Because I'm a little pressed for time this week, these aren't nearly as
fleshed-out as I might like. Still, here they are:
Odds and ends: With the end of hostilities in Zelkor, the Sedonians
decelerate their ship-building and naval training programs drasticly. In
effect, the final expansion will be completed by 1465 with no further
special action.
Towards the end of 1462, the Empress Yzara slips on a flight of stairs
in the Imperial Palace and breaks her right hip, becoming bedridden. As
winter nears, her general health begins to deteriorate.
Action 1: Who ya gonna call?
Type: Single, Strategic
Description: The Sedonians quickly realize that the ghost/poltergeist
situation in Zelkor needs to be dealt with in a calm and deliberate
fashion. Before he returns to Thalsedon with, leaving behind four
legions to ward the southern borders, General Martros receives orders
from the Chancellor to put the city under the control of the order of
Coron, while the rest of Zelkor is to be under martial law.
Of the 50,000 Zelkori who were unable or unwilling to evacuate the city,
those who were farmers are allowed to return to their farms. The
able-bodied men who were from the city, however, are drafted into labor
battalions and set to work clearing the ruins alongside of Sedonian
legionaries on punishment detail.
Meanwhile, the Priests of Coron investigate the ghosts. They soon
suspect that at least one of the ghosts is something more than a normal
spirit. However, the multitude of ghosts in the city makes
differentiating them nearly impossible. The Coronites come up with a
plan. They surround the Prince's Palace with one-way wards: ghosts can
enter the palace and grounds, but cannot leave. At regular intervals,
the priests wil perform a rite of unbinding, releasing the ghosts to the
Dreaming. The hope is that by reducing the numbers of generic ghosts and
poltergeists, the priests will have an easier time hunting down the more
unusual ghosts.
Difficulty: Base of Hard (+1)--However, since this is a strategic
action, I'm going to take 1.5x as long to resolve it, in exchange for a
reduction in difficulty of 1 to Normal. In other words, Jason, figure
out how many successes you think I'd need at base difficulty, then
multiply that number by 1.5
Subparts:
* Clear the ruins
* Protect the workers
* Trap the ghosts in the palace
* Find out just what they're really dealing with.
Action 2 & 3: Over the Mountains
Type: Double
Description: Last year's discovery of Torphani soldiers in the lands
beyond the Casovian Mountains alarms the Sedonian Government. It is
decided to infiltrate several small parties of scouts and surveyors into
the region. To aid them, each group receives a new spyglass from the
lensgrinders of Roth Mythysa. The scouts are to avoid confrontation with
Torphani soldiers or tribals, and are ordered to agree to return to
Sedonia if unable to evade the Torphani.
The scouts cross the border high in the Casovian Mountains with orders
to return in six months with information on Torphani troop strength,
disposition, fortifications, roads, and settlements.
Meanwhile, the troops removed from Zelkor are moved to the western and
southwestern borders.
Difficulty: Normal
Subparts:
* Infiltrate the Trans-Casov and return safely.
* Gather information on the Torphani
* Avoid getting caught by the Torphani, tribals, or wild critters
* Transfer legions to the border with Torphan.
Action 4: An unusual request
Type: Single, Diplomatic
Description: Before her accident, the Empress, at the request of the
Ministry of Special Projects, sends a personal letter to Archmage
Eubratosa, for his eyes only. It reads:
My dear Eubratosa,
I write this letter as a direct personal appeal, on behalf of my
Ministry of Special Projects. For some time now, the Ministry has been
suspicious of the Kaeiran merchant house of Von Kiviri, now the house of
Van Angrix-Kiviri. We know that the Von Kiviri are involved in various
forms of criminal activity, mainly smuggling of arms and drugs, but the
Ministry, based on events in Thalsedon in 1459, strongly suspects that
the Von Kiviri are under the control of the Shadowspawn.
Unfortunately, they have been unable to prove this. The Ministry agents
who have tried to shadow the Von Kiviri leaders have always been
'blown', in a manner suggesting some supernatural power of perception on
the part of the targets. However, the Ministry believes a solution may
exist.
Based on the experiences of my late uncle, the Duke of Caladyn; General
Valen Martros; and other veterans of the Battle of Talishara who took
part in the slaying of the dragon there, the Ministry thinks that
dragon's blood could be used (either by ingestion, injection, or surface
application) to render a person undetectable by magical means. The
Ministry has asked me to ask you, therefore, for at least one quart of
liquid dragon blood.
I realize, Eubratosa, that this is a lot to ask of you. However, the
presence of Shadowspawn and Garrist agents at the heart of a powerful
Kaeiran merchant house is a threat to the whole of the MidSea, and one
which, despite our differences of opinion, we must unite to face.
If you grant our request, and the Ministry is able to confirm that the
Shadowspawn do control House Von Kiviri, I hope that you will be able to
assist us in removing those demons. I also trust that you will keep the
contents of this letter closely secret--if ther is one thing the last
few years have shown, it is that the Garr-cult excels at infiltration.
Yours sincerely,
Yzara IV Thalsedon-Caladyn, Empress of Sedonia
Difficulty: Jason's decision
Subparts: Not applicable.
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