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BSI: Bosum Strand Irregulars
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<blockquote data-quote="skotothalamos" data-source="post: 6559501" data-attributes="member: 83398"><p><strong>More BS</strong></p><p></p><p>As the constables waited for the Bruse to meet with them, a crowd gathered in the throne room. Dignitaries and those with petitions that were in the process of being considered were allowed to watch the proceedings. Glaucia Evora was there, as were Lya Jierre and her two bodyguards, Rush and Merton. The Bruse’s three main advisors entered: Zarkava Ssa’litt, the lizardwoman Vizier of Ber, who handled most of the day-to-day policy of the realm; Kenna Vigilante, the dragonborn Minister of Dragon Affairs, whose main responsibilities in modern Ber resembled those of a treasurer in other nations; and Pardo, a scruffy gnoll wearing only a tattered white shirt and carrying a dirty handkerchief. Pardo was the Minister of Rebellion, an honorary title given to one who speaks in opposition to the Bruse and represents those who are not represented by the other three.</p><p></p><p>Glaucia visibly bristled at the sight of Pardo, and he reciprocated. The two gnolls had no sense of keeping their enmity quiet. There would be no pretense of civility, even here. IronPeak picked up on this, and remembered hearing that the Cult of the Steel Lord venerated metal, and some devotees would not even deign to touch the holy substance, leading to them carrying handkerchiefs for those times when they had to turn a doorknob or use a handrail. Since the Cult of the Steel Lord had attacked Glaucia’s village many years ago and forced her to kill one of her own children, it was easy to get to the root of the gnolls’ hatred for one another.</p><p></p><p>The Bruse entered and addressed the constables. He introduced his advisors and talked at length about local happenings. He asked the constables if anything eventful had happened to them since the events on the Avery Coast Railroad, and they filled him in on the unclassified parts of the aborted peace talks, and the doomsday cult bombers they had faced, and the release of the Colossus. The Bruse mentioned that giant footprints had been seen in the western portions of his country, and he hoped they would have a chance to visit about that in the near future.</p><p></p><p>After an intolerable amount of small talk, Cazara finally pressed the issue and presented their request to see the gnome Tinker Oddcog, and have the chance to interview him. Tinker had designed the Colossus, and he would be the most helpful person to get it under control. Also, there were some matters of state security that needed to be discussed with Oddcog. The Bruse turned to Kenna Viglante and asked her to read the record form the day before. She informed everyone that there was already a petition outstanding with the Bruse’s court for the exact same request, put forth by the representative of Danor, Lya Jierre. Danor was offering five modern steam-powered naval vessels for the opportunity to meet with Tinker. The Bruse turned to the RHC ans asked what Risur was offering.</p><p></p><p>The constables offered a custom-built steamship, built to Beran ergonomic specifications, and the training of Beran engineers on the design of modern steamships so that Ber could gain the capability to build their own. The Bruse and his advisors took a recess to discuss their options. After a few minutes they returned. Kenna and Zarkava looked defeated and slightly upset; the Bruse had gotten his way again, and something stupid was about to happen.</p><p></p><p>The Bruse announced that there would be a vote to determine which of the two petitions to grant. He, Zarkava, and Kenna would each have one vote, representing “the heart, head, and purse-strings of Ber.” There would be two other votes, each to be decided by a contest between the two petitioners. Both groups would be sequestered until sunrise, and then the “race” would begin. </p><p></p><p>One challenge involved the unfinished transnational railroad of Ber. Two railroad companies were building toward each other, nearing completion of a rail line from the capital to the far shore of Ber. The two companies were, at last report, separated by 36 miles. Each group would be assigned a company, and the first team to get their company to reach the halfway point would win. The Risuri delegation was assigned to Liss Rail Construction, and the Danorans were assigned to Griento Railways, the company owned by Damato Griento, whom the constables had met while undercover on the Avery Coast Railroad.</p><p></p><p>The second challenge involved Cavallo de Guerra, the old orc warlord who helped unify the country with Vairday Bruse forty years ago. He had always been a thorn in Shantus’s side, believing that he should have been appointed as Vairday’s successor. Cavallo’s stronghold (Citado Cavallo) was not paying its share for the rail line connecting it to the capital (a different rail line than the one the groups would be working on). The Risuri delegation were tasked with getting Cavallo to agree to cooperate with the capital and pay up. The Danorans were tasked with destabilizing Cavallo’s credibility so he could be removed from power. In order to do this, they had to convince the old warlord to invade the nearby Risuri town of Manhill.</p><p></p><p>The Bruse seemed very pleased with himself, and exited quickly, saying he was going to do some stargazing. Some hors d’oeuvres were brought out and light chamber music began to play, allowing the crowd to mingle. Cazara went to Glaucia to get her opinion on the Bruse’s decision, but Glaucia was mostly concerned with leaving as fast as possible. She did advise Cazara that, as motivated as her group was to win, it would be unwise to do anything damaging to Ber or its citizens in a misguided attempt at victory. She then made a display of groping the door handle for Pardo’s benefit as she left.</p><p></p><p>Lya’s bodyguard Rush Munchausen came straight to Alienor and asked her how her “camp out” at the docks had gone. Then, barely waiting for an answer, he asked her whether the trial of Brakken or the attack of the T. Rexes had been more disruptive to the group’s progress, because he had a bet to settle with Merton. Alienor told him that IronPeak had captured one of the feathered tyrants, so it really had been a net profit. Rush was giddy at this. He laughed and openly mocked his co-worker for losing his treasured pets in a failed attack. For his part, Merton was stoic and simply watched the room.</p><p></p><p>IronPeak ran into Kenna Vigilante at the buffet table. Kenna happily picked through the offerings as IronPeak pressed her for dragon information. The constables had developed a theory that Leone Quital (the “Steelshaper”) might be the dragon Gradiax (“dead” former leader of the Cult of the Steel Lord), and IronPeak was hoping Kenna might have information, or be able to help her find the library so she could do her own research. Kenna clearly enjoyed talking with IronPeak, and (after loading up a plate to take with her) offered to take IronPeak to the library herself and help her with her research. The two headed off together.</p><p></p><p>Cazara, meanwhile, had turned her attention to Zarkava. Cazara had a hunch that the Vizier was not pleased with the current leadership of Ber. Cazara herself was not pleased with the direction the Bruse was taking the country, and wanted to see if Zarkava could be an ally in her plan to depose the Bruse. The two had a pleasant conversation about the weather and current events, while actually having a telepathic conversation about who would be a good replacement for the Bruse. While Zarkava wouldn’t go so far as to endorse Cazara’s first choice, Cavallo de Guerra, she did seem very receptive to the idea of getting someone else on the throne.</p><p></p><p>While all that was going on, Summer and Lya Jierre were meeting. Summer had a glamour up to hide her true face, so Lya started in with a diplomatic about how she was seeking a peaceful resolution to the whole thing, and how she thought the Bruse’s game was silly, and what if the two groups colluded to each only win one contest, thus forcing the Bruse and his council to actually make their own decision; Summer’s group could have the Cavallo challenge (since Lya really didn’t want to start a war), and Lya’s group could have the railroad challenge. Summer was not pulled in by Lya’s own false face, and she changed tacks, deciding to intimidate the Tiefling. For just a second, she revealed her true face, the face of Kasvarina Varal, who had helped build everything that Lya now worked for. Lya recognized her, called her a soulless bitch, and stomped out, triggering the chain element on her sword over and over. There would be no deal, nor any pretense of civility.</p><p></p><p>A clerk came by and informed both groups that the Bruse had provided cottages for their convenience, together with a trio of guards for each group, to make sure they did not leave the grounds before sunrise.</p><p></p><p>IronPeak and Kenna talked half the night away, going over the many dragons of Ber’s past. There was nothing conclusive that linked Gradiax to Quital, but there was no actual evidence of Gradiax’s death, either; he had simply stopped being an active influence over his subjects, and so his death had been inferred. Kenna gave IronPeak a tip: she warned of the dragon Cheshimox, a white dragon from Drakr who had emigrated to Ber centuries ago, bringing an enchanted chunk of glacier with him. He had killed an entire tribe of lizardoflk and then reanimated them to be his undead followers in his unnaturally cold realm in the midst of a tropical badland. She warned IronPeak that the rail line her group had been assigned would run uncomfortably close to Cheshimox’s old realm, and while the dragon himself had been dead for at least 200 years, his servants had made a few raids in the area as recently as ten years ago. Kenna eventually had to take her leave, but she invited IronPeak to accompany her on her morning run. IronPeak agreed, as long as it could be delayed until after sun-up, since she didn’t want to break the Bruse’s rules. Kenna agreed and left IronPeak to her books.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="skotothalamos, post: 6559501, member: 83398"] [b]More BS[/b] As the constables waited for the Bruse to meet with them, a crowd gathered in the throne room. Dignitaries and those with petitions that were in the process of being considered were allowed to watch the proceedings. Glaucia Evora was there, as were Lya Jierre and her two bodyguards, Rush and Merton. The Bruse’s three main advisors entered: Zarkava Ssa’litt, the lizardwoman Vizier of Ber, who handled most of the day-to-day policy of the realm; Kenna Vigilante, the dragonborn Minister of Dragon Affairs, whose main responsibilities in modern Ber resembled those of a treasurer in other nations; and Pardo, a scruffy gnoll wearing only a tattered white shirt and carrying a dirty handkerchief. Pardo was the Minister of Rebellion, an honorary title given to one who speaks in opposition to the Bruse and represents those who are not represented by the other three. Glaucia visibly bristled at the sight of Pardo, and he reciprocated. The two gnolls had no sense of keeping their enmity quiet. There would be no pretense of civility, even here. IronPeak picked up on this, and remembered hearing that the Cult of the Steel Lord venerated metal, and some devotees would not even deign to touch the holy substance, leading to them carrying handkerchiefs for those times when they had to turn a doorknob or use a handrail. Since the Cult of the Steel Lord had attacked Glaucia’s village many years ago and forced her to kill one of her own children, it was easy to get to the root of the gnolls’ hatred for one another. The Bruse entered and addressed the constables. He introduced his advisors and talked at length about local happenings. He asked the constables if anything eventful had happened to them since the events on the Avery Coast Railroad, and they filled him in on the unclassified parts of the aborted peace talks, and the doomsday cult bombers they had faced, and the release of the Colossus. The Bruse mentioned that giant footprints had been seen in the western portions of his country, and he hoped they would have a chance to visit about that in the near future. After an intolerable amount of small talk, Cazara finally pressed the issue and presented their request to see the gnome Tinker Oddcog, and have the chance to interview him. Tinker had designed the Colossus, and he would be the most helpful person to get it under control. Also, there were some matters of state security that needed to be discussed with Oddcog. The Bruse turned to Kenna Viglante and asked her to read the record form the day before. She informed everyone that there was already a petition outstanding with the Bruse’s court for the exact same request, put forth by the representative of Danor, Lya Jierre. Danor was offering five modern steam-powered naval vessels for the opportunity to meet with Tinker. The Bruse turned to the RHC ans asked what Risur was offering. The constables offered a custom-built steamship, built to Beran ergonomic specifications, and the training of Beran engineers on the design of modern steamships so that Ber could gain the capability to build their own. The Bruse and his advisors took a recess to discuss their options. After a few minutes they returned. Kenna and Zarkava looked defeated and slightly upset; the Bruse had gotten his way again, and something stupid was about to happen. The Bruse announced that there would be a vote to determine which of the two petitions to grant. He, Zarkava, and Kenna would each have one vote, representing “the heart, head, and purse-strings of Ber.” There would be two other votes, each to be decided by a contest between the two petitioners. Both groups would be sequestered until sunrise, and then the “race” would begin. One challenge involved the unfinished transnational railroad of Ber. Two railroad companies were building toward each other, nearing completion of a rail line from the capital to the far shore of Ber. The two companies were, at last report, separated by 36 miles. Each group would be assigned a company, and the first team to get their company to reach the halfway point would win. The Risuri delegation was assigned to Liss Rail Construction, and the Danorans were assigned to Griento Railways, the company owned by Damato Griento, whom the constables had met while undercover on the Avery Coast Railroad. The second challenge involved Cavallo de Guerra, the old orc warlord who helped unify the country with Vairday Bruse forty years ago. He had always been a thorn in Shantus’s side, believing that he should have been appointed as Vairday’s successor. Cavallo’s stronghold (Citado Cavallo) was not paying its share for the rail line connecting it to the capital (a different rail line than the one the groups would be working on). The Risuri delegation were tasked with getting Cavallo to agree to cooperate with the capital and pay up. The Danorans were tasked with destabilizing Cavallo’s credibility so he could be removed from power. In order to do this, they had to convince the old warlord to invade the nearby Risuri town of Manhill. The Bruse seemed very pleased with himself, and exited quickly, saying he was going to do some stargazing. Some hors d’oeuvres were brought out and light chamber music began to play, allowing the crowd to mingle. Cazara went to Glaucia to get her opinion on the Bruse’s decision, but Glaucia was mostly concerned with leaving as fast as possible. She did advise Cazara that, as motivated as her group was to win, it would be unwise to do anything damaging to Ber or its citizens in a misguided attempt at victory. She then made a display of groping the door handle for Pardo’s benefit as she left. Lya’s bodyguard Rush Munchausen came straight to Alienor and asked her how her “camp out” at the docks had gone. Then, barely waiting for an answer, he asked her whether the trial of Brakken or the attack of the T. Rexes had been more disruptive to the group’s progress, because he had a bet to settle with Merton. Alienor told him that IronPeak had captured one of the feathered tyrants, so it really had been a net profit. Rush was giddy at this. He laughed and openly mocked his co-worker for losing his treasured pets in a failed attack. For his part, Merton was stoic and simply watched the room. IronPeak ran into Kenna Vigilante at the buffet table. Kenna happily picked through the offerings as IronPeak pressed her for dragon information. The constables had developed a theory that Leone Quital (the “Steelshaper”) might be the dragon Gradiax (“dead” former leader of the Cult of the Steel Lord), and IronPeak was hoping Kenna might have information, or be able to help her find the library so she could do her own research. Kenna clearly enjoyed talking with IronPeak, and (after loading up a plate to take with her) offered to take IronPeak to the library herself and help her with her research. The two headed off together. Cazara, meanwhile, had turned her attention to Zarkava. Cazara had a hunch that the Vizier was not pleased with the current leadership of Ber. Cazara herself was not pleased with the direction the Bruse was taking the country, and wanted to see if Zarkava could be an ally in her plan to depose the Bruse. The two had a pleasant conversation about the weather and current events, while actually having a telepathic conversation about who would be a good replacement for the Bruse. While Zarkava wouldn’t go so far as to endorse Cazara’s first choice, Cavallo de Guerra, she did seem very receptive to the idea of getting someone else on the throne. While all that was going on, Summer and Lya Jierre were meeting. Summer had a glamour up to hide her true face, so Lya started in with a diplomatic about how she was seeking a peaceful resolution to the whole thing, and how she thought the Bruse’s game was silly, and what if the two groups colluded to each only win one contest, thus forcing the Bruse and his council to actually make their own decision; Summer’s group could have the Cavallo challenge (since Lya really didn’t want to start a war), and Lya’s group could have the railroad challenge. Summer was not pulled in by Lya’s own false face, and she changed tacks, deciding to intimidate the Tiefling. For just a second, she revealed her true face, the face of Kasvarina Varal, who had helped build everything that Lya now worked for. Lya recognized her, called her a soulless bitch, and stomped out, triggering the chain element on her sword over and over. There would be no deal, nor any pretense of civility. A clerk came by and informed both groups that the Bruse had provided cottages for their convenience, together with a trio of guards for each group, to make sure they did not leave the grounds before sunrise. IronPeak and Kenna talked half the night away, going over the many dragons of Ber’s past. There was nothing conclusive that linked Gradiax to Quital, but there was no actual evidence of Gradiax’s death, either; he had simply stopped being an active influence over his subjects, and so his death had been inferred. Kenna gave IronPeak a tip: she warned of the dragon Cheshimox, a white dragon from Drakr who had emigrated to Ber centuries ago, bringing an enchanted chunk of glacier with him. He had killed an entire tribe of lizardoflk and then reanimated them to be his undead followers in his unnaturally cold realm in the midst of a tropical badland. She warned IronPeak that the rail line her group had been assigned would run uncomfortably close to Cheshimox’s old realm, and while the dragon himself had been dead for at least 200 years, his servants had made a few raids in the area as recently as ten years ago. Kenna eventually had to take her leave, but she invited IronPeak to accompany her on her morning run. IronPeak agreed, as long as it could be delayed until after sun-up, since she didn’t want to break the Bruse’s rules. Kenna agreed and left IronPeak to her books. [/QUOTE]
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