3 Successes, Challenge CompleteSuccess Result: Information Obtained!
"I see the lessons of history have been lost on you, sir," Morgiana says, folding her arms and taking on a keen expression of skepticism. "In the year 557, an ambitious cabal of summoners crafted over one hundred clay golems to work in forges and incinerators. They left the creatures alone, reasoning that they would remain docile and subservient, but it took only one rogue member of the group to take control of the automatons and begin a war on Gateway. The golems' bodies had hardened to near-invulnerability after years of heat and pressure, and it was only by trapping them in what used to be the Bell Gardens and using sonic spells were they defeated... of course, the detonation scoured the land for almost twenty miles."
Wittiger yawns. "Academy clap-trap. It's a wonder they ever recovered from that one."
She continues with the history lesson, pacing around Wittiger like an attorney: "286! Water Elementals are released into the Gateway Reservoir to maintain the waterways under the assurance that they were under control. Ninety drowned from the resulting floods. 412, the infamous 'Undercity Crippler' is revealed to be a mad flesh golem whose master died of the flux. 489, Ruling Council has the Academy clone Captain Gregor 'Bolt' Boltursson fourteen times to command the Red Pilgrim fleet, reasoning that he was the most capable leader for the job. All fifteen experience an existential crisis mid-flight and the fleet is lost."
Wittiger raises an eyebrow at this intense barrage of a lesson. "Can't have progress without a few missteps along the way."
"Finally, and perhaps most important: on the 87th year of our reckoning, a gang of vampires sought legitimacy in the eyes of the law. They were granted it, so long as they hunted no sentient beings and stayed in their district. Living occupants left, property values plummeted and the vampires tore one another apart in blood-madness. And in 322, a small contingent of Necromancers raised over fifty skeletons in an attempt to conjure up a source of cheap and plentiful labour. The experiment appeared to work, until it was learned that some of the necromancers were in league with undercity criminals and using corpses of murder victims as fodder for their thralls. They were wiped out, to a man, by the Church of Pelor."
Wittiger sneers! "Vampires are a myth, miss. That was a cult!" He then counters her Ace Attorney circling... with his own counter-pacing, pausing every so often to gesture at Morgiana, and to glare at Meran and Ragjen. "And I'll have you know that our legitimacy couldn't be made more clear by our successful ALLIANCE with the Church of Pelor! They recognize our sovereignty without giving in to old-fashioned worries and close-minded fears!"
"Understand three things:" she concludes, ticking off her fingers. "Power corrupts. Slaves-- all slaves-- only serve so long as it suits them... and the dead and the living cannot coexist."
Morgiana's History
1d20 +19
3 + 19 = 22
dangit
Wittiger History
1d20 +10
8 + 10 = 18
"Your history is sharpWittiger reaches into his jacket and brandishes... a beautiful silver carving of a feather! He leers at Ragjen and Meran. "If you so doubt my words, why not channel a bit? You'll see that the Queen herself guides these gentle bones." He gestures to a pair of skeletons in slacks doing the sweeping in the church.
If either of you tap into your inner divinity... it rings true! It's the same aura that Meran himself channels!
"While the whole proposal with the unending unquestioning work hours is absolutely great in theory, we really have to look into our society just not being ready for it." He continued. "Try as we might, people are going to keep dying, and your so far harmless church will probably grow as the population does. The problem here is that as your 'workforce' grows, they will take over more and more of the mindless labor jobs in the community, which will lead to more crime and overall more issues for -everyone-."
He shrugged and cracked his neck. "I mean like, the solution isn't harsh or anything, you either limit acceptance into the undying workforce to a certain set percentage of the population at all times or you limit them to jobs that no living person could or should do, like high risk mining or alchemical waste disposal. Just saying we should work on quelling this current non-issue before it becomes one."
Wittiger raises an eyebrow at Ragjen's witty intervention. "Now see, this is why everybody wonders why such good wits are wasted on Holsten Holdings. We could use a forward-thinker like yourself. But I trust that our rate of acquisition will not out-pace our needs for growth, particularly as word of our great church spreads! In fact, would that not be the best thing that could happen? The acceleration of labor would propel us from squabbling city-state to a society capable of taming more of the hazardous reaches... imagine! Multiple cities! All on the backs of a loyal, indeftatigable force."
"But I feel that perhaps you won't be convinced today." He half-bows to Miss Morgiana, then draws a thumb across his throat. "We are finished, and I'll trust you not to declare a bit of Gang Warfare on behalf of your oh-so-charming "leader."" He begins to pace back to the organ, then turns at the waist grinning. "If you have further issue, perhaps you could bring it up with Sir Choy himself at his concert tonight.
I'm afraid the church will be empty, as we'll all be in attendance."
Hmm. Much like in Muscles Adventure #2, you have a chance to hear the legendary dead bard perform in the city's park, near the Church of Pelor. You might also investigate the Church of the Raven chapel itself later, once it's empty.
Author
Topic: No Bones About It! (Week 3-1) (Read 7862 times)