ZEITGEIST Bruse's Challenges (Spoilers)

[mdusty]

I'm a little baffled by the Bruse's second challenge in Book 6. He asks Lya Jierre, a foreign dignitary, to trick his own naval commander to attack a Risuri fort on Risuri sovereign soil, and he does this right in front of a group of RHC constables. And his task to them is just to get Cavallo to swear loyalty to him...not to convince him to NOT attack their own nation (which could be one and the same...but is it?) So....two foreign leaders are sitting here discussing a way to attack a Risuri fort and no one does anything or mentions that this is an actual act of war (not in the adventure anyway)? What prevents the players from saying screw Tinker, the king of Ber just literally planned an assault on Risur with the second highest ranking member of the Danoran government....THAT is the biggest threat to Risur right now? They are RHC, it is their job to prevent foreign assaults on their nation like this. I don't think my players will kill Lya or the Bruse during this moment, but I can see them trying to assassinate both of them later that evening or the next day when they are alone or maybe with just a bodyguard or two as a result all in the name of protecting Risur. And if they do, what would the ramifications of that look like?
Is there something that I'm missing that an NPC could say or even the Bruse say that would calm down furious players that just witnessed a planned assault on Risuri territory? Is there something like "Manhill isn't actually Risuri territory, it's a neutral zone" thing? I know that in the end, it doesn't matter anyway, Tinker's not even around, but I'm just trying to get ahead of my players, who don't know that Tinker isn't there, and be prepared for the crazy shenanigans they will try to pull off as a result of all of this.
I think instead of two leaders of foreign nations planning an actual assault on Risur, I think I would be much more comfortable changing Lya's challenge to something like "Convince Cavallo to declare independence from Ber and force him to face the Bruse in battle" or something like that.

 

[arkwright]

My party had much the same reaction. It was a big part of their motivation to immediately declare that Shantus was unworthy to lead, support Cavallo's daughter for the role, and vow to help both railway companies bridge the nation as fast as possible, ignoring his order to compete.

Switching to a different challenge is a good idea. Otherwise, I'd say the best thing you can do is make the Manhill assault less threatening. Rather than 'a brutal assault, wiping out the defenders to the last man', it is a 'piratical border skirmish, stealing from the larders and herds.'

 

[hirou]

Kings can allow themselves to be dicks. Bruse did not command anyone to attack Risur (he can't order a foreign minister around, can he?), Bruse definitely does not support the attack on Risuri fort. If some Risuri fort would happen to be attacked by orc warlord, Bruse will definitely be displeased, oh the horrors or war.

King of Risur proclaimed that he deigns the possibility of a lasting peace with Danor only when he was standing on the deck of a miniature Death Star. From another perspective, this can also raise some eyebrows.