In the House of the Ten Veils - IC Thread

[Enoch]

Good catch, thanks. I'll take that and think about a new Belief.

[KJDavid]

Nordentor, the northern gate of the Imperial City, was a six-story bastion seemingly carved from a single, impossibly massive block stone. It rose where the city's curtain wall met the bluffs along the Royal River. More than one invading army had cracked its teeth on Nordentor. When Viktor and Till approached the Imperial City along the northern road, Nordentor was, or so road-rumor said, the only land gate of the city open to incoming traffic. The port was open to sea and river, but both the eastern gate and the Electors' Bridge that spanned the Royal River were both closed. From their position, stuck in a throng of refugees queued up outside the walls, this certainly seemed to be the case. While the eastern gate was far out of their sight, Viktor and Till could just see the Electors' Bridge in the distance, and it looked empty. And the Royal was thronged with barges, rowboats, and skiffs ferrying folk from the western side.

The line was slow moving. The day was nearly done by the time Viktor and Till's carriage finally reached the outermost gate of Nordentor. A row of armored Rohmwach guardsmen barred the way with halberds and spiked staves. They were dressed in heavy mail despite the heat, and, of course, the blue livery of the Imperial Electors. A haggard guardsman with the grille of his bell helm pulled open hauled himself up and halfway into the carriage. There was a royal badge of office on his sash and a wax stamped Oath of Moment. He said nothing for a time, suspicious eyes studying the two men. He could not have missed the marks of the College on the carriage or Till's finery.

"Names," the guardsman demanded.

"Till Emmerich," Till said. "Magister Till Emmerich." The guardsman looked Till up and down, then nodded as if that answer fit his preconceptions. Then his eyes swiveled toward Viktor.

[Enoch]

Viktor absently waves away an errant fly from the small cloud that seems to follow the gutted aurumvorax. "Viktor Guntram, enchanter and former magister at the Zauberhaft."

[KJDavid]

The guardsman nods and climbs down from the carriage. From behind the line of armored Rohmwach, a shrivelled man emerges. His face is pinched, he is cloaked in Imperial red, and he carries a gilded scroll. The guardsman and the shrivelled man consult for a few moments. Their voices are cast low. Finally, the guardsman bows, and the shrivelled man returns back behind the line of Rohmwach. They stiffen as he passes. The guardsman returns to the carriage. He opens the door, but does not climb up.

"Viktor Guntram," the guardsman announces, his voice loud. "I have a royal order for your arrest. Do you mean to resist the will of the Emperor and the gods?" Till's eyes briefly flicker in your direction, but he says nothing.

How does Viktor respond? FYI, as far as you know you have done nothing that would warrant your arrest.

[Enoch]

Viktor's face betrays his surprise, and he looks in alarm between the guardsman and Till Emerich. "What- why am I being arrested? On what charges? And who ordered such an arrest?
I have powerful friends: if you arrest me you will regret it." His gaze slowly morphs from surprise and fear to a steely anger as he stares at the guardsman.

[KJDavid]

The guardsman's hand falls to the hilt of his sword. "Do you mean to resist the will of the Emperor?"

Till's face grows pale. "By the Fire, Viktor, give over," he mutters. "This is some mistake, and I'm sure it will be sorted eventually."

Do you want to try to Intimidate the guardsman?

[Enoch]

Guntram lets out a disgusted sigh. "I'm not resisting, Till; I'm just asking the man why I'm being arrested, and who had the temerity to order it. The last person to interfere is, as far as I know, still hopping around that pond in the courtyard of the Zauberhaft and eating flies. Seems happy enough with his new life, I'm told."

He pushes open the door to the carriage and descends. "Do you know who I am? I am Viktor Guntram, Master Enchanter, Friend of the Zauberhaft and Thrall of Calleigh of the Ten Veils.
I will not resist- but you have a choice to make. Do you want to anger me and my friends, and direct their wrath on your master? Will he reward you for that?"

Heck yeah I want to try to intimidate him. I, of course, do not have the Intimidation skill, so the Ob will be 2x his Will (+1 for the Superficial wound).

[KJDavid]

He's a typical Mannish guardsman, so Will B3.

Also, that Superficial wound was weeks ago. Don't those recover within 24 hours or so?

[Enoch]

Good point. So a B6 Will vs. Ob 6. I do at least have a C-o for Intimidation. This doesn't really hit any of my BITs, but Dissent Parasite does say I like to stir up trouble between others! (Though I suspect that will come about more through subsequent Circles rolls.) I'll spend 1 Persona on this.

3, 3, 5, 6, 6, 2. I'll invoke Dreadful: 6, 1, 2. I'm at 4 successes with 3 6's. I'll open-end that with a Fate. 5, 6, 2. Reroll the 6 for a 3. 6 successes!

Viktor Guntram draws himself up to his full height, his eyes boring into the guardsman's from his ruined face. He speaks softly, so softly the other man nearly needs to lean in to make out the words. "There has been peace between the Emperor and the other powers in the Empire for decades. Are you sure you want to upset that, guardsman? Does your master?"

[KJDavid]

The guardsman's face goes pale. "I meant no offense, good sir. The order came from the palace itself." He hesitates a moment, then gestures, snapping his fingers, toward the shrivelled man in royal red cowering behind the line of armored Rohmwach. "The scroll, now!" The shrivelled man doesn't move. It takes a Rohmwach thumping the man in the back with the butt of a halberd to get him moving. Even then the steps are short and measured. Not daring to meet Viktor's glower, the shrivelled man hands a gilded scroll to the guardsman. The guardsman promptly hands it to Viktor.

The scroll is a royal proclamation calling for the arrest of certain persons should they attempt to enter the Imperial City or otherwise be located by royal or Electoral authorities. There are dozens of names. Some Viktor recognizes as having connections to the Eight Eyes. Viktor Guntram and Lucius Delafleur are at the bottom of the list. Unlike the others, Viktor and Lucius are not to be imprisoned in the Citadel of the Watch, but, rather brought directly to the Imperial Palace. The proclamation is signed by Sir Vandor Wyn, Hound of the Emperor.

The Hound of the Emperor was the guy who sent Viktor, Lucius, and the others north to Trium to investigate the Eyes in that city. He was present when Lucius basically threatened to murder the Emperor.

[Enoch]

Viktor raises his chin in a haughty gesture. "Very well. I will accompany you to the imperial palace. You need not bind me, nor would such efforts prove effective at anything but irritating me."

[KJDavid]

Raised a thousand years ago via a rare union of Dwarf stonemasonry and High Sorcery, the Royal Palace of the Emperor was only equaled in grandeur by the soaring towers of the College of Magic. But while the abode of the Empire's greatest wizarding minds is a place of trepidation for the average citizen, the Royal Palace is one of pride. Not only is the Royal Palace the home of the Imperial Dynasty, but it is also the seat of the Grand Electors, those most worthy deputies of the kingdoms and states that form the body of Empire. That half of those same "worthies" were missing from the Imperial City and marching as generals in the mercenary armies of the Eight Eyes was a fact still hidden from the average citizen. The Empire had sufficient problems without that particular tidbit becoming widely known.

In any case, the defection of half the political class to the enemy seemed to have no effect on the day-to-day functions of the Royal Palace itself. The halls and chambers through which the guard led Viktor Guntram were full of hustling servants, shuffling scribes, and alert soldiery. The bureaucracy of Empire was undiminished or, at least, unperturbed by its missing lords and ladies. Which perhaps might say something about the actual efficacy of that same political class. If the mundane cog-men and women with whom Viktor interacted noted such things, they kept it to themselves. In fact, none of them said anymore than was strictly required by the ironclad laws of etiquette and protocol. Which is why Viktor found himself waiting alone in a well-appointed room with a plate of hot tea, warm pastry, and the tick-tock of a towering cabinet clock with no new information as to why he had been so rudely detained.

Test your Observation against Stealthy Ob4.

[Enoch]

No Observation, so I'll make a B6 Perception (open-ended) test vs. Ob 8. 1, 4, 4, 2, 5, 5. Better than average, but still only 4 successes vs. Ob 8.

[KJDavid]

Viktor waits. The tea cools and the pastry icing hardens. Behind him, the tick-tock of the cabinet clock is the only company. When it seemingly becomes clear to Viktor that he has been forgotten, the sound of a man clearing his throat disrupts that thought. The sound could only have come from behind Viktor, but, of course, there were no doors on that wall.

"Thank you for coming," a voice says. Viktor turns to see a tall man bedecked in the finery of the Imperial Court: shining breastplate, red cloak, bared dueling blade on the hip. His hair is blonde, his eyes are blue, and his jawline could've come out of a storybook about epic heroes. Viktor had met the man once before and did not need to see the dog's head pin on the man's cloak. This was Sir Vandor Wyn, the Hound of the Emperor. With a smile that could disarm the Living Goddess herself, Vandor settles into the chair opposite Viktor.

"Oh, Dead Gods," Vandor muttered the curse under his breath. He sighed. "The tea's gone cold." He rang the silver bell on the platter. The door opened immediately and a servant entered. "Fresh tea. Hot. Fresh pastry as well." Vandor's eyes flicker toward Viktor. "Or would you rather discuss recent events in the north over wine?"

Since it's been a few years, this is the guy that sent Viktor and Lucius north to investigate the Eight Eyes cult in Trium. He's basically the right hand of the Emperor. You can clock on Ob 1 Steel Test for being startled. Since you failed the Perception (Observation) Test, you do not see how he entered the room.

[Enoch]

Viktor clears his throat, seemingly as much to buy himself a moment for thought as anything. Blinking rapidly, he rises from his seat and bows. "My Lord Hound. I...I am honored by your attention. Frankly, I am surprised that you would even remember the likes of me, much less attend to any matters involving me personally. Ah, tea is fine, thank you."

After he settles uneasily back into his chair and smiles up at the servant bringing the tea, he turns his attention back to Wyn. "Sir, might I ask why I have been brought here?"

[KJDavid]

"The north, I speak of Trium, of course," Vandor says. He sips the freshly delivered hot tea. "Is an interesting place these days. Armies on the move. The machinations of wizards." An eyebrow quirks upward. The hint of a smile behind a teacup. "New religion. Tell me of your time there."

[Enoch]

Given Viktor's Base Humility trait, he's going to level with him.

Viktor bows his head. "Trium...nothing went as planned. My companions were captured. I was able to free them, but...I was betrayed. By Lucius. He sold me into slavery, and everything changed."

Slowly at first, and then with growing intensity, Viktor lays out the tale of what happened in Trium.

[KJDavid]

Vandor listens silently as Viktor relates the events of his mission to Trium. When it is finished, Vandor makes no immediate response. He simply sits, studying Viktor's face intently. Finally, the silence is mercifully broken by the clink of Vandor's porcelain cup as he sits it down on the silver platter. The knight and Hound of the Emperor lets out a long sigh. "That is quite the tale."

Did you disclose your current mission and purpose (i.e. - an expedition to Lost Nemedor on behalf of Cailleach)?

[Enoch]

No, Viktor was vague about that. He gave a detailed accounting up through his imprisonment, and then explained that his role seemed to shift from slave to valued guest, and by the end he was free to come and go as he pleased. Not really a lie, but not fully honest, either.

[KJDavid]

Make a Falsehood Test vs Ob5 (Vandor's Will) or he knows you're holding something important back. You can have +2D Advantage for it being a lie of omission.

Vandor pours himself a fresh cup of tea from the filigree pitcher on the platter. "Nothing more to report?" Behind Viktor, the cabinet clock continues its inexorable ticking.