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 Post Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2020 10:55 pm 
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"Personally, I think it's a brilliant idea," whispers Piper, who wasn't there a moment ago. "But you fail to consider just how much of a rule-worshipping donkey you're dealing with here. You know that there's a rule that only Patriarchs can address this assembly? And that the Elene god isn't a Patriarch?"

Yes, despite the fact that your planning was in English.

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 Post Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2020 11:15 pm 
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"Can he speak through a Patriarch?" Felix asks, following the train of thought. "Alongside providing some kind of proof that the Patriarch really is speaking on his behalf?"

Felix thinks for a moment.

"No reason we can't enact plans A and B at the same time, right? You talk to Ortzel while I put on my charm and try to woo some Patriarchs."

Felix pens a few invitations to send to various figures of import and stands ready to send them out.

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 Post Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2020 11:50 pm 
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"Well, I think that's a perfectly sensible idea," volunteers Piper, after a brief interval. "But guess who's being a total bozo? Apparently it's a 'bad precedent' or something."

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 Post Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2020 12:21 am 
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Felix sighs and rotates his arms about, stretching his shoulders.

"I suppose this is going to be one of those 'god helps those who help themselves' sort of deal. I hope the Elene god doesn't overly mind if I stick my nose into matters and become obstreperous in matters involving Raven's plans."

Felix enlists Theresa's help for the writing of more letters.

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 Post Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2020 1:25 am 
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Arkady looks at Piper for a second, then grins. "Raven isn't in the assembly, is he? Is there a rule that specifies the god of the Elene's can't be speaking to someone up here? Or smiting them?"

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 Post Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2020 1:07 am 
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Piper looks up for a minute, then at Arkady. "He says there's a rule against making loud noises in the guest gallery."

--------------

Felix sends out several notes.

Felix: Rapport: +4 Theresa: +4 Roll: +0 Total: +8

Arkady: Empathy: +5 Roll: -2 Total: +3

Felix sends out his notes, and Arkady tries to estimate how much effect they're having. However, the Patriarchs are very hard to read. Not exactly beyond Arkady's ability, but these men are all seasoned politicians, men who know how to hold their emotions in check...

Arkady's fairly certain that Felix is not doing their cause any harm. But he can't be sure how much Felix is helping.

One of the Patriarchs, as it happens, and surely by complete coincidence, strolls up to Felix to discuss, in person, the nature of these proposed 'contributions'. Arkady had previously pegged this fellow as someone who is being bribed by Raven and is regretting it; if they can match Raven's offer, he'll likely switch sides.

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 Post Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2020 11:25 am 
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Kinda of suspecting that Piper will appreciate this more than the god she's talking to: "Is there being a rule against people or their clothes turning bright green? Or whatever color is considered ill favored around here?"

Arkady keeps an eye on this fellow to see how he's responding to offers, and clues Felix in if needed.

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 Post Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2020 1:22 pm 
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Piper doesn't seem to react to Arkady's suggestion. This may be partially because she's very visibly not paying attention to Felix' chat with the Prelate, in a way that suggests to Arkady that she's paying very close attention to them indeed.

The negotiations go well at first. Couched in implication, double-meanings and inneundo, the Patriarch asks what Felix is willing to offer.

Felix responds with a figure roughly equivalent to 1% of the Expected Elene Treasury.

The Patriarch raises his left eyebrow, and discards subtlety for the moment. "Are you going to make a serious offer, or was it a waste of time to walk here?"

Arkady: Empathy: +5 Roll: -1 Total: +4

Arkady's pretty sure that this guy was paid a lot more than Felix' offer by Raven.

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 Post Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2020 1:31 pm 
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Did it seem to Arkady that it was a matter of doubling or tripling, or did it come across like we're speaking orders of magnitude?

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 Post Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2020 3:47 pm 
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The general impression is orders of magnitude. And possibly even more than one of them.

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 Post Posted: Sun Feb 02, 2020 4:25 pm 
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Arkady comments: "I think he is looking for at least ten times that, and maybe a good deal more."

Then he shakes his head. "I do not think I am understanding. A turncoat servant of a dark god serves as an excuse for that dark one to enter the city, and the actual master of this place will not intervene because his servants told him to sit down and be quiet? God of the Elenes, one of your servants is here outside the Assembly. They haven't forbidden you to speak to patriarchs, right? So perhaps you should be having a word with him about his greed before you lose your city and your Church."

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 Post Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 12:21 am 
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Neither Piper nor the Elene god seem to have any response to Arkady's plea.

Perhaps they're waiting for Felix' conversation to be over before interrupting.

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 Post Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 12:44 am 
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Felix will endeavor to see if this was indeed a waste of time or not. A few probing questions to try and get an estimate of what sort of value is expected.

He is hoping to turn at least two, possible three Patriarchs, and is willing to offer values within that range. If he can get the Patriarch to abstain instead of vote for Raven in exchange for a lesser bribe, he'll try and do so. Take advantage of the Patriarch's feeling of loss or of missing out and get him to take his ball and go home.

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 Post Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 8:30 am 
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Felix: Rapport: +4 Theresa: +4 Roll: +0 Total: +8

After some wrangling, Felix thinks he can persuade this particular Patriarch to accept a bribe equivalent to perhaps 75% of the Expected Elene Treasury to vote for Ortzel, or about 50% to abstain entirely.

Arkady: Empathy: +5 Roll: +0 Total: +5

Looking at the slightly disappointed calculation in the man's eyes, Arkady's pretty sure that this figure is still a lot less than Raven's bribe was (but now it's in the 'double or triple' sort of range, not the 'order of magnitude' sort of range); however, the Patriarch seems to be willing to accept a lesser bribe in order to go with what he's beginning to think was the right choice all along.

Or maybe he just wants to open up a new round of bidding.

Either way, going with the 75% bribe likely leaves the fellow open to listening to bigger offers from Raven; adding a bit of extra margin onto that might improve his odds of actually sticking with his new allegiance.

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 Post Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2020 9:17 am 
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Arkady comments: "Felix, we would be needing to offer him about a third again to be sure of keeping him. All the gold we were trusted with would let us be convincing four patriarchs to abstain. At most."
He thinks for a second. "I am not thinking we should do this. Ortzel is a stubborn old man, but he is right about one thing; his god is very fond of rules. Using gold that is supposed to go to his church to bribe his priests would be putting us on the same level as Raven in his eyes; we would both be breaking the same rule, no matter why. If we are to be hoping to get his help to defend his church and his city from the servants of the dark god, we should not be doing that."
Then he shrugs. "Besides, we know Raven would not be hesitating to have a few patriarchs killed. We need to be convincing Undul and his men to buy the time for the knights to arrive, not this fellow and two or three of his sort. I think we should be telling this one we'll let him know, then let his god sort him out as he pleases. Then perhaps be inviting Undul and Vanire up here for a chat about Raven...those two by themselves won't endanger the vote, and perhaps there will be a third voice. If he wants to keep his city."

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