> Firstly: should any rolls come up, roll d100.

> Now, the setting.

Your kingdom is not of its own civilisation, but is merely one of scores of civilised states, inhabited and ruled by men who wear broad-sleeved clothes, wear sashes instead of belts, tie their hair in the proper manner and fold their robes left over right. This vast area of civilisation, occupying the centre of the world with the sea to its south and deserts to its north, is simply called the Realm.

Within the Realm, civilisation mostly prevails, and polities are organised into states. Within these states, one level upon other of the hierarchy are placed correctly, to ensure order and the proper functioning of the world. Thus royal houses rule states; and beneath them is a system of nobility that runs as follows:

Great King - King - Prince/Duke - Earl/Count - Viscount - Baron - Lord

Different houses have been invested with different ranks by their superiors, all the way up to the Great King. Your house is a princely house, though due to its royal circumstances it will become at most a house of Earls. Most houses are in turn sworn to other, more noble and higher-ranked families.

Yesssss

Since your house is a Princely house, namely the Princes of Mar, you also have a few houses sworn to you. These are as follows:

- Tali: established house, have sworn to the rulers of the Palace for more than a century. Viscounts. Their appanage lies to the southeast, flanking the East Lake.

- Ahun: established house, have sworn to the rulers of the Palace for some half a century. Viscounts. Their appanage lies mainly in the Vale of Kuira, to the south of the Palace.

- Iatar: new house, stewards of the previous Prince, granted an appanage carved from Ahun lands. Barons. Their appanage lies also in the Vale, to the south of Ahun's fief.

- Ohon: new house, third cousins of the Prince. Viscounts. Their appanage lies in the plain to the Palace's northwest, from the bend of the Tusig River to the foothills of the northern mountains.

- Kimasig: established house, Hillmen heritage, sworn to the rulers of the Palace for nearly two centuries. Barons. Their appanage lies to the northeast of the Ohon fief.

- Daudu: established house, around the East Lake, sworn to the rulers of the Palace for more than a century. Barons. Their appanage lies on the eastern side of the East Lake, quite near the border of the kingdom.

So what are our relationships like, with the sworn houses? Are we allowed to destroy them if they are corrupt? Which we are quite sure Ahun is?

>>18609101

That is not technically impossible; and it is also true that in these times of civil chaos, the hierarchy is a lot more fragile than all the rituals make it up to be. Even houses of the same rank and precedence may fight each other, and non-royal houses often usurp the prerogatives of their betters.

Nonetheless, a house that destroys its inferiors will have to be prepared for the consequences. Most such houses have deep roots, with many retainers, gate-guests, servants, officers, soldiers, mercenaries and so on. Destroying their master and source of livelihood is not likely to endear oneself to them - or to any other noble house fearing for its survival.

> Any more questions etc?

>>18609131
Yes, but I'm occupied at the moment. Will be able to join soonish.

>>18609087
Nice. Now I can see why the Ahun might look down on the Iatar. Also, nice to know we outrank all sworn houses, being an Earl

Seems like the ther powers closest to the Ahun in terms of geography are the Iatar, the capital and the Tali. Good to know in case things go haywire.

>>18609005

No questions for now...

If the office is secure, we ought to pretend nothing is wrong and go to see the magistrate.

>>18609161
I still prefer having him come out to see us.

Well, since we're on setting: the King's house, naturally, has its own group of sworn nobles. In many civilised kingdoms they are high-ranking nobles, and yours is no exception; King Naren, as with his ancestors, enjoys the loyalty of four families collectively known as the Four Earls:

- Agam

- Kalaid

- Naiseg

- Igumu

They all reside to your west, in the area around the capital city, but they are powerful nobles, sworn houses with the power of princes. Be careful of them in the future.

>>18609131
One question: Are there minor houses sworn to the Houses mentioned?

So, a few barons sworn to the Ahun with a few Lords sworn to each Baron (which are both too insignificant to number them, of course).
And if it is so, did the barons and lords swear fealty only to their immediate superior noble or are they also sworn to the king, great king etc. at the same time?

>Also, afraid I won't be able to participate much today. Hope enough other people will come, OP.

>>18609179
So, these four are on the same level as our father in terms of hierarchy and actual power? But their title is Earl?

Was our father the son of a king or were his ancestors also princes?

>>18609182

Well, at that level, there wouldn't be any 'Houses' per se sworn to those sworn houses. But many of them do have retainers which have minor noble titles, just normal knights and sirs, who often serve the houses for generations. It's the same as for you - Baseg, for example, is your servant, as is his daughter Peony. You suspect someone like Agiho has probably also been in the service of the Ahun for generations.

Some of these retainers may get estates and be called Lords, but it's not very significant; should they become significant, they will be pointed out.

> Pity you can't join in! Yes, I do hope people will come. This quest seems to be a very slow-burn affair, which is actually a good thing but I do wonder why that is.

So, in terms of the royal house - how big is it, how many other princes are there, etc.?

>>18609202

They naturally do not have your father's rank, or the prestige that comes with being called a Prince. Nonetheless, they are closer to the king, and because they are personally sworn to him, the king naturally trusts them. As such, in practice, they are often given considerable leeway to act by the king; they are the king's own hands and legs.

>>18609214

Your father is the son of a king; his sons will not be princes, but earls. He is the third son of five, of whom only four survive now; the King is in fact the fourth son, which should make him below the order of succession. The reason your father is not king is because of an incident which happened some twenty years ago.

>>18609131
>and non-royal houses often usurp the prerogatives of their betters.

Can you name any of these and on what basis their claims are founded?

>>18609208
>Actually reading the quest is a bit of an investment not everybody is willing to make. Also, even if somebody likes the quest, he might not want toor have the opportunity to participate in a session for several hours and rather reads the thread in one go after it's done.
>Best of luck OP, and don't get discouraged.

>>18609275

You do know that in the Kingdom of Amas, in the southwestern region of the realm, is a prime example of this occurrence. Several decades ago, their King attempted to institute political reforms to weaken the nobility and strengthen central power.

But on his death three houses, descended from his great-grandfather (and thus having lost their royal status two generations ago) led troops to the capital, drove out his successors, and installed someone from a cadet branch. The exiled King died young in a foreign land, and the three houses, which have since raised themselves to the rank of Dukes, now dominate the government of Amas, and practically reign over the country.

>>18609269
Last question: Just to get a general idea, how long would it take to traverse the principality of our father from northern border to south, western border to east on foot or by horse?

>>18609282

> Thanks... well, let's hope there's enough people to write something worth reading. It's like the free-rider problem, isn't it?

>>18609312

So trade networks aren't dense enough or uncontrolled enough to amass too much fortune outside of the hands of nobles?

Man, you've put some effort into the worldbuilding.

I do hope more people come in soon, OP.

>>18609317

Well... it would probably take around four and a half days north-south, by a straight road. And about five and a half days east-west as well.

>>18609345

Well, on the contrary - in certain parts of the Realm there is a bustling trade. But a lot of this trade, and of the urban industries involved, is under the control or influence of guilds, trademan's leagues and the like, and many of these are themselves under the patronage of some noble or other.

As such, via careful management, a noble could easily get pretty enormous resource pools.

Hmm hmmm. Let's get to playing now then.

I'm more for ordering the magistrate over, yes. And we order the constable away.

>>18609153
This guy here, able to join. Let me catch up with the setting details (all of a couple minutes) and I can be an active player.

>>18609398
Order the magistrate over. We either keep the constable under guard by one of our men, or let him know that if he wants to see his son kept safe, it is in his best interests to do exactly as we tell him (which is right now, stay put and don't get killed). Make sure he understands that his usefulness to the magistrate is likely over, and that trying to regain that favor by turning on us would be Very Bad Indeed.

We don't need to be promising /him/ any sort of pardon for his crimes, but his son isn't a guilty party and shouldn't be punished for this.

Mercenary archers should watch for attacks from outside the village and shout a warning if any ambush happens. Our men should primarily look for an attack from within, and be force multipliers for arresting the magistrate.

come on come on let's start!

we need to squeeze the magistrate, now.

>>18609269
>The reason your father is not king is because of an incident which happened some twenty years ago.

What happened with that?

>>18609434

It's called, these days, the Calamity of the Southern Grove - referring to one of the royal hunting parks near the capital. The eldest prince and heir apparent, Dureg, was hunting on a foggy day when he trespassed into his brother's land, did not answer to passwords and was thus set upon by guards and killed.

The second brother, Gatar, whose men killed the crown prince, originally expained it as a tragic accident caused by poor visibility and misunderstanding. But the fourth prince, Naren, managed to save one of the guards from execution, and presented testimony that Gatar had lured his brother to track a tiger in that area, on that day. Since it was a dangerous beast, Dureg had no patience for people asking for passwords, and killed a guard, whereupon other guards killed him in the fog.

Upon this revelation in court, Gatar had a breakdown and went insane; he has since been imprisoned in one of the King's forts. For his role in saving the kingdom, and out of suspicions that your father was also somehow involved, the succession passed over your father and went to your uncle instead.

> Meanwhile, yes, let's play! What do when magistrate comes over?

>>18609380

Honestly, the problem usually is that it takes a lot of currency to keep mass goods, like food, salt, iron and timber for cooking and building, moving, and whoever controls those flows of goods usually has a lot of money and power in his hands.

So question is how trade in these resources is organized... I mean, some places simply declared anything not farms royal land/temple land and took a cut in its products. That's how it worked in Japan, at least.

But I figure that's not the case as even minor local functionaries were able to set up a manhunt in the mountain forests.

And trade... well, the gift exchance trade of Anicent China pretty much was the dominant form of international trade in Asia. It was a pretty dense system of licensing and controlling trade in such a way as to foster a dependancy on the court.

>>18609470
We hear what he has to say, and then in all likelihood we can immediately produce accusations and arrest him. Depending on the magistrate's words, I'm happy to grant OP some leeway as to whether we interrupt him with the arrest, let him finish what he wanted to say and then arrest him, or wait on the accusations until the next update.

>>18609471

There is indeed such trade, which does require currency. And there is also a lot of trade in kind, especially in rural areas.

The idea of property rights is also well developed, naturally, since its a feudal era and feudalism is all about the passing of certain property rights to certain factions. But that's the problem - the king may declare all forest products taxable to the royal purse, but what's he going to enforce this with? When all you have is nobles, it's not easy to keep power and rights from slipping to them piecemeal.

As for the gift exchange trade, internal and international trade must be distinguished. Internally, Imperial China did have an elaborate system of manufacture and extraction control, such as the salt and iron monopolies of the Han Dynasty. But in pre-imperial China this was still in its infancy. It's something you can attempt to institute later, when you have the power to say so.

Internationally, tribute is indeed important, as are gifts. And they are also important here, given how many kingdoms and lordships there are.

>>18609496

Second this, pretty much - though maybe we wait for him to be done. We can arrest him, right? It's within our power?

>>18609505
We're the Prince's son. As I understand it, we can do whatever the fuck we want, so long as the Prince will stand behind us for doing it. Oh, and assuming someone doesn't have us 'accidentally' killed for doing so.

>>18609496
And we do NOT drink anything he gives us. Let's be clear on that much at least. Stay frosty in case he tries anything with a hidden blade or the like, he may be acting on direct Ahun orders to kill us and stage a coverup.

>>18609514

We did offend the Prince, though. Or rather, by staying here now, we pretty much are offending the Prince.

Man, I hope Dad doesn't turn out to be a dick about this.

>>18609530
We don't have any clue what you're talking about with that, because as soon as we got the message to return we did.

That's our story and we're sticking to it.

>>18609527
>>18609514
>>18609505
>>18609496
>>18609172

You get Munen in after a short while, and tell him you are not going back to the constable's office. 'Tell the magistrate to come over here if he wants to meet me.'

'Certainly, sir.' He retreats, and the constable looks at you before you dismiss him.

'Wait outside. I may have cause to summon you.'

It isn't long before the magistrate arrives; his clothes are neat, and he wears a bright face of accomplishment as he salutes you. 'Your lordship.'

'You seem in high spirits, despite the lousy weather.'

'With cause, your lordship, with good cause,' he stands and bows. 'I have concluded my investigation. The constable has been hiding something from us, and I now know what it is. If you will allow me, sir, or even accompany me in my plan, I will lead you straight to the bandits who were behind the violence last night.'

> What do?

>>18609551
>>I will lead you straight to the bandits who were behind the violence last night

SEEMS LEGIT TO ME

>>18609497
>the king may declare all forest products taxable to the royal purse, but what's he going to enforce this with?

Usually by granting rights and privileges to whoever lives inside of them or harvests their resources... it's a feudal system we're talking about, remember?

That was the basis of tribute-trade with its seal ships too.

>>18609564

Yep, and who is he going to watch over them with? It then turns into tax-farming, which then turns into a distant focus of economic power, separated from the centre. Not very kind conditions for centralised power.

Tokugawa Japan is hideously decentralised, too, especially as it wears on to the 19th century.

>>18609551
I think we should prompt him to tell us the location first. Either to spring our own trap, or to avoid the area when we haul ass back home.

And then we arrest him. And haul him, the constable, and the girls with us back to the Palace.

>>18609551

.... sounds like someone selling out friends to cover his own ass!

then again, should we accept? the bandits are vicious, and taking them out is a good thing. then we bundle the magistrate along or something.

>>18609592
I'm inclined to, in the interests of having ol' Dad not just keep the girls as slaves (unless that's not quite his style), have of our trusted retainers ensure the eight of them get home safely while we haul the much more damning evidence of the constable and magistrate (we'd make better time than by trying to bring a passel of young girls with us).

>>18609611
>have of our

*have some of our

> Wait, so, what do you tell him first? One thing at a time...

>>18609551
How did he learn their location?
He should tell us the place now, and how many.

Then we double hisnumber.

>>18609599
>.... sounds like someone selling out friends to cover his own ass!
>then again, should we accept? the bandits are vicious, and taking them out is a good thing. then we bundle the magistrate along or something.

I'm smelling an ambush. If there's a chance to take out bandits, we ought to take it, but the magistrate might be about to lead us into a tragic death by bandits that he was clearly in no way a part of.

>>18609620
use
>>18609626

And then probably, we'll arrest him right after. Whether we ought to then haul ass home or prompt a confession, well we'll figure that out then.

Don't mention to him what the constable has said, leave it a mystery how we know.

>>18609630
This.

We should haul the magistrate's ass to daddy, avoiding any Arhun patrols, and let the city's tormentors have their way with him.

>>18609592
>>18609626

He pauses. 'Your lordship, there are too many eyes and ears here. It would be best if I told you later, in private, about the location.'

'As for how I found out, sir - I was following the constable on a patrol when I was ambushed and beaten unconscious. My clothes were then stolen from me and used in a decoy, as I've now heard. But I managed to sneak away and find a cypher - it turns out the constable's coded messages are not to report crime, but to aid it!'

'I see. And how many of the bandits were there?'

'I could not get a good look in, but I'm guessing there are around ten still. Some were killed yesterday, no? I heard so...'

> What do/say?

>>18609664
Does he /look/ like he was beaten unconscious?

I am fine with arresting him now if he doesn't have obvious bruises.

>>18609581
>Yep, and who is he going to watch over them with?

Well, the idea is that you grant the people in the business certain rights directly connected to your person so as to give them the backbone required to oppose local nobles encroaching on your tax base.

I mean, it should be easy enough to control the annual log driving... what with it happening on major waterways and stuff.
The rest then is mainly a matter of using the correct rites that would ensure that you get your cut of it. The biggest problem in the long run's going to be that the people who got those rights in the first place aren't going to be too keen on giving them up, even after they've cleared their mountains of trees.

>>18609664

Does he have the cipher with him?

>>18609710
>>18609680

He shows you a big bruise on the side of his head. It actually does look rather nasty.

As for the cipher, he passes you two letters, on the margins of which are some annotations. It all looks a bit too complex to be made up, but then you cannot be sure.

> What do?

>>18609731
The cypher and the encoded notes will have to be decoded in the capital. I don't think we have any time to do it here. The way I see it, we kill/ capture the bandits within one or two days then we have to go back to the capital due to our father's summons

>>18609731
Of course he wouldn't have been so foolish as to not be able to apparently back the story up.

Now, do we believe the constable, or the magistrate?

Oh hey, we don't believe either. Arrest them both, head for the Palace, we'll deal with the bandits at the next available opportunity. We've got nothing if we get our men or either of the suspects killed, so we have no incentive to go chasing bandits right now.

Have one or two of our retainers get the girls free and see them to their homes. We'll take the rest of our force back to the Palace with the captives, making haste. The messenger ought to come with us as well.

>>18609731
We are at a physician's. He should inspect the bruise (becuase we are concerned for the magistrate's health).

We'll ask the physician secretly how bad he thinks it is.

I'm in favour of arresting the magistrate now, get back to the palace and come back with reeinforcements, smashing the Arhun and the bandits in one strike.

Hmm, hmm... so it's a matter of whether we go and hunt for bandits?

Those people cause harm and should be gotten rid of. I'm not sure if we'll get a chance to come back after this. Then again >>18609774 has a point, we could get killed in another fight.

Man, this is tough.

>>18609801
The bandits will remain, besides, but if we don't seize the two suspects now they could flee. I doubt the bandits could do too much damage in the little time (week, tops, I hope) we give them. We'll find them again, with a proper group for killing the lot of them.

The risk is too great when considering the limited reward.

>>18609774
>>18609798

'That is enough. That is well and good.'

'Your lordship?' The magistrate stiffens as you brush a herbal weighing scale off the table, and it hits the ground with a loud thud. Immediately Baseg and Kanjen come in, followed closely by Munen.

'Arrest the magistrate.'

'What? What is this, sir? I have just come to you with the key to the case itself!'

'So you have. You walked in, and I have my key.'

'You cannot do this to me, sir!' The magistrate protests as he is pressed down against the table, and his hands bound. 'I am a steward of House Ahun! This is the land of the Ahun, and I am subject to their protection!'

'They can come and defend you at Raumar Palace, then,' you say. 'Which is handy, since I'm going back there anyway. Constable.'

The constable comes out, and he does not resist when you say he, too, is under arrest. The magistrate stares at him, and he stares back, for a long while.

> What do?

>>18609851
Gag and bag these two fugitives, we're going downtown.

Don't forget the girls, by the way! We need to free the girls.

>>18609851
Well, we'll head out immediately. Zinden and his servants will take care of getting the girls released and delivered home unharmed, then rejoining us at the Palace when finished. Give Zinden any needed stipend for expenses on the road.

Keep as much out of Ahun territory as possible, and tell the magistrate that if he knows where the criminals are, he'll want to tell us so that we can avoid them.

We may want to switch what he's wearing, besides, just to drive that point home. In case those new clothes are the way to identify himself to the bandits so that he won't get attacked.

And make sure the messenger comes with us. We /just/ got his message, after all.

>>18609898
Oh, and keep the constable and magistrate separated.

>>18609851
I'm grinning like a madmen now, OP.

Ok, what's next...
Ask the constable for routes back to Raumar palace. Take the two shortest ones.
Send one of the villagers to the Ahun estate with a letter to tell them you caught two unruly subjects, the constable and the magistrate, and you hope they will support you to bring them back to Raumar palace. They shall meet you at route A.
Meanwhile, we take route B.

At the same time, send a messenger to the Iatar and warn them of the presence of bandits near their border. But don't mention the Ahun are involved, we don't want to escalate things. But tell them to ready some men at arms near their border villages for our return. We can use these men to bolster our advance then we return to the south in a few days/weeks.

>>18609927
Gag them and give them blindfolds.

If they misbehave, say they don't need eyes to confess crimes in front of their prince.

>>18609927
>>18609898
>>18609866

You make sure one swordsman stays with each of the prisoners; the constable is silent, and the magistrate has gone quiet after several more assertions of his rank as a steward of Ahun. You're beginning to wonder about that.

Your doubts only get worse when you go back to the office and tell Zatin about the girls. You have the constable guide you to the bed, where he shows you the latch that opens a trapdoor. 'The girls... they're under there.'

'I will not only take care of them, constable, I will take care of your son as well,' you promise. 'Zatin here will do so.'

'Sir?'

'I'm going back to Raumar with these two. He and the magistrate. To show the Prince.'

Zatin tries, and fails, to hide his look of surprise. 'You are arresting a magistrate and steward within his own jurisdiction, sir? But that... but he is sworn to House Ahun, and not to His Highness. Would that not overstep some bounds of propriety? Besides, all the lands from here to the mouth of the Kuira belong to Ahun, and if the news is known...'

> Huh. What do?

>>18609898
>>18609927
>>18609929
All of these. Ideally, we won't rely on the Constable's word about travel routes, but can use the ones we know ourselves.

As an aside, we might have a lasting solution for the sickly son's health if we send him to a different climate to be raised.

>>18609961

... wait, what?

Get him to explain the laws of propriety. This... sounds dubious.

>>18609961
>'You are arresting a magistrate and steward within his own jurisdiction, sir? But that... but he is sworn to House Ahun, and not to His Highness.

Uh oh.

>>18609961
"And if the news is known, that these men have been collaborating with bandits in kidnapping and enslaving virgins would that not be 'overstepping the bounds of propriety'? Or would that be a step on the road to true justice?"

>>18609988
No, OP should explain it, as we the character should already know it.

>>18609929

This is a good plan. But Zatin's point - we need to ask about it more I think.

>>18609961
Resuggesting this: >>18609929

We have to move stealthily and send scouts ahead of our tiny group wherever we go.
>inb4 there's only a tiny pathway leading out of the valley and it's guarded by an Ahun fortress

If neccessary, we'll fall back to Iatar territory and rely on their strength to escort us north. Or rent a boat and follow the river in disguise.

>>18609961
Being within his own jurisdiction does not give him the right to permit and enable smuggling. If the Ahun have not put a stop to this, then the Prince shall.

>>18610011
>>18609990
>>18609988
>>18610007
>>18610009

> There are enough rites and rules of propriety in your civilisation for kingdoms to have officers solely devoted to their study and prescriptions. So you don't know everything - but yes, you will be told, or that would not be fair.

'Eh? Propriety? These are criminals, and House Ahun would never convict them-' you lower your voice. 'They are clearly in league with these two.'

'Yet that would still not be the Prince's business. His Highness preserves the peace between his sworn houses; he does not run the affairs within each house. And unlike rules of etiquette or sumptuary rules, sir, I must warn you that this sort of propriety is certainly one that the houses will go to great lengths to guard.'

'We can simply sneak past them,' you say.

'Sir,' Zatin sighs, 'even if you do so, the Ahun will simply go to Raumar and demand their men back. And in this they will have the support of the other sworn houses. No house is going to see this precedent being set, and His Highness will have to comply.'

> What do/say? You don't have to follow this advice, by the way. But you knew that, of course.

>>18609961
>Legal issues
We have a written document from father which describes our mission. I say, we are acting toward our mission's goal and thus toward the will of the prince.

The Arhun are stealing the prince's money by smuggling and break the peace of the land. For the good of the realm, we must carve a path for justice. There is no legal issue. We have a document from father which explains our mission and we will carry our orders out

>>18610057
So what?

They demand them back. We give them back. We will even return them personally. Us and our five hundred men.

If they steal money from the crown, they have broken their oaths to their prince. That's the difference between them and the other houses, which have nothing to fear.

>>18610057

What sort of precedent, anyway? It's not like the sworn houses are our equals; they are our subordinates.

Then again, do we know how strong the Ahun army is, if they have an armed force?

> Ignore advice, then? That appears to be consensus?

>>18610143
Perhaps solicit further advice. We need to take them to justice. What would Zatin do?

>>18610143

Looks like it... anyone else objecting?

I'm somewhat for it. We have to enhance our father's prestige. This is a good way.

>>18610143
We're not ignoring it, we're going to be mindful of it. We're just going to proceed with the plan anyway, and use the planned decoy and scouting to ensure our safety in the matter.

They can have their men back, but we'll have had time to interrogate both properly, and if we have proper proof of smuggling, well then.

Make sure the girls are actually present before riding off. Zinden wouldn't exactly appreciate it if we left him with an empty hole instead of a room of girls, and neither would we.

>>18610143
Centralization process- commence.

>>18610178

Second this one.

Where was Zatin during our first meeting, when we had the herb? He was there, wasn't he?

Is he a slow thinking person, or (I hope not) withholding advice?

>>18610107
>It's not like the sworn houses are our equals; they are our subordinates.

Politically, but this is a feudal setting and we're encroaching on their rights.

Basically think that we're in an USA in which the NRA is actually willing and capable of gathering its members fpr a march on Washington, every single on of them with a loaded gun in hand if it will serve their ends.

And that act is... well not outright illegal or distasteful.

>I've been saying Zinden instead of Zatin
>Yeah, have ZATIN return the girls
>mfw.jpg

>>18610179
>We have to enhance our father's prestige. This is a good way.

His prestige with whom? The people we're protecting by busting the gang this way don't matter a lick.

>>18610211
That's okay, but the house of Arhun (or part of their family) has already forfeit any rights of a lawful vassal by taking part in this. That's the crux.

>>18610063
>>18610083
>>18610194
>>18610198
>>18610178
>>18610201

'Well, what would you do then?'

Zatin thinks this over. 'I would, sir, have to first make sure that the magistrate's crimes are within our jurisdiction. I would be the first to accuse them of corruption, sir, but we have to prove that it would affect their duties to the Prince, or to the peace of the land and the peace between houses, before the Prince can step in. If they steal from the peasantry, that is not a crime His Highness would deal with.'

'But he is smuggling with pennants granted by my father. Is that not crime enough?'

'It might well not be. Are we sure this privilege was not granted them by the Palace? If the magistrate uses bandits to ensure the safety of the shipment, that is heinous - but that does not affect their obligations to His Highness in any way.'

That doesn't sound like a very strong argument. You think this over. Well, you have time...

'Perhaps, sir, perhaps if we had a plan to trap him in an actual, good situation - that would be more ideal...' Zatin's voice trails off.

> What do/say/discuss?

I mean, really, does Zatin expect us to go to the Arhun estate and follow the rules. What other options do we have in his oppinion?

We have already been attacked. Zatin lost one of his men (or even two?). Does he think we'll leave the Arhun estate alive?

>>18610211

.... so, what, basically the magistrate hasn't committed a federal crime? Is that kinda what it is...?

>>18610229

Your modern notion of rights is showing, brah.

The only one who might've forfeited their rights are the people directly involved in the crime. It takes a bit more than two corrupt vassals to renounce a noble family's right to appoint functionaries.

And that's not even going into problems like if their power is actually even dependant on our family, because for all we know right now, we could've simply licensed the strongest local actor rather than installing somebody ourselves.

>>18610253
Well, if the decoded documents record their corruption, would that be enough evidence?

>>18610194

Also, to answer your question - when you opened the trapdoor you heard voices down there. Zatin then explained who he was to them, and there was much crying and relief.

Oddly enough, there were also voices saying please don't be harsh on the constable. You'd call it Stockholm syndrome, but you don't know what Stockholm is. Or a syndrome.

>>18610253
We have confiscated documents. Could we gain any solid proof from them?

Should we interogate the magistrate now and try to gauge whcih Arhun is trustworthy, if any? Set a trap then?

Or just roll with it and return to the palace?

>>18610297
>>18610282

Yeah, we could take the documents along, perhaps. Or just try to decipher things with more than one educated person around to try.

We've got the constable and magistrate secured anyway, so long as bandits don't come for us here...

>>18610267

Basically, yes. Only... if that was actually the case, we would do good to stay the fuck out of it as apprehending him would mean encroaching on the Great King's rights himself.

Luckily, that's not the case here.

Welcome to Feudalism. It's a mess of overlapping legal spheres.

>>18610285
>Oddly enough, there were also voices saying please don't be harsh on the constable. You'd call it Stockholm syndrome, but you don't know what Stockholm is. Or a syndrome.

I guess we've got some good witnesses as to whom the bandits were, eh?

Shouldn't we question the victims about the whole mess?

>>18610253
Bit hard to trap the guy now that we've arrested him and accused him of crimes.

>>18610275
>your modern notion of rights
Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of our father kicking slaves to death for fun.

So, if our plan doesn't work, what are our alternatives?
The problem is, the local authorities will probably not help us much. If not the nest local lord is responsible for the case, who should we turn to?

>>18610331
Can't hurt, though we'd best not spend too much time on the matter.

>>18610338
>hear you over the sound
>hearing it

Brah, that's like traffic noise. After a while you just forget that it's even there.

>>18610282
>>18610314
>>18610297
>>18610331
>>18610334
>>18610338

'Well...' you rub your forehead. Damned laws! 'Let's start from the easy things. Get the constable to open the containers, and to tell us exactly what the coded documents are about. Hand over the cipher, if need be.'

'That would be prudent.'

'And we should ask the girls about the bandits, too.'

'That would also be prudent, sir.' Then Zatin blinks. 'Wait. Supporting banditry is an offence against the peace of the land, definitely. And hiring bandits to attack the lands of other houses, while in the employ of one house, is definitely a heinous offence against the peace between houses. Perhaps if we found evidence linking the magistrate either way...'

>>18610391
Hey, what about that message we found on the bandit which said to frame the constable?

>>18610391

NB: if you agree to the investigation of the coded stuff, it would probably take the rest of the day. I'll provide you with summarised results.

The day could be spent doing other things, if you wish. Or simply thinking up plans.

>>18610409
So, what's to prevent us from torturing the magistrate into revealing the bandits location, slitting his throat, and dumping the body somewhere unceremoniously? I mean, come now. Do we REALLY want a court case?

>>18610425
Get the magistrate into the constable's cellar.

Get some of our fierce looking men and some sharp things. Let's see how much loyalty he feels now to his employers.

At the same time, investigate the documents.

>>18610425

Key difference: a slave kicked to death is a slave, but the magistrate is not a slave.

>>18610425
>>18610445
Let's talk about this in-thread before doing it. That's a big step we can't undo.

>>18610458
I'm not saying we're killing him and then walking around like we're hot shit. I mean we kill him and hide all involvement. It's not like they can finger print anything.

>>18610425
People saw us arrest him. Lots of people. People talk.

>>18610467

... by your logic, if we got shanked out here in Ahun land, presumably our father would just shrug and go 'oh well'?

He's a steward of their house, a high ranking person! If he disappears after running into us, the Ahun will certainly make noise.

> Stage 1 investigation results (noon):

The red container was opened; most of the letters are records of local tax assessments, production issues, crimes.

All the ones mentioning bandits are in code, but you force the constable to look them over. You don't see any mention of the magistrate though. There are suspicions that the Iatar hired them, and there are mentions that the magistrate is concerned with raids farther north, but asides from that - no apparent link.

>>18610501
May as well continue. Keep a lookout for bandits.

No torture, by the way. Scrutinise the papers, ask the girls thoroughly.

... maybe the only way to get evidence might be to actually take out the bandits...

The girls all have pretty similar descriptions of the people who took them, and how it's weird. They all swear they've never seen the people who took them before, and yet the kidnappers always find out their room with precision, and it's always really quick.

Even the Stonefolk girl says so. They agree when you suggest it sounds like an inside job. They also say the bandits always talk about someone giving orders to them to do this, and that they think it's a stupid job.

'He says it's to clear the way.'

'Don't complain. He says we need to keep the constable under our thumbs.'

Who's he? They have no idea. The bandit chief, maybe?

Also, summarising the bandits they're describing, you are very sure it's the bunch you were fighting yesterday. Two talked about a huge man who has a huge, scary looking broadsword. Another few talked about a man with one eye and a chopped-up face. They all agree the bandits were archers.

>>18610562

Meanwhile, you talk to the magistrate.

'Look, sir. I understand if you are eager to do something for his highness, for the prince. This is certainly the wrong way to go about it, though.

'If I can lead you, and get some reinforcements from my house, and we destroy the bunch of bandits - then that would really be doing something, wouldn't it? Your reputation, sir, as a fighter and an investigator; and Ahun gets to look very nice too. It won't hurt. There's no point keeping me like this.'

You look out; it's afternoon now. Things are still going apace, it seems. You've reached a bit of an impasse.

> What do?

>>18610594
Whoooo boy. What to do, indeed.

>>18610594

Tsk. Tsk tsk.

Ask him what he wants to do.

We have anything from the blue container yet?

>>18610594

I guess it's time to ask the Constable about the inside job... I mean, how many people can there be who'd be capable of waltzing into every village, including the Stonefolk ones, and identify the sleeping quarters of young maidens for the bandits?

>>18610648
>the constable

The Magistrate

Blue container:

It's.... financial information. Most of it. Baseg and Munen do pick out some apparently suspicious transactions, but even then they would be between the magistrate and the constable.

... Maybe money for the medicine? But, again, that's not a crime...

There are also descriptions of the damage done during raids, and the amount of money that needs disbursing. And also, some description of the bandits, and of a Stonefolk tribe which lives to the east of the river and might be involved in the attacks in... some way. Evidence was picked up, items belonging to the Stonefolk.

Huh.

> What do/say? It's late afternoon now.

>>18610594
Okay, whit knisghts, how about a total spin:

We ally with the magistrate and the Ahun. We demand a small share of their profits and keep our mouth shut. We return to the palace, saying we were able to quell then bandit threat and obey the wish of our father to return as soon as possible. The Ahun will back us. We back them.

We can still work against them later.

>>18610679

......................

I..... actually, if we're going to go full Game of Thrones mode, I can't argue against this.

>>18610679
Hmmmm.... I am not against this. Our men are all for following someone with the interests of the people at heart, mind.

But we could at least buy ourselves time to do the right thing, and turn a profit at the same time.

However, if the magistrate ISN'T actually guilty, we are fucking ourselves by making the offer.

>>18610679

What about the girls, though?

Maybe if we freed the girls, came to some arrangement about the boy's cure, and told the Constable to shut up, things would go back to normal.

We'd still be white-knighting, in that we solved the terrible case of the missing little maidens, without actually getting into trouble...

>>18610679
I'd like to be awesome and solve the case like a boss, but if we're at an impasse, we might as well profit off of it. Gotta be careful how we do it, mind.

>>18610697
Yes, but our men are also cockblocking us if we don't have solid proof.
And we can't lay hands on the magistrate, because apparently he is the Ahun's most favourite magistrate and everybody will care if he's hurt..

So far the documents yield nothing of importance.

Let's stop being the investigator par excellence and try to consider what's the most profitable way for us to get out of this mess.

I'm still open for anything which would enable us to unhinge the Ahun.

But if we demand a share, we are kinda in the same boat, so I hope they take the risk and let us leave with our head still sttached to the rest of our important parts.

I just don't see the leverage atm.

>>18610725
>>18610722
>>18610679
>>18610697
>>18610695

> Huh! That sounds like a possibility. How would you go about it, what would the terms be?

The magistrate is by now looking clearly rather tired. He's mostly quiet and sullen now, straining at his bonds and fidgeting.

Actually, just noticed something. The Stonefolk girl. Look, the magistrate might know something of the village girls, but how on earth did they manage to get a Stonefolk girl out? And why would they do that if she's the only one?

We ought to go and ask her some questions about where she's from, actually. Maybe that will open up new leads.

>>18610722
With the boy, we send him to a friendly noble family to be raised in a climate that isn't adverse to his health. He can even get better culturalized in the process.

>>18610756
Well, the problem that we want to avoid is slapping the Ahun in the face by stealing an important servant. Then Dad just sends him back and we make no progress, and/or we start a vassal war.

Oh, and we don't have anything concretely damning to hit him with.

I'd still like to do the generally right thing, though turning a profit as part of it is never bad.

>>18610782

> Go and interview the Stonefolk girl again?

>>18610758
Loosen the bonds a bit. A BIT. Just so he's not getting unduly discomfited. Let him realize without saying so that we're not trying to be a dick here.

>>18610811

This. Also, the Stonefolk girl, yes.

God, we seem so stuck now.

>>18610790
Exile for the constable and his boy are probably better than what the Arhun have in mind.

>>18610790
As I said, I'm open for any suggestions. It *feels* like the good thing to solve the case, beat the bandits and return a hero (and maybe OP is feeding us rope and I'm totally retarded).

But let's see it pessimistically: We stumbled around in Arhun land for a few days, got attacked by bandits, arrowed some people in the dark, saw an inn burn, got some of our men kiled, insulted two Arhun officials and the Arhun, and disobeyed our father's wish to return.

If we can get a "gentlemen's agreement" with the smugglers, it seems like we can get out of this with with some profit and maybe we can have the Arhun support in the future. We may not trust each other, but we both know the other side can keep its mouth shut if neccessary.

>>18610805

Ask the magistrate how many people in the region could casually walk in and out of Stonefolk and normal folks villages? We might find out who's the inside man that way.

>>18610848

What does feeding rope mean?

>>18610782
>>18610811
>>18610847
>>18610758

You move to loosen the bonds of the magistrate a little bit, and he sighs in relief. 'Thank you, sir.'

'Look. I'm not opposed to working with you.'

'Sir, I hope that is true,' he says, leaning forward. 'Because I do wish to arrest the bandits. Each and every last one of them. I don't know what the constable told you, but I am a servant of the Ahun. A few times every year, the Iatar send some money to those bandits, and they come in and burn things and grab our crops and womenfolk. I'm sick of that.'

You look at him steadily, trying to see if he's really that good at lying.

> What do with him?

> Also, Stonefolk girl - well spotted!

Meanwhile, you ask the Stonefolk girl some more things about her circumstances. She is hesitant, but then you start speaking her language and she starts. She looks at you for a moment.

'Sir...' she tells you her village, and about her family, which includes a sister who is the village's Guide. 'The bandits are not new to us. They've tried asking us to help them before. They wanted my sister to be their guide.'

'What about the other girl? Was there another girl who was kidnapped?' The memory of that conversation comes back to you, and you can't believe it was only two days back.

'Yes, sir, yes.... that was my older sister. Do you know anything about her, sir? I don't know where they took her...' and that's when she starts crying.

> Right! What do?

> Sorry, this took a while. Distracted by dinner.

1) Ask the Stonefolk girl again for details.
2) Be polite (not too nice) to the magistrate, to keep it an option to turn to him.

Let's keep in mind, if we are involved in the smuggling, we can bust the business later. Or even take it over.
The third son of a nobleman has to look after himself, doesn't he?

>>18610924
>What does feeding rope mean?
>Giving hints.

2 important things we have forgotten, that the constible warned us that we would need to catch the magistrate redhanded to make it stick and that the lords(? the guys in charge, not sure of rank) were rather suspicious, both with the oddity of the brothers dwelling togather as well as the stonefolk hunt and thats without the fact that they should have at least a half decent idea as to whats happining(unless they are completely neglectful of their duties)

>>18610924
Might as well tell her that her sister was returned before she really gets bawling. No need for tears when there's nothing bad that happened.

>>18610924
>Stonefolk girl in constable's hidden room.
>Stonefolk girl's sister servant in Ahun estate.
>Magistrate's story doesn't make sense.

>>18610955
Wait, is her sister the one who was betrothed and returned, or the one the Ahun took as their slave whom we talked to?

>>18610940

> Hehe, I thought it was related to giving you just enough rope. Which, mind you, could be done (Zatin could be steamrolled). But that'd be unfair to you.

You ask the Stonefolk girl for more details.

'The bandits, they found out about how we use our Guides, so they came and asked us to, um, lend her to them. But we could not do that; it would be an affront. So, one night, while my sister was away leading the folk hunting mouse-deer, they came for us.'

'I see. So they wanted to hold you hostage and make your sister help them. By the way, your elder sister should be fine. I've heard another tribe of Stonefolk say she was found, alive and safe.'

'Is that so? Is that really... thank you so much, sir, thank you for telling me...'

'So were you also put here for the... extraction?'

She blushes. 'I... I haven't started yet, sir. I'm eleven. The... constable didn't want to keep me, but they argued with him, and they punched him.'

'Do you know about anyone else who talks to the bandits, other than the constable?'

'Um.... not really, no...'


Meanwhile, the magistrate gives you his terms.

'You can have two days, your lordship. Just rest up, gather your men, and I'll even ask for reinforcements from Ahun to help you. Meanwhile I'll... ask my sources, among the hill people, and find out their lair. I just need two days.'

'You don't need two days,' you scoff. 'Not when you are already in league with the bandits.'

'Sir, for the last time,' the magistrate sighs, 'if I were, I would not be asking the men of my own house to join in the assault. Besides, what good would it do me, sir, to get you killed?'

> What do/say?

>>18611077

No, Goina the captured girl is not this one's sister. She's half-Stonefolk only. This one here is full, and comes from the hills.

>>18611081
"What good would it do you? It would get an annoying prince's son out of your hair. As for the Ahun? Well, why are two brothers still living in their father's estate? Why not go off on their own to make a name for themselves? It's my belief that they, too, are in league with the bandits."

Walk to the door and escort the girls out into the house proper, away from the tied up magistrate. Wave a hand dismissively back at him. "Guards, rough him up a bit. Don't break anything." Then leave.

>>18611129
>>Walk to the door and escort the girls out into the house proper, away from the tied up magistrate. Wave a hand dismissively back at him. "Guards, rough him up a bit. Don't break anything." Then leave.

NO.

>>18611081

Who are the magistrate's hill sources? He doesn't mean Stonefolk, does he?

>>18611129

... wait, but, killing us really does him no good. It's not like bringing the Prince's wrath down on your business is very good for business.

He probably wants to be rid of us by doing this, but I can't think of how that would be. Is he selling out his mates?

> Course of action? Or just abandon and go to think/sleep over it?

It's evening now, roughly.

>>18611204
I figure the magistrate will play it off as we died fighting bandits valiantly and the bandits have since been captured and the prince may bring them to justice.

>>18611258

Well, what on earth do we do then?

We've done surprisingly little this particular thread, it seems... or maybe it's paranoia...

I get the feeling we're missing some key little detail...

hmm...It could be that the magistraite is not the mastermind. he dosnt have much to gain from doing it.

>insert latin here
Who gains from a crime is kind of important to consider, there are lots of factor to consiter but the magistrait seems to gain little

>>18611081

Damnit, I say we just agree with the magistrate. Does he intend to go free, though, for those two days? We won't allow that. Tell us who the hill sources are, we'll go look for them ourselves.

I can't think of anything else to do.

I have no doubt the real masterminds are the Ahun; however, before we go convicting them we need iron clad proof. For that, we need either the magistrates confession and his aid, OR we need some other bit of damning evidence. Again, though. I don't think we have the whole picture.

Let's think about this, in thread. What could we be missing?

>>18611332
>>18611350

So we accept the magistrate's aid, then. And see where that leads us.

I mean, unless there's a better course of action, because I think we're really stuck.

What do you think you're missing, incidentally?

>>18611370
Just listing the evidence here.
-A letter found on a dying bandit, indicating they were attempting to frame the constable.
-The constable's sincere confession, and claims that the magistrate was the one who handled getting the girls.
-The girls being exactly where the constable said they'd be.
-The girls confirming the bandits that we killed last night are indeed the bandits that are raiding villages.
-?

I know we're missing something! Maybe we should ask the constable to tell the magistrate he confessed, and that it's useless and he should just fess up.

You retreat from the room where the magistrate is held, and only then do you run into the mercenaries. They salute you.

'Sir, pardon our tardiness; we were meant to give you our report...'

Oh yes! The tracks they were hunting! 'So, did you find anything?'

'Yes, sir. A child and two adults squelching through the mud, towards the east - into the hills. The others were escaping south, it seems, into Iatar.'

'Iatar...' you frown. 'And the hills.'

'Definitely the hills. Why're they lugging a little one though? I thought they might be carrying them north.'

> What do?

>>18611408

Something to do with the bandits themselves? Their whereabouts? Their plans? Their possible links to the magistrate?

As far as I can see the main issue is linking the magistrate to the bandits. He's helping us to catch them, but he's in league with them? Should we believe him, then?

>>18611439
Any other information that they saw about the child?

>>18611408
somthing other than the constibles word to incriminate the magistrate, like proof.

he we should have someone check the false bottom of the magistraits wagon. nearly forgot that

>>18611479

'Well... not much, sir. She was clearly being dragged along, though. A hostage, perhaps, or another kidnapped girl?'

Well, it's not a kidnapped girl... if it was heading towards the hills...

>>18611488

You remember the wagon with the false bottom, but it's in the village three villages down. And you don't know what might have happened to it between the attack and now.

> What do?

>>18611533

... it seems everything is pointing us towards the Stonefolk. Maybe that's the guide they were using?

... where's everyone gone, by the way? huh.

>>18611533
The child. Who could it be? Am I that dumb? What are they planning?

I'm sorry, but the magistrate was only talking about the bandits.
Did we confront him with herb smuggling?

What if we follow the suggestion from an older thread and get the Iatar oppinion?

Talk to them, explain the situation as far as we can, ask for or demand troops and then go hunting for bandits in the hills?

All the while our father is waiting for us, his head red like beetroot? (I know we got that covered, but still...)

WAIT NO. The Iatar hired the bandits, too. They will be miffed if they find out we put our nose in this.

Loser option: Return to the capital (by order of daddy) and leave this whole business alone for now?

We left our prisoners at the Arhun estate, didn't we? Could we still go to the southern tribes with Nam? Use the Stone Folk to track the bandits?

I'll be frank, I have no clue.

Wait, the child, moving towards the hills.

It's the bloody Guide! That blind Stonefolk girl!

>>18611533
the kid is probably being taken to the bandits, send s few people to follow. also send a few to grab the wagon ig its there

>>18611678
Oh SHIT. If they have her under their thumb we'll never find them, they'll be able to slip about whenever they want to!

>>18611551
>>18611678
>>18611634

> *sigh*

You think about it for a while, and then it clicks, like gearwork. The child they were leading had to be the Guide, the sister of the Stonefolk girl held hostage here.

But what could the link be? You go to your men, and tell them everything you could think of.

'I really think we ought to go to the Stonefolk and ask, if that is the case,' Kanjen says, softly. 'If they were forced by such means to be in league with bandits, they will aid us.'

> What do?

>>18611593
Running my own quest, sorry. I'll be trying to continue posting in here, but typing updates will keep me busy. Which is horrible, because I've been in this quest basically since the start and it's superb.

Don't let it die, OP.

>>18611725

Oh god, DD guy!

We're in a massive impasse here...

>>18611722
>'I really think we ought to go to the Stonefolk and ask, if that is the case,' Kanjen says, softly. 'If they were forced by such means to be in league with bandits, they will aid us.'

Ask Stonefolks, what do?

I believe there is another blind guide amongst the people we've capture too, one who offered us her services in ann earlier thread already.

>>18611593
Do mean players? Went away clueless, I guess...

My 2 cents:
Problem: We know better what's going wrong in the south, but not how to fight it.

Summary from my perpective:
- Iatar are not a great option, because they hire the bandits occasionally. But they hate the Arhun. We can at least expect an escort to the capital if we fear for our life.
- Continuing the investigation in the villages and hunt the bandits more or less ourselves. This is connected with the hope we somehow solve the mysteries that are piling up here.
- Ahun are suspected by the hivemind, but we lack the proof to get them legally and the strength to get them tyranically. Possible siding with them to become the great schemer and triple- or quadruple betray them somehow.
- Get back to Raumar palaca asap while we still have all body parts. Coward option, to be avoided if possible

>>18611678
>>18611708
>>18611705
>>18611551

NO, YOU FOOLS.

That girl is the Guide! They have been using her to take them around at night, snatching other girls, and launching a night attack at us out of nowhere last night!

We really have to ask the magistrate exactly who the hell his hill contacts are. How late is it at night now? Is it too late to give chase?

>>18611722
Kanjen's advice seems solid. We can't sit on our hands and hope anything else turns up--if we have a lead, we've got to pursue it. And we'll want to do that before nightfall if possible, when the bandits will have all the advantage in the dark.

>A real pity we didn't get that report at the beginning of the day, ah well

>>18611772
>And we'll want to do that before nightfall if possible, when the bandits will have all the advantage in the dark.

We have a blind guide amongst our slaves too though. Just a reminder. We'd be stupid not to rely on her skills right now.

>>18611764
>Blind stone folk has the abbility to navigate at night
>bandits have mysterious night stealing and fighting abbilities
Holy fucking Rivergod.

> Did anyone mention taking the slaves along? Because, so far, I haven't actually had you take any slaves. If anyone's noticed...

Also, it's evening now. You won't have long before the dark. Torches are already being lit outside by the mercenaries and Zatin's servants, the better to increase their seeing distance.

They seem to be getting ready for war.

> What do?

>>18611722
We saw nothing in the Ston Folk, creatures less than peasents.
They are harrassed by the bandits, too.

House Iatar and House Ahun use the bandits to trade blows on occasion. Their interest is destroying them is meager.

The only party we didn't take into consideration? Stone Folk.

We have a guide ourselves. I think it's time to hunt some bandits. And maybe visit a certain tribe.

>>18611865
We'd have to go fetch Nam (I think that was the blind Stone Folk's name) from... the Ahun fortress, isn't that where we left her?

>>18611844
>Tbh, the slaves are at the arhun estate, as far as I know. My memory is a bit hazy. Didn't somebody want to bring them along to sell them at the next market? Leaving them behind just... happened.

>>18611844

Yeah, we can't do too much about two noble houses trading blows via outlaws right now, that's ways too big for us, but we can at least bust the slavery ring.
Grab that guide we've got, tell her what we know and ask her to cooperate with us as we try to not kill the other guide and... a few of the bandits during the hunt. We need to take some of'em alive and get to the core of this mess.

Yes, the girl's name is Nam.

And yes, it seems like we left her at the fortress.

Damn it. Maybe we should prepare for war as well. It'd take our mind off this damned mystery, for now...

Maybe the Stone Folk have another blind guide besides the one we captured and the one the bandits have?

Or did the bandits get ahold of the one we captured? Hmmm...

>>18611885
...
Shit.

LEt's fortify the place as well as we can. Can't we use the sister of the giurl the bandits have? If the guide knows she is safe, she might help us. Lead them into an ambush.

I feel most safe at heights. Could we get on the roof of a building and put torches on the streets/plaza around it? Barricade the doors and shoot from windows and balconies.

Why do I have the feeling, by declining Nam's offer to lead us to the southern tribes in the second thread, we brought a whole lot of trouble on us?

>>18611915

From what you know, most Stonefolk tribes will have a guide. The point is, you didn't bring yours. That would be quite the disadvantage in a night chase.

>>18611910
>>18611914

Slavery ring? What?

You sigh, and leave the room after leaving instructions for your advisors to get themselves as ready for a fight as is possible. Not that they're not already doing it. Everyone is making sure to stay far from the windows, even despite their narrowness.

It feels uncomfortably like a siege. You wonder about your leads. The constable and the magistrate are both here now, in your hands... would the bandits attempt to save either?

> What do?

>>18611958
You know, the Ahun don't necessarily realize we nabbed their magistrate yet. They will soon, but they might not have gotten the word. We could have one of our men go fetch Nam.

...it would probably be a very bad idea.

>>18611982
If all Stone Folk groups have a guide, we should have returned the Stone Folk girl here to her tribe and borrowed a guide to go save the other one.

Now... wait it out? Hunting them in the dark doesn't seem worthwhile.

>>18611914
If they do attack this night....

If we don'T come to them, they come to us. How nice of them.

Folks, battle plan. If we don't screw this up, we can hit them hard tonight.

Put the magistrate the constable and the maidens in the middle of the plaza, the first two bound. Hide in the surrounding houses. Order the villagers to keep quiet.

When they come, puzzled as to why their contact and their hostages are there, we ambush them. Kill as many as possible. Try to get a prisoner which won't die in seconds.

Torturing a bandit, I hope nobody has anything against that. They're bastards, it's proven.

>>18612044

... Try to kill them while everyone we're trying to keep alive is tied up right next to them?

That sounds insanely risky. I say we just fortify the place, post watches, and wait for the morning.

>>18611989

You're not sure if the Ahun know yet. Perhaps it would be worth going, but then it's now night and you would be blind outside. Or maybe if you asked the Stonefolk girl if she can see at night...

>>18612074
>>18612008

Zatin asks if an ambush should be set, in case the bandits come again for the village. You have to admit, that could be likely.

'...Let's not. We try to keep the people we've arrested safe. How's the constable's boy, by the way?'

'My servant has made some medicine for him. He says it smells truly awful.' Zatin smiles, then sighs. 'What devotion from a father! It's a pity it manifests this way.'

Kanjen and Munen agree to take turns leading the watch, since Zatin has still not recovered fully from the beating he took the previous night. He retires to the bunks early, leaving you with your two men.

> What do/say?

>>18612074
Horses are an advantage we have.

We and one man will lead them into a trap. The rest of our men hide outside the village. Three bowmen on a rooftop. If the spot something, the send an arrow as a message to our "cavalry". We hold the bandits off at a door. Our men get them from beind.

Dunno how the magistrate or the constable could figure into this.

Too bad it's so late. We could have constructed a trap or dug pits...

>>18612116
Honestly, I think this is one of those times to say nothing. Let's just lead by example and maintain an alert watch (and sleep when it's our turn as well--but we ought to take a shift on watch).

>>18612116
We need to have men prepared for an attack, bowmen on roofs, see if we can stretch rope at knee level where they won't see it among trees so they get tangled up, keep an alert watch. Keep swordsmen where they'll be most useful.

>>18612161

Which watch would you like to take, first, second or third?

>>18612166

You detail for the bowmen to take their places on the upper floor, and also light a few more torches to place in the village square and around the constable's office. The bandits have nothing to shoot at, and if they close in they will be easily visible this way.

Zatin's servants also take their turns keeping watch, and even Rose and Linden are helping. Linden's face is truly quite bruised, but that does not prevent her from making tea for the gang; the people take her proffered mugs with relief.

>>18612116
What if we set out to the Arhun estate, each man with a girl on his horse, too.

Take the magistrate and give him back. Give our lives into Arhun hands?

If the consensus is NO,we should try to make the coming battle as succesfull as possible.

Anything we can use? Our scince? Do we have burnable material? Has the physician something which we could use? A substance which emitts a gas or at least a stink?

Also, let's ask our little ston folk girl about the "night-vision" and how we could counter it. Or is she capable, too? Then we must use her!

>>18612208
Second watch, most likely for stuff to happen.

>>18612208
Second watch. They'll come in the middle of the night, probably.

>>18612224

Second seconded.

Should we take Linden for some tender care? No sex though, we need to wake up quick.

>>18612217

It's not night vision - it's just that young girls are blinded, and then learn to make use of their other senses to move about at night effortlessly. You can't obstruct hearing with smoke, so they can lead people around freely.

Sadly, the Stonefolk girl, being sighted, doesn't quite have this ability. She's really admiring of her sister, though - how brave she was to subject herself to the hot stones in the eyes.

>>18612240
>>18612229
>>18612224

Having decided to take the second watch, you go up to bed, and Rose follows you. 'Linden says her face really hurts,' she says as she helps you undress.

'Were you hurt, yourself?' You move to give her a light hug, and she shakes her head. Then you take her to sleep beside you, squeezing on the mattress again.

It seems like just a moment before Munen knocks on the door and you wake up. 'Sir. It's your watch now.'

'Anything weird happened?'

'Nothing much... there were pigeons flying around though, at night. Some of them towards this house, right down the right corner there.' He knows you understand the implication.

'Messengers?'

'It's possible,' he says. 'Didn't see any get out of the house, though.'

>>18612341
>Intentional blinding for night guides
Holy shit that's a really cool setting idea that I have got to steal at a later date.

>>18612341

Heeding Munen's words, you decide to take up in the right room upstairs. Every now and then the night is punctuated by a small coughing fit from the constable's son, and the rest of the time the background sounds are of crickets and frogs.

After a while you move downstairs to look at the prisoners. The constable and magistrate are both sleeping in their chairs, in their respective rooms. The men keeping watch salute you, fatigue hanging in their eyes.

Just then, you hear the distinctive clapping sound of a pigeon's wings as it takes off, and run to look out the window, just in time to see a bird flit out of the light, into the dark sky. Then, as you watch, another bird flits out again.

> What do?

>>18612387
>>18612387
Which house? How close?

Signal to the men something strange is going on. Better keep the heads down and away from the windows. Carefully take a look outside, but don't expose your head too much.

>>18612387
They're probably sending a message from someone.

Whose room did they come from? Is it possible to stop them, or at least one of them?

If we can't get men on higher alert as an attack seems imminent.

>>18612416
>>18612419

You look out the window. It's a small house, a hut really, just visible from behind the physician's place. It's probably not the physician's, though; it looks a little too simple for that.

'Sir? Was that... are those messenger pigeons?'

You nod tentatively.

> What do?

>>18612461

Should we attack? We can take him, or them, probably.

>>18612461
Get some men, investigate the hut, kick down the door.

>>18612471
This.

>>18612461
Sending messages *could* indicate the bandits are not here yet.

Should we risk leading a small group (two swordsmen) to the hut and apprehend those inside?

Staying put is nice and fine... but they expect us to stay put. And they expect us to keep watch.

I say, let's make a quick dash for the hut.

>>18612492
>>18612486
>>18612471
>>18612465

'Are they coming, then, sir?' The servant's voice is steady as he says this.

You shake your head. 'They're keeping tabs on us. Let's go rustle them. You and you. And you.' You pick out two servants, and a bowman, and bid them follow you. Slowly, the four of you circle around the physician's building, and you can see the back of the hut, a long, squat affair.

> Roll d100 for stealth!

rolled 8 = 8

>>18612535

rolled 17 = 17

>>18612535

Let's go! (Quietly!)

rolled 30 = 30

Argh, come on, let's be quiet.

rolled 8 = 8

>>18612535
we suck at stealth

>>18612602

> 30 vs. 25 - close shave!

You sneak up to within a few feet of the rear entrance when suddenly you hear voices inside the house.

'Wait, is that someone behind?'

'Go, go!'

'Take them!' You bark, and barge into the rear door just as someone barges out, barreling into you. You quickly gain the upper hand, though, and kneel on the man's back, holding his arms in a lock.

'Who the hell are you?' He yells as he struggles. Meanwhile you see the two servants quickly take down the other man.

> What do/say!

>>18612635
Lets see who we caught first

>>18612635
Say nothing until we see who it is.

>>18612635
Disarm him, make sure he doesn't have boot knives, or other hidden weapons.

See who it is, tell him we're the guy in charge.

>>18612673
>>18612671
>>18612652

You pull the blade from his belt and throw it away, then wrench his shoulder when he tries to resist. On closer inspection, it's no more than a boy.

'What are you doing?' The boy asks, but you do not reply.

You look up. The bowman has gone into the hut, and soon he emerges.

'Sir. Looks like a lot of notes and letters, sir.'

> What do?

>>18612725
Tie them up, ask what they sent, skim the notes and letters.

>>18612725
Have the bowman question the boy about the letters he's been sending and receiving (not beating it out of him), while we skim them ourselves.

>>18612725
How much is "a lot"?

Have the bowman stand guard over the boy.

Take a look at the notes. Just try to get an overview.
Try to grab as many as possible and GTFO. The boy comes with us.

Any Pigeon cages?

>>18612725

Holding the man to you, you push him into the hut where the bowman restrains him, and then go to look at the notes and letters.

... it appears you have struck gold. There are notes with locations, and you see a single note with the words 'Prince's son here' on it. Then another with 'Hills,' followed by the name of one hill or another. Meanwhile all around you is the smell of pigeon shit, and the sound of pigeons flapping and strutting about.

The hill notes are marked with a black corner; those must be where the bandits are. You spot a pigeon with a note still tied to its foot, and catch it to take the note.

It's a black cornered note, but it's not a hill they're at; it's the same village where you were last night.

> What do?

>>18612820
Slit throats.

Get back to the house. Raise the men from sleep. Get horses. Tie something aroung the hooves, so you won't be heard *too* much. Ride to the next village. Slit throats again.
Enough is enough.

>>18612820

To clarify: the village in the note would be the one where you found Zatin unconscious, along with who you thought was the magistrate. An arrow fight then broke out, killing several people, including one of your mercenaries.

>>18612820
we must secure these notes or the hut.
Also, we need to interrogate the man we caught.

>>18612820
Secure the notes, they're evidence, interrogate the kids.

>>18612873

Just snapped or something?

>>18612881
Are they conersing with the bandits or with somebody else?

Also, where did they learn to write?

Quick interrogation, then back to safety. But it seems like the bandis are in the village with the wagon from yesterday. We should try to suprise them, but first, information.

>>18612873
Stop that.

>>18612931
>>18612881
>>18612878

You turn to the boys, who realise you know what the notes are about, and quickly start to plead.

'Sir, you don't understand, sir, it's not-'

'I understand full damn well, thank you.' You hold the notes and look at the two of them, being restrained by three men. 'Who are you passing messages to?'

'The... the um... those... bandits, sir...'

'These are locations? So are they attacking a village now?'

'I... I...' one of them is crying; the other is not, but a growing stain is spreading on his pants. They both eventually nod.

Well, damnit.

> What do?

>>18612910
Kinda. We are surrounded by enemies, the pressure is quite high and honestly, we didn't really achieve much today.

We will take revenge for all the slights, false clues and unhelpful deceit we had to endure from everybody here i the south.

Also, roll d100 for perception.

>>18612931
This.

rolled 93 = 93

>>18612976
Perception!

>>18612961
Intercept.

Tie the kids up, gather the men and then this >>18612873 without the killing of prisoners.

>>18612961
Looks like we're riding to the village to fuck some bandits up.

Ask the magistrate if he can name their location as we prepare to head out. If he knows where, well he proved himself a little less probably guilty.

rolled 80 = 80

>>18612976
Perception!

rolled 75 = 75

>>18612987
>>18613045
Easy guys, we need our good rolls for the fight!

>>18612987

> Blimey, that roll!

You are just about to bark orders to go and intercept the bandits when something strikes you and you look down at the notes again. All these notes... have the same handwriting.

And you recognise this handwriting. It's the same as on the note you found on the dead bandit. What's more, though, you remember seeing it on some of the documents in the Constable's office.

>>18613016
>>18613004

You have the boys tied up and dragged to the constable's office, where you quickly get everyone woken up. 'Oh, Linden and Rose, you can go back to bed.'

To the rest of them you give instructions, and soon you are riding out from the stables to the back, slowly making your way up to the village. But even as you near it you can smell smoke, and as you round a bend in the road you see fire flicking in the distance.

'Son of a bitch,' Kanjen mutters. 'We have to be quick.'

> What do?

>>18613073
We're going to want a positive sample of the Magistrates handwriting at some point, but for now we have shit to do. Prepare for an assault, archers up high, wake up fucking everyone and prepare for a fight.

>>18613073
>What's more, though, you remember seeing it on some of the documents in the Constable's office.

But WHO wrote those documents?!

As for the village? CHARGE.

>>18613073
Split into four groups, with us, Kanjen, Munen and Zatin leading one each.

Two groups advance carefully (melee and ranged), one group flanks the village, the last one tries to cut off the escape way.

>>18613107
>But WHO wrote those documents?!

M-magistrate.... maybe? Do we have notes of his where we are certain that he wrote them?

>>18613101
>>18613137

You ride to the same raised spot you were last night, and see that this time the bandits are targeting certain houses - probably the ones that knew about the hullabaloo last night.

Quickly, you get Kanjen and Munen to lead the archers and start shooting into the village, while you take three servants and ride around the right side of the slope. Zatin, meanwhile, takes his other two servants and moves the other way.

By the time you are at the foothill of the slope and within sight of the bandits, two of them have already been downed by arrows. 'Stop! How dare you defile the Prince's territory!'

They look at you, and then quickly split up; four men charge at you, raising their swords and spears.

> What do? Roll d100 for war actions! Two of the men in the centre wield spears; the other two have swords. You have three servants, and are evenly matched, but with the advantage of horses.

>>18613107
>>18613159

You'll have to go back to the office to check. After a hard ride and facing combat, you can't really recall things very well presently, unfortunately.

rolled 27 = 27

>>18613211
send the two servants around to flank them, we'll charge the middle and pull up at the last second to throw them off while the other two hit them in the flank. I mean, charging spears head on would be suicidal.

rolled 71 = 71

>>18613211
Spears on the inside, swords flank around with horses, kill them dead.

rolled 100 = 100

>>18613211
We have no stirrups, I guess!

Two servants charge now to break them up, we and the other engange on foot while they are bedazzled!
The other two then come around on foot.

rolled 74 = 74

>>18613244

Second this, hoping for better roll!

rolled 54 = 54

>>18613269

You rolled a 100, so I'm taking your action, but unfortunately I'm not very clear on what your action is. Are you dismounting in the face of charging bandits?

Also, you do have stirrups. No lances, though.

>>18613289
...
My roll might have been higher than my IQ when I made that post. I wasn't aware they are already upon us.

If we have stirrups, charge them head on!

>>18613159
Could have just as easily been the Constable from the info we were provided.

>You rolled a 100, so I'm taking your action, but unfortunately I'm not very clear on what your action is. Are you dismounting in the face of charging bandits?

HAHAHAHA

>>18613289

> .... I'll take it as that then, in absence of a response...

You order your servants to flank the swordsmen, and then leap off the horse; just then both men thrust towards you, but you grab their spears underarm as you land. From there, it is a quick slash to sever both their jugulars, and they collapse gurgling.

You look up to see that the two mounted servants have also killed their respective targets. A few other bandits are still in the middle of the village square; seeing your quick kills, they start to run towards the flank where Zatin and his men would be.

Calmly, you prise the spear from one of the bandits' fingers and hurl it, striking one right between the shoulders. Then, on foot, all four of you charge at the six or seven others running towards a gap between two houses.

> What do? Roll for actions.

>>18613362
We have no clue, but it seems to work!

This is the opposite of how the quest has been up until now...

rolled 76 = 76

>>18613371
Sprint at one and make a flying tackle, slit his throat as you land.
>Rule of cool.

>>18613371
This quest just turned into Hero.

>I am somehow okay with this.

>>18613371

Mind, this sounds rather cooler.

rolled 93 = 93

>>18613371
Send two to flank around and cut them off at the other side. If we trap them between the four of us we can slaughter them.

If we have another spear use that to keep distance.

Do a pole vault with a spear onto one of the roofs, then backflip off of it to land between a bandit's shoulder blades.

rolled 21 = 21

>>18613371
err >>18613325

Anyway, the six or seven, are they those running towards Zatin?
After them! Order the archers to fire into the alley, it's a target rich environment.

Cut those down which try to escape. After they are weakened, advance!

rolled 96 = 96

>>18613446
(Actually now I'm just getting silly)

>>18613462
...I'm not sure how to feel about this. Give my 96 to someone else's better, SANE, suggestion please.

rolled 66 = 66

>>18613462
>>18613462

>>18613401

> Did the gods of pent up frustration over fruitless day of investigations just descend upon us? Yes, yes I think they did.

> 93 vs. 15

You order the two mounted servants to ride on ahead, where they slash and cut at the flanks, driving all the bandits into a smaller space. Just as Zatin and his two servants charge out the other side, you charge at them with sword at the ready.

One of the bandits spots you and lunges, but you sidestep the lunge, and the man's sword slashes harmlessly at your sleeve as you gently line up your blade with his Adam's apple. The force of his lunge and your dodge do the trick, and as he hits the floor he grasps desperately at his gushing throat.

> 76 vs. 27

You then spot one more unengaged bandit holding a spear and jump at him; he attempts to put his spearhead in your chest as you land, but you grab the shaft as it comes within inches of your heart, and in a furious stroke sever the spearhead from its shaft with your sword. Your next blow makes his head loll backwards, attached only by his spine, as he topples.

'Sir!' You've managed to cover yourself in blood again. The rapier style Kanjen teaches you is very lethal, aiming for thighs, wrists and the throat; but it is also really messy.

> What do?

rolled 15 = 15

>>18613498
Regroup, attack the rest, try to take some prisoners alive.

Also, a pole vault is in order.

>>18613498
>> Did the gods of pent up frustration over fruitless day of investigations just descend upon us? Yes, yes I think they did.

Haha. Must admit, the investigation was frustrating, not in a bad way mind you.

>>18613498
Regroup, find any bandits which aren't dead and capture them. We want at least one prisoner to interrogate.

Honestly we came out of this with a lot less deaths than usual.

rolled 78 = 78

>>18613498
It was a good puzzle. Solvable but difficult.

>>18613562
/tg/ at it's best. When in doubt, natural 100.

>>18613498
>What do?
>Use 96 for capturing a prisoner! A useful one!

> 96 roll for general safety

You wipe the blood off your face, jaw, neck, etc., and then look around you. 'Keep the living alive, as best as you can!'

At first it doesn't look too hopeful, but you do manage to get two living men. One is heavily scarred, and looks at you cynically; the other is shaking in terror. Miraculously, despite the fierce fighting on horse and on foot, not one of you is scratched.

'Tell me. Who instructed this attack? What is going on?'

They look at you; and then the heavily scarred man starts laughing, a croaking laugh interrupted by blood issuing from his mouth. Suddenly, again, you notice the glint of steel in his hand; but this time you are too slow to stop it, and he is not aiming at you but his own heart.

As he keels over, the other man starts weeping. 'Sir! Have mercy! Have mercy! We are from the hills! It was the magistrate! The magistrate ordered the attack! He arranged it!'

> What do?

>>18613642
That's interesting, your testimony will be useful, tell me every single thing you know about the bandit group.

>>18613642
Now we just hope the damned magistrate hasn't escaped...

We DID leave someone to guard them, right? We weren't so dumb as to have loosened his bonds without leaving a guard?

>>18613642
"Tell me everything."

>>18613676
>>18613670
>>18613669

.... *counts*

Fuck. We did take everyone. Well, there's Baseg at least back at the office...

>>18613676
>>18613670
>>18613669

You grab the man by the hair. 'Tell me everything,' you start, but then Kanjen quickly dismounts.

'Sir. We're all out here now. Could this be...?'

You glance around at everyone, as they realise what you've all done.

> Seriously, that weasel. What do!

>>18613718
We didn't know the number of bandits, so we needed every man for the fight.

Although, in the future, we'll keep this in mind...

>>18613718
AND THE GIRLS

>>18613804
Tie up the prisoner, get a scouting party, the Magistrate isn't a woodsman and we have a fair pile of them that ought to be able to track his ass.

>>18613804
Uhm... get back?

No. The damage is done. You stay and interrogate the prisoner. Send three quarter of your group back, we'll follow soon.

We have to know how how many bandits, where's their hideout, what have they done, how, what was planned etc.

>>18613810

.... Fuck!

Seriously, the two of them haven't had a good night's sleep all through the trip it seems...

>>18613804
FU--------

Let's hurry back! He didn't expect us to fight so quickly and successfully.

One man takes the prisoner with him.

>>18613855
I feel bad for the HORSES.

>>18613830
>>18613851

You do so, sending most of your men back. Only Zatin and two servants stay by your side as you sit down next to the kneeling captive.

'What is the plan for tonight? This is a pretty bloody way of going about a diversion.'

'The magistrate said that, if he was to not meet our chief by afternoon today, he would have been captured, and we were to... kill everyone in this village. Since it witnessed the fight last night.'

'And?'

'And... and then the magistrate would ride out... and meet the bandit chief, who would take him to the Upper Hollow.'

'The what?'

'That's where all the old bandits and senior men live, the upper hollow. I don't know where it is, sir, see, I'm new, and I was forced into service, so I lived in the lower hollow. That man is a senior,' he nods at the corpse next to him, 'so he knows, but I don't...'

'And the upper hollow has the guide girl?'

'They... they get one from the nearby Stonefolk, yes...'

> What do?

>>18613950
How is the magistrate going to ride out if he's been captured? Curious... but I don't think this guy is lying.

The older guy was seriously devoted though, to kill himself, unless he already figured on dying. So was the bandit that tried to knife us, for that matter.

>>18613950
How many are left after this fight? And how many of those are old?

Are the stone folk giving the girls voluntarily or are they stolen?

>>18613925

They get rested in the day and gallop around at night. Poor dears...

>>18613992

'There... I don't know about the upper hollow, sir. As for the girls, they are definitely snatched. Well, used to be, but these days they don't seem to need snatching...'

That must be when the sister of the guide was kidnapped...

> What do?

>>18613997

>>18613990

I think it's just China, man. Death before surrender or something like that...

>>18614058
We'll want your testimony later, now we need to find the Magistrate.

>>18614058
Let's get back and see how much the magistrate fucked us up.

Bandit... death penalty? Or should he lead us to the lower hollow? (th upper one can't be far, and now we have notes. With a map...)

>>18614063
(I don't see what he did there.)
(Explain?)

Thread is autosaging, so new thread here:

>>18614153

>>18614104
He may just be a bandit, but he could be evidence.

Damn that magistrate! I KNEW he was guilty!

at last, solid proof and a witness