hide his face
Sincerity and Acting checks here Sincerity -6; 4; 3; 16; 8; 18; 15; 17 For a total of six(6) successes Wouldja look at that? 6-6-6 Acting - 9; 9; 2; 2; 9; 7; 16; 9 For a total of five(5) successes
"...hard on everyone, I'd imagine. But most of all to me. We had a fight before I left, over a young lass. Harsh words were said, and I never got to apologize to him..." Seditch regains his composure and looks to Randolf. "But, it's too late for that now. Nonetheless, we need a Duke. And Randolf, old friend, it's clear as day who here has the birthright to the throne. I am closest blood to our late Duke, and firstborn to the one prior, it's me who has claim to the throne and none other."
Persuasion roll now 3; 7; 11; 19; 6; 6; 6(There it is again 0-0); 9 for a total of Seven(7) successes
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