Birdship: A Suggestion Game

[Kipeci]

BA and warn them. Us nobles have got to look out for each other, you know?

 

[Esquilax]

A quick note: I'm pretty sure that Baltika9 accidentally voted for A, because his post said that he also didn't trust the clerk. No big deal, and I'm just happy to see an update (probably for the best, because it would have been a tie, although I am a little butthurt because I think the guy is a fucking snake), just pointing it out to Gobblecock in case we encounter a situation like this in the future.

Btw, what is the significance of various types of birds in this religion? Are doves considered sacred the same way that Hindus might consider cows to be sacred? If so, I guess it's sacrilege to leave the little critter to die.

D

I don't like being beholden to these assholes. If they can make you, they can break you. Since I'd rather maintain some consistency here rather than jerking these guys around completely and telling them that I'm suddenly not interested, I'd rather leave with an excuse since they think we're a broke, naive sheep-herder who is obsessed with religion.

D > C

 

[Esquilax]

BA and warn them. Us nobles have got to look out for each other, you know?

We are a newly-minted Lord with a fancy title, but not much else. The money that the Dauphinois gave us might seem like a fortune, but it's pocket change to them. And it'll make us very indebted to them. It's going to be a lot of fun, sleeping in a house that they paid for, being protected by guards under their payroll - but I'm sure they're nice guys!

Maybe we can turn the tables down the road, but I don't like taking money from powerful strangers that will dangle unspecified favours over our head down the road.

 

[Kipeci]

Leech as much as we can, bow and scrape at their feet, in that way we can grow in power under the protection of an alliance with them. Loyalty can bring in huge rewards for completely unestablished one like ourselves.

We may possibly be forced into doing some thing we don't like, true. They may not be nice. The potential benefits are, however, enormous.

 

[Esquilax]

Leech as much as we can, bow and scrape at their feet, in that way we can grow in power under the protection of an alliance with them. Loyalty can bring in huge rewards for completely unestablished one like ourselves.

We may possibly be forced into doing some thing we don't like, true. They may not be nice. The potential benefits are, however, enormous.

That's a decent idea, sure. Sometimes you have to get used to get ahead. But what I'm concerned about is that our zealot really isn't good at this sort of courtly manipulation game - he's not the bard character we had the option of choosing. We're a naive newcomer who, up until this recent battle, was a peasant with fuck-all to his name, so I don't know how we'll outmaneuver guys like this with decades of experience in this world and more wealth and connections than we can dream of.

Lastly, we don't know what sort of favour that they'll require - you're thinking about all the stuff that we can gain, but this is contingent on us following through on our end of the bargain and doing whatever task they want at some point in the future. I just don't trust it.

 

[Grimgravy]

B
C - Get to know the house more. If this place is to be destroyed, they might go down with it. In which case a loan from them would be great! But they seem to be preparing to fight. Which side will they fight for?
Dont tell them. At least not right away.

 

[Bibbimbop]

Btw, what is the significance of various types of birds in this religion? Are doves considered sacred the same way that Hindus might consider cows to be sacred? If so, I guess it's sacrilege to leave the little critter to die.

Several species of bird are connected to the Holy Dames, as are several wandering stars in the night sky. The Holy Dames were demigods fashioned by Yeherua to help him create existence from nothingness. Some of Dames then grew overproud of their own abilities of creation, and slew Yeherua to gain a larger share over creation. Different sects disagree over which of the Holy Dames was involved in the rebellion, and even whether Yeherua died at all; and if he died, whether he stayed dead or returned. The dove, however, is the subject of no controversy, being the earthly avatar of Kyrieleisa, the mother of mercy, who is unanimously accorded the goodwill of the faithful.

Really, though, the reason why you got the option for a dove as a pet was for the sake of a consolation prize, because you missed three opportunities to gain a follower so far, including a contrite Theverin, a master businessman, and a gallant knight about to be hunted for trysting with the weeping lady in the garden and in need of a place to lie low.

Coluld we get a minor info dump on the basic history and tenets (that our character could be expected to know) of religion in this setting? Additionally how powerful and socially active is the church? Analogous to our Catholic Church?

This will be quite important to our future approach. A weak Church will let us get away with a lot more mysticism while a strong one might land us in chains if we show too much deviancy.

Overall, the church, in its many denominations, is so powerful as to be the dominant thread in the social fabric of most societies on the local level. Life begins and ends in the church.

However, across regional borders, that fabric becomes more like a patchwork quilt at the moment. There have been no external enemies of the faith in centuries, and its spread has brought about regional syncretisms with earlier heathen beliefs, so as to create an volatile admixture of beliefs loosely calling themselves Norastrian. There are currently three pontiffs presiding over major factions of the religion, including one in Armens that not recognised by believers in Merrow. Generally, though, holy war is not prescribed by the faith when missionary work and cleverly argued epistles can serve. Only occasional pogroms and massacres of heretics have occurred until now, often led by bigoted peasantry and rabble-rousers, nothing systematic and organised by learned men.

 

[Esquilax]

Really, though, the reason why you got the option for a dove as a pet was for the sake of a consolation prize, because you missed three opportunities to gain a follower so far, including a contrite Theverin, a master businessman, and a gallant knight about to be hunted for trysting with the weeping lady in the garden and in need of a place to lie low.

I am getting the low, sinking feeling that we'll end up picking insanity birdie options that at points that net us nothing (seeing as they are a wild card choice), and we'll pick "normal" options at times that also get us nothing. Because we are Codex.

 

[oscar]

B. Though I see this more as driven by compassion and religiosity than insanity
A. We are under little pressure to actually do what they demand. If it is something simple as passing correspondence then it shouldn't be a problem.
Warn

For choice two I'm tempted to take it as a loan. Compared to most of the other fief options I think we should be okay financially here with all the donations and gifts providing a nice trickle of wealth. A little investment to get us up and running would be nice but an "ancient house" may very well be offended at being reduced to mere money-lenders. A favour is a vague thing.

The final choice is an interesting one. While I doubt they would take the advice until far too late perhaps they would be suitably impressed when we were proved correct. I was originally in favour of not warning them but:

warning is correct and they play a crucial role in the siege/campaign: they are suitably impressed and we gain much goodwill. Perhaps the debt is considered cleared

warning is correct and they flee to the countryside: they're either grateful or hung as traitors, both good outcomes (allies or a wiped debt)

warning is correct and they do nothing (most likely): until the event happens they think we're a little touched in the head but afterwards they will likely be a little in awe

warning is incorrect (unlikely but worth considering): relations lost but would teach them for putting stock in the words of a country weirdo wouldn't it? Nobody to blame but them selves

so two potentially significant benefits at the chance of one neutral and one slightly negative. I'd say warn them.

"Eshaum and Eshal"

what sect of the faith do these moneylenders belong to eh

 

[Nevill]

The man is a snake, yes.

However, I want you gentlemen to consider his proposal. They have offered money in a bid for an alliance, hoping they could wrap us in some of their schemes, but I think that it would make sense to take it as a loan with no further obligations. Now that they've made an offer, they can't go back on their word, now can they? I doubt there would be many other people lining up to offer us to take their money until we prove ourselves a reliable partner, and for that we would need a capital to get us started.

Take the money. If they are in trouble - great, we might not have to repay it. If not - we don't put ourselves in too much debt with them.

If that's impossible, then I think we might not want to deal with them altogether.

B B>C

 

[Bibbimbop]

Kipeci A Y
Esquilax D>C
oscar A Y
grimgravy C N
Nevill BN>CY
Baltika9 B>D
asxetos C N
Elfberserker D>C
lightbane C Y

Voting will close in 24 hours. This week, I am much less distracted and could foresee a friday update. Last weekend, I climbed the Jinshanling section of Great Wall.

Spoiler

 

[Nevill]

Missed the last part. No, don't warn them.

 

[Baltika9]

D>B, I want us to ask the dove it's name and refer to it as such.
B>D, we have picked a rich little bishopric for ourselves, so paying this off as a loan shouldn't be to troublesome, but I really don't want to owe these people any favors.

And, yes, I didn't want to trust the bastard, but that's my own derp, should have read the letters right.

 

[asxetos]

D C dont warn

 

[oscar]

I'd say we may as well take the money since we're here rather than walk out empty handed (and down a bro knight) and having done nothing more than slightly annoy our hosts. What did you guys think would happen when we came here? The dialogue straightforwardly implied he had in mind a "you scratch my back I'll scratch yours" transaction.

What is also the reasoning for not warning? Spite? It's not like we're saving this information up to tell the king or something. From what I can tell it's tell no one or tell these guys because we'll likely head to the fief after this (unless we wanna yell out the Duke will soon be upon the city from the streets). And as I've argued even in the worst case scenario the cost is very low while the benefit could be quite strong.

 

[Nevill]

I am not against taking the money or keeping our relationships monetary. I am against owing them a favor of some unknown kind. They are moneylenders, they are probably used to twisting others' arms. Give them a finger and they'll take the hand.

The reason for not warning is twofold. First, it may eradicate them completely, eliminating our debt, and second, it could weaken them enough so that they wouldn't be in a position to demand anything too strongly, ensuring a more friendly disposition with us in the future.

 

[Bibbimbop]

We can begin to fill in the Character Sheet with some of the chosen statistics, which will never be numerically presented for sake of ambiance. I do reserve the right to make minor changes to Fixed Traits throughout the Prologue section. Afterward, its name will be far closer to reality. I'll occasionally drop one of these reports underneath an update, and put the most current report in the table of contents. That way, progression over time can be observed and compared, and not just current status.

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Latest Character Report
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Character Sheet

Current Personal Summary

Your Identity and Circumstance

Master Oswald Fordwyne
Sometime a Shepherd in His Adolescence
Now a Serjeant of an Unsettled Fiefdom in Lower Clodovia
Aged of 18 years​

Current Vital Status

Parlous Ill of Health
Rather Wan of Fitness
Somewhat Disturbed of Mind
Withdrawn from Society​

Fixed Traits

Exceeding Great of Height
Somewhat Feeble of Might and Main
Exceeding Rugged of Frame and Robusticity
Long of Gait and Sure of Foot
Wondrous Retentive of Memory and Quick of Native Wits
Possessed of a Most Unnerving Glare​

Learnt Skills

Social

Shockingly Uncouth in Etiquette
Dry and Unappealing in Charm
Unsophisticated in Body Language
Unassayed Talents in Music​

Intellectual

Complete Illiteracy in Letters
Unassayed Talents in Numeracy
Somewhat Expansive in Merovish Vocabulary, North Country Dialect
A Loose Chronology of History
A Rough Idea of Regional Geography​

Athletic

Basic Combat Training
Proficient Crook-Wielder
Unassayed Talents in Dancing
Unassayed Ability at Swimming​

​

​

Possessions

Item Inventories

Known wealth of 30 copper pence

Clothes

A well-made woolen chaperon headwrap, dyed yellow, with a red plume
A well-made linen chemise, dyed red
A tight-fitting cotehardie with pleated waist-lines, dyed parti-colour blue and green
Fine woolen chausses, dyed yellow and lashed with red garters
Black leather shoon curled upward at the toes, with silver buckles
​

Equipment

A Shepherd's Crook
A Royal Writ of Conveyance
A silver religious token
A small knife
A spare set of rough homespun peasant clothes and wooden shoes​

​

 

[Elfberserker]

BC

 

[oscar]

Also what are we going to do with these nice donations of books and relics? Pawn them off and melt down the gifts for gold? We neither have the connections for such activity nor does it seem very fitting for our character (unless he becomes some sort of radical iconoclast).

It'll be a nice little kickstarter for our fief to allow us to branch into a more honest income (inns for weary pilgrims?).

 

[Nevill]

It'll be a nice little kickstarter for our fief to allow us to branch into a more honest income (inns for weary pilgrims?).

There are 4 of us who want to have a kickstarter, but we are split on how to do it. Since it looks like 2B voters are not promising them the favor, it is up to you guys to decide how much you value your new acquaintances.

Gobblecock, you seem to have listed Grimgravy's vote wrong, he votes for 2C.

Since this seems what is currently winning anyway, I will switch to '2B and do not warn them', with a conditional switch to 'warn them' if 2C wins, as I do not want to cut our relationship off right away.

 

[Bibbimbop]

I corrected the tally and I'll let the vote stand a day longer, since there's no way I could begin an update right now anyway.

 

[Elfberserker]

Fixing my vote to
B
D>C

I was in bit of panic when Gobblecock mentioned 24h time limit.

 

[lightbane]

1: B. I suppose we can keep it as a pet.
2: C. It's too soon to start doing any kind of shady business, for not to mention our character is not the sharpest tool in the shed. Also, warn them but somewhat subtly, saying something like "I saw some suspicious horse-riders close to this territory. It may be nothing, but perhaps it would be worth checking out what's happening."

EDIT:

[...] Turquoise dolphins sport upon these waves amid depictions of other aquatic life to add variety and interest, including a tentacled sea monster sculpted in red jasper, a magnificient piece of freemasonry hugging the top of the main tower.

Lovecraft approves:

Spoiler

 

[Bibbimbop]

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Previously on Lordship...
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B. You pick up the dove and put it in your pocket. You shall name it Beau Blanc, for such it is.
C. You refuse the money politely. "I'm afraid that I cannot accept so much money from someone with whom I am so little acquainted. Perhaps later we will have a firmer basis of mutual understanding to speak more of ways to assist each other."
Also, warn them but somewhat subtly, saying something like "I saw some suspicious horse-riders close to this territory. It may be nothing, but perhaps it would be worth checking out what's happening."

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Adventuring in the Forgotten Realms
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"I forget."

Your new friend responds with a sweet tinkling laugh, like the bells on a jongleur's merry little cap. "You forgot, en? So that means then, that you forgot to forget again? That's not good. That'll be the end of you. Always remember to forget. Forgot is your home now."

Your friend has a very good point, and like any good language coach, he brings the memory back to you. You invoke the name of your home, this forgotten place of yours.

"Oubliette. Oublier."

"Ouïl, monsieur. Now you are finally remembering to forget. A skill that I mastered these many years past."

"Many years? Exactly how long have you been down here, good Monsieur de Rissette? I think you told me once, but now I forget."

"Then you have remembered to forget, and so have I as well. Perhaps that is why we shall survive this place. Now permit me to teach you the next words, good sir, and mark you well: do not forget to remember them."

He speaks, and you listen, then you repeat. Only then will he tell you the meaning. It has always been done this way, since even before you can remember.

***​

"Li foilles vertes et li ciel bleu, je voldrai vus revoir!"

Your old friend responds with a sweet tinkling laugh, like the purity of a mountain spring just beginning its journey down to the sea. "And perhaps you shall yet do, my dear seigneur Fordoin, though I fear there is no hope for me now."

Your friend, no doubt, referred to the daily slops that had stopped being poured down the chute for you two. Meals came to you hard earned now, the product of groping in the dark for the less convivial guests in your cell, snapping their little backs with your hands and eating them raw, gagging on the fur in your throat. Still, you practised this without remorse whenever you could, since they often returned the favour of a few bites while you yourself tried to sleep.

You speak words that neither of you believe. "Ne vus esmaiez! You will see the green leaves and the blue sky again, my friend. I promise you that. I have a plan to escape this hardship."

"A plan? Oh, pray thee do tell!"

"Oublions!"

Monsieur de Risette laughs again. "How easily now you remember to forget! It seems that I have taught you well."

In truth, though, you have been able to forget nothing at all. Including the night that you confessed to having seen outriders approaching the capital in front of your gracious hosts, and your hosts they still remained even till now, albeit slightly less gracious. Theverin, almost apologetically, had professed his sorrow at having to roll you down the chute, "I am fond of you, good master Fordwyne, but my hands are tied in this matter, and I am certain you know well how dreadful that feels!" The damnable rogue. Thank the Holy Dames for the presence of Thierry de Risette down here, who giddily untied you after your thud had alerted him to the unexpected delight of a cell-mate. The beginnings of a beautiful friendship.

Still, you worry these days about your good friend de Risette, your one friend in these forgotten realms under the Dauphinois estate. He seems much weaker than you, and he often could not catch any meals for himself.

A. You worry only about your own survival. You have to make it out of here.

B. You begin to share your catches equally with him.

C. You give him all your catches. Better to starve than to live like this. ​

 

[Kipeci]

Would we have still been imprisoned for warning them had we joined their side? I need to know if I should be feeling smug or not.

Anyway, I guess let's go for B? Total isolation will have us go completely insane rather fast.