Just a very brief comment to reaffirm that I am withdrawing.
Actually... I am done. All due respect to AK and the others, but the back and forth here and before has shown at least to me that a working dialogue with Iago plus player is not possible. The fact that in essence moving forward Iago will be the Rogue Trader will only deepen those issues and make it less and less enjoyable for me as a player.
Therefore I will respectfully withdraw from the campaign entire.
I am sure the units can be spread deployed.
The Magistratum forces strike me more as 'keep the peace' than 'kill the xenos'. I'd think keeping them inside the walls and not on them would be best.
The issue is twofold:
1. AK has been explicit in stating the criticality of the forge. Re read his opening at the top of the page, if the Forge falls we die. You want to leave that part of the walls open-ish, letting the xenos cut the forge off from us. With all due respect it's an idiotic idea only reinforced by the fact you picked it randomly and are now attempting to back-justify it.
2. Passive aggressive aside, you're not showing any open-ness to debate or others ideas. It definitely reads to me as 'I chose this idea at random and now this is the only thing we're doing'.
I repeat, leaving the North anything other than well defended is a stupid decision both IC and OOC. Go ahead and do your weak wall gambit if you like... Just do it on a different part of the defenses.
Either you as a player and character are listening or we may as well skip this bit and random roll every decision just like you did here
Iago clearly being happy to weave insults and degradation into his own words but unwilling to hear it returned to him, Yosarni is instead blunt and businesslike in his reply.
"The ground outside the walls to the North, East and South are choked with buildings. Once the xenos are among those they will be entrenched and we will lose the ability to focus fire upon them.
If the North falls, not only will the Forge be cut off... but the Starport may very well follow. If you allow the Xenos into those buildings to entrench... the war is lost.
Ill advised as I think your tactic to be - but the West or the direction of the Levy Bunkers would be more suited to the gambit?"
"The Western wall is backed by plains which leave the xenos nowhere to fortify as they are either mowed down by a fusillade of fire or open to a flanking attack from within the streets of the Outer Industrial Infrastructure.
The levy bunkers give mobility and hardening to defenders stationed there... and if their strength could be masked with camoflage of one sort or another, then the xenos could be drawn thick upon the ground before hell opens it's gates upon them."
Taking Iago's dismissive tone as a partial affront Yosarni raises an eyebrow and retorts "Have to do?... Perhaps the First Officer will remold his disdain when he has chance to witness what carnage massed fire of heavy stubbers can muster from an entrenched defensive position."
"Any troop we form from our own crew would be of limited affect... it will likely be necessary to see at least a portion deployed if only for the affect upon morale and to match Blitz and Orleans for committment... but I would not see them anywhere but behind walls."
Querying Iago's next choice Navis helpfully points out "The Northern wall is the tendril that joins Shard's forge to the city... perhaps I misheard your intent to let that be least defended? I am confident that Varius would agree that intent is not wise."
With a wry smile "And of course appearances must be maintained. We would curry no favors allowing Orlean's or Blitz's crew to be slaughtered in the thick of fighting... and similarly would sap morale for other troops as they bled and died."
By the power of Greyskull...
Navis is both impressed and garners a growing sense of unease as the sheer weight, size and capability of the forces under the dynasty's command are sprawled out. They have this... yet are terrified of what will come...
Musing out loud he refers to notes as he mumbles over the map and splay of units. "The Forge and Bunkers... key to both fortifying the walls and providing relief to those mustered upon them... but our profit will be lessened if we cannot preserve as much of the industry as we might..."
For ease of reference - this is what our PF bought as well:
1. A company of mercenaries are being rapidly dispatched to Damaris. Their cost is 2PF; massively increased from the standard rate due to the time constraints, short notice and risk.
2. Opening the cargo bay of the Aeternus and providing some needed munitions, particularly torpedo's, will allow an increase in the firepower and combat capability of Damaris' armoured tank and armoured artillery companies, for a cost of 4PF.
3. Spending vast money on Damaris industry, you will be able to pull vast amounts of workers away from agriculture and into industry to boost production. This will translate to stronger defences on all of Damaris' outer walls, for a cost of 4PF.
4. For a cost of 5PF, you plan to invest a great deal of time and money into producing orbital mines; something Damaris does not traditionally have the facilities to create. This will give you an edge in space battles to follow.
"And above, the bulwark - ponderous but impressive... we need find means to channel as much of the Xenos fleet into its guns..."
If the Seneschal had any degree of surprise at Silas' duelling, he did not show it. An airy wave of the hand is accompanied with "As is his right, my loyalty as always is to the dynasty" showing an explicit yet implicit acceptance that regardless who carried the mantle of Rogue Trader he was entwined within the house's fortunes. Yosarni keeps his focus upon the reports and map that had been provided for their perusal.
Acquisition X/Y: X is the increment, Y is the total. So here we're given two acquisitions, so the first would be 1/2 and the second 2/2
Five Common Inferno Grenades (ItS p116) Scale Craftsmanship Item (Source) - nothing more complicated than that.
TAM = Trivial (+20) Common (0) Rare (-10) = +10
Modified PF 42 +10 = 52: 1d100 ⇒ 21 This was a copy paste from when I first made the table - but the modified PF refers to the PF after the automated Commerce rolls. Or refer to the table above for the TAM, and copy the number on the right (after the extra PF from Commerce).
Not sure where you got the -10 for the second acquisition from - the text in the core rulebook doesn't have that.
Navis Yosarni Acquisitions:
Acquisition 1/2:
One Common Strait-cape (ItS p138)
TAM = Negligible (+30) Common (+0) Scarce (+0) = +30
Modified PF: 27 + 30 = 57: 1d100 ⇒ 33 - Success!
Acquisition 2/2:
One Common Exterminator Cartridge (ItS p127)
TAM = Negligible (+30) Common (+0) Common (+20) = +50
Modified PF: 29 + 50 = 79: 1d100 ⇒ 25 - Success!
Further on Acquisitions - as we've got a starting PF of 19, we can't go for anything too cool here. I'd suggest going for some low hanging fruit and aiming for a TAM of around +31 or better (making the acquisition at least a 50/50)
Frag grenades are Common - giving a Blast (4) 2d10 X attack
Exterminator Cartridges (one shot flamer from ItS) are Common and could be useful
Det-cord is Common
Promethium (ItS) is Abundant... and could be used for fortifications
Even buying up a big stock of rations could be used at some point as well.
AK - what does the 'personal' only acquisitions entail? - are we limited to quantities that we can get?
On acquisitions - remember we've sunk PF into the venture, so we're struggling a bit for cash right now.
Here is the current Acquisitions calculator:
Navis Commerce: 58 = Success, with bonus degree from Seeker of Lore
Base Profit Factor: 34-15 = 19
Modified PF Table:
TAM = Total Acquisition Modifier
TAM : Merchant Commerce : Deg of Fail / Success : PF Adjustment : Final PF
+110 to +81 : 15 : F with 3 : +10 : 29
+80 to +41 : 20 : F with 3 : +10 : 29
+40 to +11 : 25 : F with 2 : +8 : 27
+10 to -19 : 30 : F with 2 : +8 : 27
-20 to -39 : 35 : F with 1 : +6 : 25
-40 to -59 : 40 : F with 1 : +6 : 25
-60 to -79 : 45 : F : +4 : 23
-80 to -99 : 50 : S : +2 : 21
-100 to 109 : 55 : S : +2 : 21
-110 to 130 : 60 : S with 1 : 19
Minimum TAM for auto success is +71
Maximum TAM before auto failure is -25
Example Acquisition Layout:
Acquisition X/Y:
Five Common Inferno Grenades (ItS p116)
TAM = Trivial (+20) Common (0) Rare (-10) = +10
Modified PF 42 +10 = 52: 1d100 ⇒ 21
Content that enough had been accomplished for the day and in need of some degree of respite... Yosarni quells the sounds of his microbead and sleeps sitting up in his chair. The absence of noise serving to coccoon him and deliver him to slumber.
Nope - not here, never was.
I'd personally back out of the game rather than continue without a Rogue Trader firmly in place... but again, that's just me.
I'd disagree vehemently and overwhelmingly... and I'd hope that AK would agree with me in part.
To pass on the role of the final arbiter in decisions to AK puts a greater amount of work on his plate as well as making us more passive in responding to situataions. Rather than coming to a decision as a group and rolling with it (and truly owning both the bonus and malus related) - we'd be strapping on the railroad tracks and essentially asking AK to just tell us what we're doing.
If you need it to be story relevant... have him assassinated overnight. Or have him drink himself into oblivion high on drugs and drowning in amasec... but put the power and control back in our hands rather than the DMs.
I'd strongly prefer that the position of Rogue Trader is fundamentally resolved and handed on before we get back and started again.
While it might be thematically more appropriate to have people die and be replaced during the conflict... we're a long way from the conflict right now. Retaining Silas until war descends means that all of the additional maneuvering and alliancing has to be done with a DMPC'd Rogue Trader... which isn't ideal in my book as they are a centrally important role.
With Radavel gone - the key is replacing the Rogue Trader position... to which I'd lean towards asking Iago to step up?
Outside of that I'm happy to keep plodding along (though I'll be scarce from 14-30 Dec as I travel home for christmas).
Emerging from where his focus had been on ethereal voices through the dark Yosarni listens to the Commander's report. Musing on it he ventures "Three days we were given, so we can take one or two to fully devour the options available. In truth we should care little what happens to this place after we depart with our profit intact... a profit that is at present predicated upon an agreement with Governor Kapak. If we do accept then we need force a situation where his blade is the one to strike, as otherwise Dante could gain unwanted leverage over us."
Aye - we'll see... ultimately I think we could reshuffle either the First Mate or Seneschal and cover the position reasonably well if needed.
Yosarni sets himself in place to monitor the vox-streams for some time before turning over to slumber. Most of his intent is directed towards any chatter that mentions the Aeternus, attempting to determine which groups or powers have viewed their arrival with favor... or with harsher terms of reference...
Scrutiny (TN=18): 1d100 ⇒ 34
Logic +10 (TN=56): 1d100 ⇒ 72
Yosarni remains in place and listens with a degree of attentiveness that is both appropriate and deferential... but already his mind has passed on from the dinner to what may follow. Protocol dictated that he remain until at least his Lord Captain had his fill, but thoughts of what dregs of communication his associates may have caught while monitoring the vox-nets intrigued him... and he needed to prepare for the morrow.
Navis intent is to head back, review the vox-nets and news for how our arrival has been reported, and review the recorded voices that he took.
Intent for tomorrow is to bed down deep with our liaison and start working him.
Yosarni steps into the breach to smooth over his commander's faux pas "Nothing to hide Governor, merely giving leave to our First Officer to depart the party..."
Not here... honest.
Deceive (TN=48): 1d100 ⇒ 57 - Failure
Despite Yosarni's attempt a deception, you easily realize that he is present.
I have returned safely to reality and it is slowly settling in... but that also means that whence we get going again I shall be in attendance.
Fellow Rogue Traders,
A short missive to advise that I shall be on a brief holiday to P+*~et starting tomorrow and returning on Monday. It's highly likely that I shall be non responsive during the period, though I assure you that I shall return to efficacy thereafter.
Regards,
Navis
Absolute solid no from me - especially given that we haven't even talked one on one with the guy yet.
The Seneschal inclined his head but slightly in response to Silas' words.
Navis nods, securing his hands within his sleeves "Indeed, not here... alone and where he has senority to us. We should send a messenger to seek an audience tomorrow - perhaps Jorun could serve in that regard."
Navis shakes his head and raises an eyebrow "Do you not think that after you have welded our sacrifice to the Damaran people that a crass offer of flight would not prove us liars and opportunists? No, not tonight - let them be suffused with patriotic fervor... the safety net is better offered in private, alone and after the ardour begins to ebb."
Having spent most of the pre-dinner event sequestered with Blitz, Navis spends the majority of the post-dinner wrapup making rounds from group to group. Deference is shown, platitudes are offered and empty words of encouragement or solidarity spill from his mouth one after the other. Nothing contentious is said or committed, instead Yosarni focusing only on ensuring that gladhands and bows were proffered to all.
Unwilling to interject with agency, Navis restrains himself to listening with honest interest.
Crowded rooms where each word falls not as a pin but more akin to a hammer drop were anathema to Navis. The Seneschal preferred the privacy of a borrowed ear, whispers in the shadows and handshakes unseen. Yet he was here to sell a role and he endeavoured to play the part as needed. Small talk and vapid pleasantries were exchanged as required, ruminations on how puce favored one self-absorbed attendee and how peach really did enhance another burned like ash upon his tongue... but were spoken regardless.
In everyway he played more a part of a quartermaster or humble servant, rather than the Master of Whispers that he truly was.
Scrutiny (TN=28): 1d100 ⇒ 18
Nay - we've had resounding success :) - when you consider the TNs for everyone have been sub 50 and all.
By my count:
Lord Captain Locke - locked in
EO Kass - locked in
Marshal Thrace - locked in
Lady Orleans - locked in
CA Staysis - locked in
Hadron Shard - locked in
Bishop Arint - middling, not a resounding success, but not a fail either.
Jeremiah Blitz - epic fail, but is subordinate to Orleans - so not as bad as it seems.
The only remaining parties are Commander Reynolds and General Dante - but one step at a time ;)
Yosarni gives a slight bow, showing absolutely no offence at Blitz's words he only adds "By your leave Lord Captain... judge us then by our actions only." staying deferent until Blitz has taken his leave of him. The Seneschal then fades into the background of the initial reception, looking around to see the rest of his crew gainfully engaged and unwilling to threaten any of their success with more of his own personal failure.
For Navis if he's on the outskirts of a meeting he can cover his mouth with his hand / sleeve and whisper reasonably easily.
If he's face to face with someone and directly engaged - then he wouldn't be able to unless he likes being overheard / potentially offending the other party.
On the microbeads - I think yes, you still need to talk into them. So unless it's easy to do an aside (as it will be for Navis shortly) it's difficult to slip into a conversation without looking weird.
Out of self-pity, here's our interaction rolls so far:
80, 13, 19, 25, 25, 23, 4, 4, 20, 55, 41, 5, 96, 89
Fair to say... we defy logic and statistics so far at the gala. Apart from Silas' early blunder that was fate pointed away the only character to roll over 50 has been Navis... who has done so three times in a row :P
Even more ludicrous than that we only have one other roll that's higher than 25 (which was still a success).
Chances of 10 rolls under 50 are 0.1%
Well... that went spectacularly poorly :P
Mouth tightening slightly to show a shift from pleasantries to business Navis continues "Times are only harder until the hill is crested and the path leads downhill. Damaris shall be the crest for all of us... House Tyr is as a mother stork disgorging the tendrils of our dynasty onto the planet to make it strong. Through strength it will endure... and all that is left unburnt will reap profit for us."
"I would not sway you from Lady Orleans, nor seek to winnow what contracts have already been written. We all profit the more that efforts are funneled and directed in unified route... and my Lord Captain is making similar entreaties to the Lady." swivelling to show Silas engaged in conversation with Orleans "House Tyr asks little of you Lord Captain Blitz... we merely offer you the opportunity to share in our inevitable success."
Deceive (TN=48-10=38): 1d100 ⇒ 96 - sigh, fate point spent 0/2 remaining
1d100 ⇒ 89 failure with five degrees - I give up :P
Mention of the PF we're investing in the defenses would probably help too.
DM AK wrote: The small crowd around him seemed impressed by Blitz's tale, but upon seeing Navis made way for a more private conversation. The rakish Rogue Trader stuck out a hand for Navis to shake.
"By all means. Jeremiah Blitz, at your service. For the right price and job, naturally"
Navis hand finds it's way out from within his voluminous sleeve to proffer a handshake whose pressure is carefully calibrated to be firm, but less firm than that offered by the Rogue Captain. With a respectful nod of the head he accepts "Navis Yosarni, Seneschal to my Lord Captain Silas Tyr, at yours." breaking the handshake and securing his hand once more married into opposite sleeve.
With a hint of smile to the corner of his mouth Yosarni continued "A fine tale Captain Blitz... though no doubt before the green tide of xenos washes over Damaris there will be more to rival it for scope. The fact we're here means that our price is at least met... it's to us to shape the job to match it." Eyes showing some life and spark he smirks "Though I doubt I could match the Governor's wife's ability to show gratitude when we win the day." lewd implications left only half said.
Charm (TN=48): 1d100 ⇒ 55 Failure unless there's an implicit bonus somewhere
Bloomin 'eck... the supposedly not so great at social characters are setting the bar pretty high for the rest of us :)
As Navis awaits the Rogue Trader's response, he scans his memory for any markers or sounding points... past campaigns or victories that he could be reminded of or flattered with...
Common Lore (Koronus or Underworld) (TN=46): 1d100 ⇒ 63 Failure with 1 degree
Just a short confirmation that Navis is staying on Blitz.
If possible, I'd like to let you crash and burn alone Silas - that way Navis can come along later and salve the wounds... potentially saying things that his Rogue Trader might object to if said beside him...
Leaving Silas to pair with the more suited Orleans, Navis sought to insinuate himself within Blitz' circle. He waited for a suitable break in his story telling before proffering a bow and asking "May I join you Lord-Captain?" with a honest smile.
Navis keeps his arms within his voluminous sleeves as he floats into the ballroom in the wake of his more magnificent colleagues. He scans around for the two other Rogue Traders Blitz and Orleans, seeing if they are already engaged in conversation or could be divested by himself.
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