A day of rest.

Yatagan boldly strides forward, walking a few step ahead of his companions, hoping to draw any potential attacks. A little martyrdom is good for the soul. In a deep, clear voice he begins to recite a bit of statist propaganda that the Dragonborn mistakenly refer to as poetry.

"Dulce et decorum est pro Publica mori!".

He also unlimbers his battleaxe, but refrains from cladding it in justice.

Distaff's house is even more busy than the last time you were here, with goblins constantly entering and leaving on various errands.

It's easy enough to get to see the man, though -- as soon as Artichoke and company show thier faces, they are taken right to Distaff's office, where he greats them with a string of obscenities that even Yatigan is forced to admire.

"...the bastard is doing this on purpose," he concludes with a snarl, "He must be, damn him!"

Seeing the blank look on the faces regarding him, he deflates a bit, sinking into his chair. "The governor is moving the magistrates tonight, and Scatter is being assigned to the Quadrille. That fucker Petard will be in charge tomorrow, and he's not exactly sympathetic to the cause."

He slams a fist down, sending an inkpot to the floor with crash. "We can't back down, not now. We'd lose too much face, squander what little respect we'd gained. It'd look like we were afriad, like the attempts to silence us have succeeded."

Distaff look Artichoke in the eye. "We need you there, on the front lines. People know you, some of them actually respect you (the ones who aren't terrified by you), and you might be able to keep things from getting out of hand. Or perhaps save some lives if things do become violent."

He produces another bag, pushes it across the desk. "A bit more, towards supplying yourself with whatever seems appropriate. With more to come tomorow night, assuming we manage to see the sunset."

Rolzup wrote:

"...the bastard is doing this on purpose," he concludes with a snarl, "He must be, damn him!"

Seeing the blank look on the faces regarding him, he deflates a bit, sinking into his chair. "The governor is moving the magistrates tonight, and Scatter is being assigned to the Quadrille. That fucker Petard will be in charge tomorrow, and he's not exactly sympathetic to the cause."

Ah - shit! Artichoke keeps a blank expression, partly because he is imagining in his mind a scene where Magistrate Petard pronounces him guilty of aiding an illegal strike and then blows him up. Though he quickly tells himself that Petard has a reputation as a reasonable Magistrate and likely wouldn't condemn anyone to death for this, the image lingers for a while.

Quote :

He slams a fist down, sending an inkpot to the floor with crash. "We can't back down, not now. We'd lose too much face, squander what little respect we'd gained. It'd look like we were afriad, like the attempts to silence us have succeeded."

Distaff look Artichoke in the eye. "We need you there, on the front lines. People know you, some of them actually respect you (the ones who aren't terrified by you), and you might be able to keep things from getting out of hand. Or perhaps save some lives if things do become violent."

Artichoke still says nothing, though his lips are now pursed, this time because he's biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing at the image of the League saving lives if things become violent. Not that they wouldn't necessarily try. It's just that when they try...

Quote :

He produces another bag, pushes it across the desk. "A bit more, towards supplying yourself with whatever seems appropriate. With more to come tomorow night, assuming we manage to see the sunset."

Artichoke picks up the bag and weighs it meditatively, buying himself a little more time to consider the situation. On one hand, he seriously does not want to risk losing this little band that he has had to work hard to piece together and keep alive. Especially since, and it's a little hard to admit it, he's grown marginally fond of some of them. And getting into the bad books of the Magistrates due to involvement in a strike is no way to make them - and himself - a success.

On the other hand, the League needs the money, and Distaff seems amazingly willing - and able - to keep paying, much more so than the League's usual clients. And leaving the goblins in the lurch after they signed on to help them would really put a dent in their reputation. And if this situation blows over and they're all still alive, and if they do manage to keep relative peace and get most of their clients out alive, this might be just the reputation-building exercise he had hoped it would be. Lots of 'if's, of course.

Artichoke mulls it over for a couple of seconds and then finally says, "Very well. We'll be there. Just say where and when." Though most wouldn't realize it, Artichoke is a bit of a risk-taker when the pot is big enough. And this one is. Time to roll the dice and hope for a big payday. Plus a small voice in the back of his head tells Captain that this is the right thing to do, but he ignores it. If he starts turning into a do-gooder, he's going to get himself and the League killed.


OOC: So how much money did he give us?

And a little info about the magistrate Stefan Petard, for those players not in the know:

Stefan Petard is a former Naval Artilleryman 1st Class, a rank which is entirely literal in the Port's Navy. A wizard of some power, he was made a magistrate after he did a favor of some sort for the Governor. The details of this have never been revealed, and likely
never will be.

Petard has turned out to be a surprisingly reasonable Magistrate – he bases most of his rulings on a simplified form of Old Imperium Goetia law -- saving perhaps his habit of personally executing --in a very explosive manner-- anyone that he condemns to death.

His bailiffs are, like himself, veterans of naval service. Their only uniform is a red and black strip of cloth worn on their right arm, intricately knotted.

shilsen wrote:

Artichoke mulls it over for a couple of seconds and then finally says, "Very well. We'll be there. Just say where and when."

"Sunrise tomorrow, dockside."

shilsen wrote:

OOC: So how much money did he give us?

Another 500, in shiny new coins. It's to be assumed (by me at least) that you have time to do whatever buying and selling you wish in the remainder of the day, so you can be at the docks bright and early tomorrow morning.

Rolzup wrote:

"Sunrise tomorrow, dockside."

"All right. We'll see you there." Artichoke shakes his hand and then says to the rest of the League, "Let's go make preparations."

Quote :

Another 500, in shiny new coins. It's to be assumed (by me at least) that you have time to do whatever buying and selling you wish in the remainder of the day, so you can be at the docks bright and early tomorrow morning.

Sounds good.

A thought occurs to Yatagan. Which is usually a dangerous occurrence. While still in the room with Distaff he says...

"I heard a story once about how Old Billy Twist made the Governor wait three days after being ordered to quit his office in Ethical Circus in favor of the Shambles. Seems in a tropic rain the night before Old Billy's divan got warped. It wouldn't fit through the door anymore. Seeing as Billy never let his two feet touch ground after becoming a Magistrate, he told the Governor to go furl his sails while a team of carpenters cut Billy a wide new entrance. And three days later they carried old Billy out, still very much alive, seated on that divan he loved so much."

"Is there a way that the switch of Magistrates can be delayed, perhaps a little disturbance in the Quadrille? A matter that needs to be settled before Petard can take his leave. I have friends in the Quadrille. Not to mention enemies, which might be more useful in this case."

Mallus wrote:

"Is there a way that the switch of Magistrates can be delayed, perhaps a little disturbance in the Quadrille? A matter that needs to be settled before Petard can take his leave. I have friends in the Quadrille. Not to mention enemies, which might be more useful in this case."

Distaff looks startled by the very idea. "I...don't know," he says slowly. "Never considered it, in truth. I was too busy wishing eternal torment on the governor to think about any such options. What do you have in mind?"

Rolzup wrote:

"What do you have in mind?"

Yatagan looks equally startled that Distaff didn't immediately dismiss his suggestion like Artichoke usually does. Instead of pausing to think, the Dragonborn begins talking rapidly in his "convincing voice".

"At first I considered the time-honored Draconic stratagem of provoking lethal discord among innocents in order to delay your rivals. In short, start a riot in the Quadrille that Petard would be forced to quell. We have money, arms, and the courage to do monstrous things, frequently before breakfast."

Yatagan pauses briefly to breathe. His crocodile nostrils flare.

"But perhaps those tactics are best left in the World Before and there will likely be bloodshed enough come tomorrow. So in lieu of an actual riot, perhaps we could stage a bit of public theater. A little civil disobedience right on his front door. We can guarantee a large crowd by tossing around coin! Perhaps it's public protest over the recent spake of goblin assassinations! I know a large number of bored artists in need of a cause..."

"Of course, things may need to get fairly disobedient to keep Petard there...".

"Maybe we can get the Wolf Parade involved. Suggest that after the goblins they'll come for the Shifters and skin-changers".

Or, failing that, thinks Yatagan, I can claim to have a god down in pants. I sure we could whip something up with that.

OOC: in case you want a Diplomacy check... currently +11

The member 'Mallus' has done the following action : Dice Roller

'd20' : 5

Oh gods - he's going to get us all killed! Artichoke restrains himself and waits to hear Distaff's reply before adding anything to Yatagan's plan.

Having successfully convinced himself of the wisdom of his plan, Yatagan Fracas, living up to his surname, turn to Artichoke and says, "Help me out here, Artichoke. You're the clever one. How can we engineer a crisis large enough to prevent Petard from coming here but small enough not to kill any... make that too many people."

"Clearly you can see advantage of not having Petard as the Magistrate during the strike. If one of his men should get killed on the docks, even a fair man might sentence those involved --and we'll be involved-- to a hoisting onto one of his petards, to be followed by a large explosion."

Mallus wrote:

Having successfully convinced himself of the wisdom of his plan, Yatagan Fracas, living up to his surname, turn to Artichoke and says, "Help me out here, Artichoke. You're the clever one. How can we engineer a crisis large enough to prevent Petard from coming here but small enough not to kill any... make that too many people."

"Clearly you can see advantage of not having Petard as the Magistrate during the strike. If one of his men should do down at the docks, even a fair man might sentence us to detonation!"

"Yes," says Artichoke slowly and thoughtfully, "But I think we stand just as much chance of running into trouble if we engineer something in the Quadrille. I think we might have a better chance of preventing the change for a day from this side, via Henry Scatter." He looks at Distaff. "I know Magistrate Scatter has great sympathy for your cause. Do you have any contact with him? Could you get me ...um, us ... a chance to speak with him?"

shilsen wrote:

"But I think we stand just as much chance of running into trouble if we engineer something in the Quadrille.

"How so? Tomorrow we're being paid to stand in the middle of a riot. Tonight we can sneak into the Quadrille like thieves... like honorable thieves stealing justice from the clutches of the shifty Governor. We can work our will then slip away."

"Besides, I have friends in the Quadrille who won't turn their noses up at the chance for some rock-throwing and a hopeless protest."

Quote :

He looks at Distaff. "I know Magistrate Scatter has great sympathy for your cause. Do you have any contact with him? Could you get me ...um, us ... a chance to speak with him?"

"This smacks of caution --as if Yatagan's everyday puss wasn't demonstrative enough, he makes a face-- but I do see some sense in it". Perhaps we should explore this option as well."

shilsen wrote:

"Yes," says Artichoke slowly and thoughtfully, "But I think we stand just as much chance of running into trouble if we engineer something in the Quadrille. I think we might have a better chance of preventing the change for a day from this side, via Henry Scatter." He looks at Distaff. "I know Magistrate Scatter has great sympathy for your cause. Do you have any contact with him? Could you get me ...um, us ... a chance to speak with him?"

"I suppose I could, at that. Under the circumstances. I'm not sure if he'll have any freedom to act, but there's no harm in trying."

Rolzup wrote:

"I suppose I could, at that. Under the circumstances. I'm not sure if he'll have any freedom to act, but there's no harm in trying."

"Certainly. Can you send someone to the Magistrate with us now, or should we go and make preparations for tomorrow and wait for you to send us someone when you are ready?"