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Kingdom: Fear and Loathing in Emporopolis (Updated June 20, 2013)
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<blockquote data-quote="The Shadow" data-source="post: 6140927" data-attributes="member: 16760"><p>Milos sat on his throne, glumly listening as Strategos Eumanios, his military commander, ranted and raved about that whole nasty Spitha business. Why, one might almost think he actually cared!</p><p></p><p>"My Lord, this time the Thieves' Guild has gone too far, I tell you! This time they've killed someone who actually MATTERS! If they start thinking they can kill nobles - even if minor ones - with impunity, who can rest safely in the Noble Quarter?! And the children, what sort of dog does that? A mad dog, I say; and mad dogs should be put down." [I had a lot of fun playing Eumanios. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" />]</p><p></p><p>Milos raised a hand to stem the tide of rhetoric. "I assure you that nobody deplores this horrible crime more than myself, good Eumanios. I am determined that those responsible shall be found and punished. The good people of this city demand no less, and I am nothing if not a man of the people."</p><p></p><p>Eumanios sneered, "Well then, <em>my Lord.</em> As a man of the people, you doubtless are aware that your City Watch is useless, if not worse than useless. They haven't made the slightest progress so far, have they?" "What do you propose then, Strategos?"</p><p></p><p>"Declare martial law, Lordship! Let my men scour the city and hound these Guild rats from their holes!" Milos suppressed a knowing smirk. Let you produce a few corpses, declare victory, and cover yourself with glory, you mean. But there was another consideration, and he was truly sincere as he said, "Alas, Eumanios, I fear that the cure may be worse than the disease. If we should bring in the military in a civil matter such as this, no matter how grave, I fear that our dear people, who have done nothing wrong themselves, will experience oppression and misery."</p><p></p><p>[This was a Prediction made with the Role of Perspective: If martial law is declared, the people will be oppressed. It will inexorably come true if the Crossroad turns that way, unless something is explicitly done to counter it.]</p><p></p><p>Eumanios blustered about this insult, but Milos reminded him, "Great men and great cities have fallen before by using force when it was not necessary, good my lord. Let us not be too hasty. Watch Commander, what progress <em>have</em> you made?"</p><p></p><p>Watch Commander Frouros, a lean ferret of a man, reported, "My Lord. My 'useless' men..." here stealing a sardonic glance at Eumanios, who glowered at him, "have turned up several leads. We'll find the bastards... it'll just take time. <em>Real</em> police work is like that."</p><p></p><p>Eumanios barked, "Mind your tongue, commoner! And should not the people receive justice now, not after endless delay?!" Milos once again raised a weary hand. "Let us give the Watch space to work for now, Strategos. If no progress is made, or if further unrest should occur, we can always revisit the matter."</p><p></p><p>Eumanios fumed, "Permission to approach your august presence, my Lord?" Mildly surprised, Milos said, "Of course." Striding forward with clipped fury, Eumanios lowered his voice - but not so much that those nearby couldn't hear. "My Lord, you are <em>weak.</em>"</p><p></p><p>Milos smiled tolerantly upon him - showing some of his teeth, both figuratively and literally. "And you, my lord, are strong. Strong men often forget the value of listening to every point of view. Rulers must consider every voice, don't you think? Otherwise they may find their head taking leave of their shoulders."</p><p></p><p>Eumanios took his point and flushed. Sketching a bow, he snipped off, "My Lord," and strode out. Frouros couldn't quite suppress a smirk. Fylakas would be interested in this.</p><p></p><p>[Please note that at this point Milos doesn't have any real authority in town - he doesn't have Power. Oh, he does on paper, but in practice getting anything important done would require more political capital than he can spare. Eumanios can lose his head only if Fylakas signs off on it. But <em>neither he nor Milos fully know that in character.</em> They both know that Milos has to balance a lot of noble families and so on... He definitely isn't a strong ruler. But neither knows that somebody else holds the real strings of Power.]</p><p></p><p>----------------</p><p></p><p>Shortly after, Fylakas waited with Mathitis in the sewers of the city - a neutral area not controlled by the Thieves' Guild. He sniffed at the barbaric surroundings... but at least this spot was dry and not overwhelming in stench. Soon Maldark showed up as agreed, with a trusted lieutenant. (As trusted a lieutenant as a sorcerer of the Lady of Betrayal and Murder can have, anyway...) [My bringing Maldark into the scene caused a stir of surprise in the other two players. I assigned him to SuentisPo, and Mathitis to JoJoz.]</p><p></p><p>Fylakas got straight to business, stating in clipped tones, "When I gave you permission to have that gadfly Spitha killed, I didn't say you could kill his entire family." [Once again, a stir of surprise. I'd just established that one of the prime Threats to the city was my underling! Though not by any means necessarily a loyal and dependable underling...]</p><p></p><p>Maldark was a large and dangerous-looking man in studded leather, but he held up his hands placatingly to the smaller and apparently unarmed shopkeeper. "My man was taken by surprise, he had to use a little initiative."</p><p></p><p>Fylakas glared. "I have scant appreciation for 'initiative'." He spat the word as if it were a curse. "When I give an order, I expect it to be carried out faithfully, without 'initiative'. 'Initiative' requires thinking, and thinking is not a quality that I value in thugs and other menials."</p><p></p><p>Maldark said defensively, "Spitha wasn't asleep the way you said, he was up reading in his library. He gave the alarm, things got messy." Fylakas took a step forward, looking up at the larger man with an expression so imperious the Emperor himself couldn't have topped it. He inquired mildly, "Are you suggesting my information is... faulty? Perhaps you begin to feel it is faulty in other respects as well?"</p><p></p><p>The big man, a murderer many times over, flinched. "No. No! Not at all, sir. It was just happenstance! These things happen!" "Indeed they do. Mischances can befall us all, don't you agree?" Maldark said hastily, "Oh, indeed! I, ah, shall reprimand my man firmly." Fylakas replied drily, "Make certain your reprimand occurs well beyond his pain threshold. And do it yourself... perhaps you both will learn something." Maldark gritted his teeth and ground out, "It shall be as you say." When Maldark seemed sufficiently cowed (Mathitis looked on with a certain bemused wonder), Fylakas added, "Your man's 'initiative' has caused problems. The Strategos is calling for martial law."</p><p></p><p>Maldark curled his lip. "The Strategos is an incompetent, upjumped popinjay." "Of course he is, why do you think I arranged for him to be appointed in the first place? But he seems to have outlived his usefulness. Having the streets flooded with soldiers would be... inconvenient. I must think on this - not that it's any of your affair." Maldark received this with a meek expression and a suppressed glare of dangerous fury in his eyes.</p><p></p><p>After musing a little while, Fylakas ordered, "Keep your men under tight control in the coming days and weeks. I don't want there to be any further pretext for unpleasantness - nor any further 'initiative'." Maldark nodded. "It shall be done."</p><p></p><p>"See that it is." Fylakas turned on his heel and left without a further word, but Mathitis lingered, sizing up the big sorcerer.</p><p></p><p>Maldark beckoned to him conspiratorially. "He's a hard one, your master, isn't he?" The young man allowed, "Perhaps he can be at times. What's it to you?"</p><p></p><p>The Guildmaster of Thieves grinned and spread his hands. "The real question is, what is it to you? As for me, I have located that magical dagger we have spoken of before. An expert has assured me it can cut through anything at all... perhaps even the strings of a Vow. If this still interests you, I could have my people lay hands on it, for a consideration." [Yes, SuentisPo made up the dagger out of whole cloth on the spot!]</p><p></p><p>Mathitis smiled a slow smile he'd learned from Fylakas. "Perhaps a mutually beneficial arrangement can be made. It will be our little Secret." "We understand one another, then."</p><p></p><p>---------------------------------</p><p></p><p>At this point the Crossroad's Side Effect was revealed: If martial law is declared, Milos will win the good will and approval of the noble houses of the city. (Unfortunately, I've forgotten the brief scene that dramatized it.) SuentisPo was now torn... On the one hand, he'd already Predicted oppression for that result, which would make him look rather a tyrant if he embraced it. On the other, the lack of respect Eumanios had shown him rankled and lowered his standing. Good will among the nobles was tempting. I proceeded in a subsequent scene (though not the very next one, it wasn't my turn) to have Fylakas sweeten the other side to encourage him to play along...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="The Shadow, post: 6140927, member: 16760"] Milos sat on his throne, glumly listening as Strategos Eumanios, his military commander, ranted and raved about that whole nasty Spitha business. Why, one might almost think he actually cared! "My Lord, this time the Thieves' Guild has gone too far, I tell you! This time they've killed someone who actually MATTERS! If they start thinking they can kill nobles - even if minor ones - with impunity, who can rest safely in the Noble Quarter?! And the children, what sort of dog does that? A mad dog, I say; and mad dogs should be put down." [I had a lot of fun playing Eumanios. :)] Milos raised a hand to stem the tide of rhetoric. "I assure you that nobody deplores this horrible crime more than myself, good Eumanios. I am determined that those responsible shall be found and punished. The good people of this city demand no less, and I am nothing if not a man of the people." Eumanios sneered, "Well then, [i]my Lord.[/i] As a man of the people, you doubtless are aware that your City Watch is useless, if not worse than useless. They haven't made the slightest progress so far, have they?" "What do you propose then, Strategos?" "Declare martial law, Lordship! Let my men scour the city and hound these Guild rats from their holes!" Milos suppressed a knowing smirk. Let you produce a few corpses, declare victory, and cover yourself with glory, you mean. But there was another consideration, and he was truly sincere as he said, "Alas, Eumanios, I fear that the cure may be worse than the disease. If we should bring in the military in a civil matter such as this, no matter how grave, I fear that our dear people, who have done nothing wrong themselves, will experience oppression and misery." [This was a Prediction made with the Role of Perspective: If martial law is declared, the people will be oppressed. It will inexorably come true if the Crossroad turns that way, unless something is explicitly done to counter it.] Eumanios blustered about this insult, but Milos reminded him, "Great men and great cities have fallen before by using force when it was not necessary, good my lord. Let us not be too hasty. Watch Commander, what progress [i]have[/i] you made?" Watch Commander Frouros, a lean ferret of a man, reported, "My Lord. My 'useless' men..." here stealing a sardonic glance at Eumanios, who glowered at him, "have turned up several leads. We'll find the bastards... it'll just take time. [i]Real[/i] police work is like that." Eumanios barked, "Mind your tongue, commoner! And should not the people receive justice now, not after endless delay?!" Milos once again raised a weary hand. "Let us give the Watch space to work for now, Strategos. If no progress is made, or if further unrest should occur, we can always revisit the matter." Eumanios fumed, "Permission to approach your august presence, my Lord?" Mildly surprised, Milos said, "Of course." Striding forward with clipped fury, Eumanios lowered his voice - but not so much that those nearby couldn't hear. "My Lord, you are [i]weak.[/i]" Milos smiled tolerantly upon him - showing some of his teeth, both figuratively and literally. "And you, my lord, are strong. Strong men often forget the value of listening to every point of view. Rulers must consider every voice, don't you think? Otherwise they may find their head taking leave of their shoulders." Eumanios took his point and flushed. Sketching a bow, he snipped off, "My Lord," and strode out. Frouros couldn't quite suppress a smirk. Fylakas would be interested in this. [Please note that at this point Milos doesn't have any real authority in town - he doesn't have Power. Oh, he does on paper, but in practice getting anything important done would require more political capital than he can spare. Eumanios can lose his head only if Fylakas signs off on it. But [i]neither he nor Milos fully know that in character.[/i] They both know that Milos has to balance a lot of noble families and so on... He definitely isn't a strong ruler. But neither knows that somebody else holds the real strings of Power.] ---------------- Shortly after, Fylakas waited with Mathitis in the sewers of the city - a neutral area not controlled by the Thieves' Guild. He sniffed at the barbaric surroundings... but at least this spot was dry and not overwhelming in stench. Soon Maldark showed up as agreed, with a trusted lieutenant. (As trusted a lieutenant as a sorcerer of the Lady of Betrayal and Murder can have, anyway...) [My bringing Maldark into the scene caused a stir of surprise in the other two players. I assigned him to SuentisPo, and Mathitis to JoJoz.] Fylakas got straight to business, stating in clipped tones, "When I gave you permission to have that gadfly Spitha killed, I didn't say you could kill his entire family." [Once again, a stir of surprise. I'd just established that one of the prime Threats to the city was my underling! Though not by any means necessarily a loyal and dependable underling...] Maldark was a large and dangerous-looking man in studded leather, but he held up his hands placatingly to the smaller and apparently unarmed shopkeeper. "My man was taken by surprise, he had to use a little initiative." Fylakas glared. "I have scant appreciation for 'initiative'." He spat the word as if it were a curse. "When I give an order, I expect it to be carried out faithfully, without 'initiative'. 'Initiative' requires thinking, and thinking is not a quality that I value in thugs and other menials." Maldark said defensively, "Spitha wasn't asleep the way you said, he was up reading in his library. He gave the alarm, things got messy." Fylakas took a step forward, looking up at the larger man with an expression so imperious the Emperor himself couldn't have topped it. He inquired mildly, "Are you suggesting my information is... faulty? Perhaps you begin to feel it is faulty in other respects as well?" The big man, a murderer many times over, flinched. "No. No! Not at all, sir. It was just happenstance! These things happen!" "Indeed they do. Mischances can befall us all, don't you agree?" Maldark said hastily, "Oh, indeed! I, ah, shall reprimand my man firmly." Fylakas replied drily, "Make certain your reprimand occurs well beyond his pain threshold. And do it yourself... perhaps you both will learn something." Maldark gritted his teeth and ground out, "It shall be as you say." When Maldark seemed sufficiently cowed (Mathitis looked on with a certain bemused wonder), Fylakas added, "Your man's 'initiative' has caused problems. The Strategos is calling for martial law." Maldark curled his lip. "The Strategos is an incompetent, upjumped popinjay." "Of course he is, why do you think I arranged for him to be appointed in the first place? But he seems to have outlived his usefulness. Having the streets flooded with soldiers would be... inconvenient. I must think on this - not that it's any of your affair." Maldark received this with a meek expression and a suppressed glare of dangerous fury in his eyes. After musing a little while, Fylakas ordered, "Keep your men under tight control in the coming days and weeks. I don't want there to be any further pretext for unpleasantness - nor any further 'initiative'." Maldark nodded. "It shall be done." "See that it is." Fylakas turned on his heel and left without a further word, but Mathitis lingered, sizing up the big sorcerer. Maldark beckoned to him conspiratorially. "He's a hard one, your master, isn't he?" The young man allowed, "Perhaps he can be at times. What's it to you?" The Guildmaster of Thieves grinned and spread his hands. "The real question is, what is it to you? As for me, I have located that magical dagger we have spoken of before. An expert has assured me it can cut through anything at all... perhaps even the strings of a Vow. If this still interests you, I could have my people lay hands on it, for a consideration." [Yes, SuentisPo made up the dagger out of whole cloth on the spot!] Mathitis smiled a slow smile he'd learned from Fylakas. "Perhaps a mutually beneficial arrangement can be made. It will be our little Secret." "We understand one another, then." --------------------------------- At this point the Crossroad's Side Effect was revealed: If martial law is declared, Milos will win the good will and approval of the noble houses of the city. (Unfortunately, I've forgotten the brief scene that dramatized it.) SuentisPo was now torn... On the one hand, he'd already Predicted oppression for that result, which would make him look rather a tyrant if he embraced it. On the other, the lack of respect Eumanios had shown him rankled and lowered his standing. Good will among the nobles was tempting. I proceeded in a subsequent scene (though not the very next one, it wasn't my turn) to have Fylakas sweeten the other side to encourage him to play along... [/QUOTE]
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Kingdom: Fear and Loathing in Emporopolis (Updated June 20, 2013)
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