OOC

[Tiglath]

This!

This is what it is - you just can't get the staff!

At least in the old days you'd have someone to link arms with clearing the minefield! Now its all "downsized" and "outsourced" to a specific skill group (who have had all the relevant courses) and so you end up running around stamping about in fields clearing mines on your own!

Just on a professional level it's embarrassing!

However maybe Remington is about to perform another "miracle"???

Of course Raven may not have entirely foreseen quite what she is creating...

[Gorethirster]

You really need to stop expecting miracles on demand. It raises Remington's blood pressure, it's not good for him. He's going to burst a blood vessel in his eye and look even more like a crazed techno-sorcerer than he already does.

[Tiglath]

And this would be wrong how?

[The Bindoner]

Waiting on coastguarder/Ridley, who should be joining the away team.

[coastguarder]

Did someone say explosives ?? ill be right out

[hardrocks]

Oh God. We have awakened a slumbering Bear

[The Bindoner]

Chasing research rabbits and re-subscribing to podcasts.

Post tomorrow.

Good to see Ridley back

[Tiglath]

Good to see Ridley back

Absolutely!

[The Bindoner]

I'll translate the Marduk dialogue at some point. I write it, translate it, transliterate it and run it through a checker. Pity to leave it as "foreign".

[Tiglath]

I got a sense of it treating it as Persian.

[The Bindoner]

Yep

It is Marduk after all.

[Tiglath]

The trouble is it (hilariously) mistranslates via basic translators (which seem thrown by titles and proper names) with quite bizarre yet intriguingly opaque results. However, one attempt did throw out the below apparently referring to Raven (in full war make up) as "Avon Naughty" which amused me far too much!

Avon Naughty says Aguer Herff Baznaz Jamjaban Ata will use 'Inivan toilet' asst, so be quiet and I'll let all of us rio oz 'isbanit.'(sic)

[The Bindoner]

The transliteration doesn't really work with translators , does it?

That's a good thing, I don't want you reading the conversation yet. Marduk natives are meant to be incomprehensible, it's one of their defences.

[The Bindoner]

Actually, I quite like that translation effect. A few words understood, most of it gibberish. About where an experienced Oghma raider without the Language/Marduk skill would be.

[Gorethirster]

I went back to the Raiding Season thread to double check exactly what the specifics of the Raven/Remington deal(s) were, and I'm not sure I can call any of them "deals" in good conscience. A deal implies that both parties had a clear idea of what they were giving and what they were getting and had the option to walk away if they preferred. Not that pointing this out would do Remington much good, because Raven is clearly not interested in an academic discussion of when an agreement is coerced, no matter how relevant it might be.

[Tiglath]

This must mean this is definitively another murky Raven/Remington "deal"!

[hardrocks]

Turning to Raven, standing straight: Raven Sorrow, you offer freedom to some of my people. Who decides which? Old and infirm people cannot rebuild what you have destroyed. This town you say you have spared, it burns and the tower is fallen. The things Zinat has to protect this place, they are toys. The caverns have a real defence. My people are safe from your raiders now. You were not fought, no. You were slowed, so others could run. This is our way.

So, I will deal with you. But not from weakness. Us you have, we are lost. Those who help you have no place here, those who resist die, the others are yours. The men you freed, they are exile. Dead to us, no place but the wilderness to go. So, I have little to lose.

My offer. Your word no more destruction, no more raiders come, I tell you everything I know about the things in this place, what the Starfolk pay for them.

We talk about who you free, I agree, I help you with the traps.

As Raid Leader this is your call. Kar would think the same. As far as Slaves/loot goes, I would always prefer valuable, compliant cargo. So, the inanimate kind is always easier to deal with than the human. We can't take all the captives anyway and we don't want any strong militia types either.

[Tiglath]

Thank you, that makes resolution easier in game.

As it goes I think we're on the same page re: loot.

I'll swap slaves for the knowledge of the "Atlantean" treasure (and the treasure itself).

[hardrocks]

And we do have a couple of high status youngsters to trade too.

[Tiglath]

Here's a copy of our "passenger list" (below) from the Purser's Department.

I have employed the traditional Oghman "traffic light system" for departures.

Green we should release.

Red likewise but negotiating for a basic ransom or extra value from Eshargamelat's side of the deal.

Amber are marginal quality but have skills of value and could be carried "warm" through jump on the grounds they are less likely to cause trouble aboard.

Please pitch in with any amendments/thoughts/ideas!

Quote: Priority one is literacy or technical skill. Second is youth and physical fitness. Disadvantageous characteristics are fighting spirit and high social status, as such individuals take longer to become obedient. Advancing age decreases value.

The candidates for the last four low berths, roughly in descending order, are:

Udish Male age 36 287A8A Merchant speaks Trade Marduk and Galanglic ( Imperial) - Good language skills, understands numbers, is being helpful already.

Imgua male age 17 UPP:A3B639 Seafarer - young, strong/fit
Yahdun-lim male age 19 UPP:AB8776 Tailor - young, strong/fit, useful trade
Nidnatum male age 25 UPP:A79758 Boat Builder - young, strong/fit, retrainable skill
Shalanum male age 30 UPP:A89738 Stevedore – good basic stock, used to shifting cargo
Mut-kabid male age 34 UPP:886585 Wagon-Driver – good basic stock

These two are interesting:

Pushu-ken male age 18 UPP:6C766B Council Member, head of family
Ahatiwaqrat female age 21 UPP:73697A council-member (ko)

Young but too high-status to be easily made obedient. Perhaps they could be ransomed. If not by you maybe someone on Blackrock would buy the asset.

Looking at the remainder we have:

Marginal options:

Ali-ahhusha female age 42 UPP:6A7948 Farmer, speaks Trade-Marduk – post-prime but clever and agile
Ku-aya female age 50 UPP:567835 Smith ( metalworker ) - poor quality, but a useful skill.
Eshargamelat female age 51 UPP:477A98 One of Zinat's crafts-people - poor quality, but a useful skill. Knows about the artefacts Raven's team are looting


The others are poor prospects. The militia men will be trouble, they had the spirit to fight, and the others are either too old or have insufficiently valuable skills/abilities.


Ama-sin Militiaman: UPP:B86639 age 46 Householder
Ilulu Militiaman UPP:A9C797 age 35 Ship-owner gut wound, low priority

Mutu-bisir male age 52 M UPP:C7A655 ( Merchant's assistant )
Palusum male age 47 UPP:976778 Farmer
Inim-shara male age53 UPP:597845 Stall-holder

Habannatum female age 49 876537, Carter

Lipit-enlil age 66 UPP:558726 Ship Owner ( retired Captain )