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[KittenMaster]

The long line leading to an application submission deters Fhiess from trying to approach the intended system of reaching out to the higher ups. No doubt Fhiess' proposition would only quickly be ignored and lost within thousands of other voices.

The aspiring Bard needs to speak with someone looking for opportunities, someone willing to try out new avenues of business, especially in such a city with fickle leadership and direction. He looks for somebody that might fit this description.

Insight roll: 1D20+3+2 => (11 + 3 + 2) = 16

<I figure Insight is more applicable here since he can see lots of people already and is reading personalities in this case>

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

Ludwig is pleased with how directly everyone answers his questions. If he didn't know better, he'd think he developed a paladin aura of compelled truth-telling early. He makes some notes based off what he's been told.

While the government is not as freedom oriented as he would hope a market-driven voting system would produce, not all seems lost. Yarl and Narn sound like the closest to good guys a legislative chamber will produce. Lain sounds like the racist chamber, but under the right circumstances, they could probably be duped into getting on board with anything. Not that it matters too much if Yarl and Narn vote the right way.

Unfortunately, not much seems to be up on the government shrinking, freedom growing front. The biggest thing is a citizenship referendum, and while Ludwig thinks that citizenship is a concept that should die with states, He knows Leviathan won't die over night and diluting its meaning may be a step in the right direction. This legislation could be worth trying to play with.

Not sure if he will have the time or be able to find the resources to do anything beyond learning the system for now, Ludwig nevertheless decides to take the next commitment free step. He keeps an eye out for any big-money betters to see if a large putting down of money swings the odds at all. The J'raffa has a suspicion that if things are lax enough to allow for gambling on legislation, there is probably a strong lobbying industry that "encourages" chamber members to vote alongside the odds. Except when better lobbiers get them to vote against the odds for bigger payouts, but that's the free market for you.

((Probably warrants an insight check to gauge how people react when a big bet happens. If perception's more appropriate, Ludwig has the same modifier for both anyway.))

[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=161707]Insight: 1D20 + 3 = [9]+3 = 12
[/url]

 

[Mike M]

No one in the cavern that comprises the government building strikes Fhiess as being particularly open to the idea of taking advantage of opportunities in trade agreements, but it occurs to him that it's likely a matter of his being surrounded by the wrong audience. While the principal source of amusement in Hammerfall is obviously the spectacle of the political arena, surely there must be some sort of arts scene. He didn't see anything on the level he has seen thus far, but Hammerfall runs deep into the mountain's heart. Perhaps somewhere on the lower levels?

#

Ludwig does his best to be inconspicuous about his observation of the betting tables, but given that there's a giant reticulated murder snake a J'raffa sticking his head atop an elongated neck into the parlor, he tends to draw attention to himself. Drawing on his instincts born of his years of roaming the Baglahm savannah, he remains absolutely still until the gamblers grow acclimated to his presence and resume their normal habits. Specifically looking for peoples' reaction and a change in the markets when large bets are placed, he doesn't see anything out of the ordinary. Indeed, large bets seem to be placed moderately frequently without having outsized effects on the odds. Some of the folks making the bets look to be doing so on the behalf of political parties or advocate groups, even.

 

[Noisy Ninj4]

As others delve into the political and artistic aspects of Forgerun life, Thosar seeks out historical documents and older legends pertaining to the Hauntar and their tunnels beneath the mountain. He hopes to find entrances and details on why they were built, or at least some hints.

While the elf sticks out a bit by being taller than most of the residents, not many give him much notice on the streets. Once he enters the chambers, he does get some attention. Not many scholarly visitors these days.

 

[KittenMaster]

Fhiess is coming to the realization that the governing center seems very detached from the actual election center. He may have been mistaken with his assumption that the government building had a large part in the voting operations.

Regardless, he doesn't give up. He continues exploring into the mountain to find further possibility of a branch of the government open to suggestion.

 

[Mike M]

((Thosar, go ahead and roll Investigation or History to see what hitting the archives reveals))

 

[Noisy Ninj4]

((I've got great rolls, the the best rolls.
History: 1D20+7+1D4 = [1]+7+[4] = 12

Investigation: 1D20+5+1D4 = [12]+5+[3] = 20
))
Browsing the archives, Thosar finds a fascinating book that looks like the just tome he needs. "Foul Tunnel Complexes and How to Navigate Them" Reading through the introduction, the writing is strange, an odd dialect of Dwarven perhaps. The illustrations give a sense of almost biological construction. He continues on to find that "They may be a warren for all manner of disease and corruption, beware any expedition into then." Only after the first couple chapters does it dawn on him.
This book is a long, involved, and obscure joke involving the study of female mallard genatalia.

His head slams the lectern loudly enough to warrant attention by one of the librarians.

 

[Mike M]

Fhiess's aimless wanderings of the government complex eventually leads him to a well-appointed wing lined with offices. The signs are all in Dwarven, but they bear many of the same icons and symbols he saw out in the main thoroughfare of Hammerfall. It doesn't take a great leap of intuition to put together that these are likely some sort of campaign offices for the various parties of Hammerfall's sprawling government.

One of the icons Is a sculptor's chisel crossed against a paintbrush on a carved gem. The people streaming in and out of this particular office have the unmistakable carriage of artisans and craftsmen; if any organization in this place would be receptive to his entreaties, they seem as good a pick as any other.

#

Despite his unintended dalliance into the reproductive strategies of Anas platyrhynchos, Thosar's efforts are not completely wasted. Records from the time of the Hauntar are practically nonexistent, possibly the result of an organized effort to scrub them from Forgerun's history. That the dwellers in the mountain bristled under the yoke of Hauntaur rule is far from secret, so this is not exactly a great surprise.

Fortunately, the business of carving out a civilization in the bones of the world is practically impossible to reverse; all the Hauntar tunnels are still on the maps of Hammerfall, though they're not explicitly labeled. Still, it doesn't take much to notice that the tunnels excavated by the Hauntaur tend to be more narrow and taller than those of the mountain dwarves. Almost all of them have been repurposed and are still in use.

The notable exception is a massive tunnel at the very lowest level of Hammerfall, near the foundries and forges. It extends straight north, well beyond the boundaries of the map, with no indication of how long it might go on before it reaches its end. There appears to be some sort of rail system within the tunnel; wherever the tunnel goes, it was almost certainly used to transport ore and minerals to be smelted or refined in Hammerfall.

 

[KittenMaster]

At first Fhiess is excited, he finds a place he can almost call home within the chaotic turning gears that is politics.

But he stops himself from approaching, even smacking his forehead a bit. Sure, these folks would be receptive of his ideas, but not in a way that would expand Hogan's enterprise. If anything, the suggestion could backfire in some way as it seems the campaigner has their own wealth of artists and craftsmen to utilize for advertising.

Fhiess needs to stir competition, he needs to sell the idea of Hogan's artists and entertainer trade being needed, he needs to create incentive for musicians and crafts to come into Hammerfall to do business.

He turns to look at nearby campaigns: something that appears boring, easily overlooked, completely unknown- a campaign envious of the excitement their opponent spurs with the artists and musicians.

Insight: 1D20+3+2 => (5 + 3 + 2) = 10

He becomes distracted by a kitten sitting behind a window.

 

[Song of Fire]

((Everyone's little adventures seem to be going along great, even if Thosar shall forever be haunted by his research (Apply "Haunted One" background). Even so, I've got a few very important things to throw into a list of bullet points:

• Maybe I missed it, but has Barrow indicated if anyone might know why the tunnels are guarded yet?
• Galen still needs to check on Keranos (and possibly talk with Thosar, but that would likely end in "Do a bit of research and explore the place in case something shows up"). ThLunarian, would you care to set the scene?
• Did Sagishi find anything that interests him?

Yeah, short of devolving into random musings, that's about it. It would be cool to see what Nyx digs up, but I can understand why she's not too active here.))

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

While Ludwig's statue gambit is a success, what he sees tells him that large bets won't wildly swing the odds. Rather, instead of affecting the outcome of immediate legislation through putting enough money down, he would need to buy up enough votes to place favorable legislators in the assorted chambers if he wants to affect outcomes through the casino. But where could he possibly get that much money?

The murder snake Ludwig is withdrawing from the parlor when he thinks that there may be a way to still produce more immediate outcomes. If he can get a hold of enough members of an additional chamber in House of Targus and the House of Pandam, he could potentially get them to vote in favor of the legislation by turning it into a money doubling opportunity for them. Who better to turn to for investments than the people who can fix the outcome?

The task ahead of him entails walking into unholy ground, even if it is for a market-friendly purpose. Ludwig attempts to steel himself, and before heading off, finds a secluded alley where he can pray. He removes the wooden statuette of an angry serpent from his bag, sets it somewhere where it will sit just above his kneeling head, and utters a prayer in Draconic. "Oh holy spirit of the free market, titans of industry, and scions of liberty, hear my plea. On your behalf, I must tread upon the profane ground of a government, and do business with the state. I do so not to grow the great beast of government, but to shrink it so that it may one day be small enough to drown in a tub. I ask for the courage to enter this den of tyranny, the mental fortitude to bargain with these demons, and forgiveness for resorting to said bargaining. With independence and freedom for all to set their own path in life free of the hands of a nanny state do I pray, and in asking for protective sponsorship from the tycoons at Magic Dew Cider™-So sweet, you'd swear it's magic- do I say amen."

Ludwig rises from his prayer and puts away his statuette, unconcerned with how suspicious that whole prayer would look to a passerby not versed in draconic. Ready to try making another move, he begins to depart for the Gottermang.

((I had hit a dead end on where to take Ludwig next, and couldn't come up with any other feasible way to get Ludwig to raise a bunch of money for vote swaying. If there's time before the party moves on, he'll go to the Gottermang and see what he can do in persuading a voting sufficient bloc in one of the other two remaining chambers in Houses Targus and Pandam.))

 

[Mike M]

((In the interest of ensuring that things keep moving along since everyone has kind of petered out their initial inquiries, I'll throw you a bone and remind you that you guys have a magic quest objective compass.))

Maybe I missed it, but has Barrow indicated if anyone might know why the tunnels are guarded yet?

((Derp, I forgot. Barrow would just go on about how it's only common sense that a city would guard every known point of egress or ingress. They don't know where the tunnel ends, but that doesn't mean nothing could come down it the other way. Also, it would probably not be a good idea to have an easily accessible, rarely frequented area of unknown size to conduct illicit activities.))

 

[ThLunarian]

Keranos awakens with a start, but his mind is cloudy and near feverish.

"What time is it?" he says to an empty room. There is a shuttered window near the wall; he works through the stiffness of his muscles and pushes himself off of the bed.

The shutters open, and suddenly Keranos remembers where he is. The impending sense of dread returns: outside he sees the cavernous prison that encloses this oneiroi-forsaken town.

This time it's made even worse: because he's been asleep, and this place is in a perpetual state of darkness, he has no way of knowing how much time has passed. His breathing quickens and a thick bead of sweat trails a salty line down his cheek.

He slams the shudders shut and closes his eyes.

You are the God of Storms, he says to himself. So there is a mountain between you and the skies above - that is nothing to a deity like you. As a matter of fact...

His eyes snap open and he unshutters the window once more. Scanning the 'roof' of the cavern, he decides to perform an experiment.

He tries to summon a lightning bolt from above to strike the ground. If he fails the first time, he will try again five more times.

((My best idea for this is to use a Charisma-based Religion check (since Charisma is my spell-casting stat), hoping to summon a lightning bolt despite there not being any clouds down here - or even better, to get lightning to pierce through the mountain and strike an empty part of the street.

If a different check would be better, just substitute the bonus as appropriate
[14] + 5 = 19))

Galen walks into the room while Keranos is in the middle of this experiment.

 

[Mike M]

((For dramatic purposes, we'll say that Keranos was successful in causing a lighting strike, though it most certainly did not come from above the mountain and cleave it's way through. Something something, eldritch bolt, something something.))

After a few false starts, Keranos finally manages to grapple with his internment beneath fathomless tons of stone enough that he is able to summon a bolt of divine lighting from seemingly nowhere. It strikes an unoccupied stretch of street outside the window of his room, much to the shock of those nearby, and the peal of thunder seems to echo on forever.

Curiously, business seems to resume as though nothing happened after a brief moment of confusion. Lighting does not strike below a mountain, so clearly whatever that was could not possibly have been lighting. Or so the people tell themselves.

((Keranos:

Spoiler

If the mysterious cloaked figure in your visions has noticed you flexing your powers this time around, he's choosing not to make his awareness known.

))

 

[KittenMaster]

<Who has the crystal, btw? I believe Fhiess gave it to Sagishi?>

 

[Nezumi]

((Yeah, Sagishi still has it. I'm still a bit lost on what to do next besides sitting at the bar while the others go after their ventures, so the crystal doing something strange while Sagishi plays around with it absentmindedly would be rather welcome actually. Should I throw perception to see if Sagishi notices any change?))

 

[Mike M]

((If Sagishi takes out the crystal, it'd be pretty much impossible to not notice it pointing somewhere like it did in Bellows when it was pointing toward Crullus.))

 

[Song of Fire]

Galen knocks on the door to Keranos' temporary lodging. Knock, knock. Knock. Given no answer, he knocks again, but, regardless, he slowly opens the door and steps inside, closing it carefully behind him.

Upon his entry, there is a bright flash of light outside accompanied by a deafening roll of thunder. This would not be concerning, but he and his companions are within the depths of the mountain, and any indication of a thunder storm they may possibly experience would be greatly subdued by the earth around them. Unsure what it may be, this being the case, Galen almost instinctively steps to the side, hands reaching toward his bow and an arrow.


((Congrats, Keranos, Galen suffered a surprise round at the hands of lightning.

Given the passage of time and the possibility Galen may not have gotten to talk with Thosar before his departure, I figure Galen likely spent some time in the common room... dining area... lounge -however the Lovely Buttoncap is laid out- considering options and listening to the tales told around the room.

Perception for storytime:

Spoiler

[12]+5=17

Spoiler

All my good rolls are for unimportant details, as usual.

))

 

[Noisy Ninj4]

Fortunate to have found some measure of success, Thosar returns to the inn to nurse the swelling red lump on his forehead. He rereads his notes on the northern tunnel out of Forgerun while he drinks. After several shots of hard liquor, the pain is dulled as is the memory of his discovery.

Finding none of his companions in the common area at the time, he stumbles down the hall toward his room. He hears the crash of some cart falling outside but pays it little mind. Seeing Keranos' door ajar he makes his way there and walks full tilt into Galen and falls backward immediately. Two strikes to the head on top of the liquor appear too much and Thosar's consciousness takes its leave.

His hand is still clutching the notes he wrote.

 

[ThLunarian]

Keranos hears his door open and sees Galen recoil away in surprise, followed immediately by Thosar crashing into him and knocking them both to the floor. He starts to laugh until he realizes that Thosar is out cold.

"Stand back," he says to Galen (who has presumably stood back up by now). He kneels to examine Thosar, and winces at the knots on his head.

"What have you been up to, friend?" he mutters at the wizard. He channels healing magicks through his hands and into his conked-out companion.

"Won't do much for the liquor, but at least his head won't hurt quite as badly when he comes to," he says, then looks at Galen. "How long was I asleep? Is it the day or the night? Where is everyone? And will you help me lift him into a bed?"

 

[Song of Fire]

((

"How long was I asleep? Is it the day or the night? Where is everyone? And will you help me lift him into a bed?"

I shall have to defer to Mike on the answers to most of these questions, but Galen will certainly help lift Thosar.))

 

[Mike M]

((You guys got there in the morning, so by the clock it's late afternoon.))

 

[Song of Fire]

Galen nods and moves to aid Keranos in transferring the fallen scholar to, presumably, the nearest bed.

"It's been several hours since we arrived," he states as they move the elf. "Near evening, and everyone's been scattered about for this time. Ludwig's probably found some way to make a fortune destroying the political system by now." He gives a small smirk at the thought.

"Are you saying you've been asleep this whole time?"


((As they finally get Thosar to the bed, Galen adds, "It's a good thing elves are so light. You ever hear of Legolas? He actually managed to walk on top of a waist-high accumulation of snow in the movies. I'm not sure how we would have been able to move Thosar if that weren't an accurate representation of reality.

In other words, Perception for Thosar's notes?

Spoiler

[17]+5=22

, which probably guarantees Galen doesn't miss them. I should stop making extraneous rolls just to see what happens before he stabs himself with an arrow.

Galen still might just leave them alone, though. No sense picking through Thosar's pockets too.

Also, does Galen get anything fun from partaking in storytime?))

 

[Noisy Ninj4]

As the pair hoist the scholar onto a bed, he struggles slightly as if trying to escape a confined space. "No ducks! Not if it's a duck..." Can be heard before he returns to somnolescence on the blankets.

He places an unaware hand on Galen's chest, the notes somewhat crumpled but otherwise legible.

 

[ThLunarian]

"Evening?!" Keranos looks out the window into the darkness. "I hate this place."

He eyes Thosar's note with interest as Galen reads it, and as soon as the hunter is done, Keranos snatches it from him.

"A way out," he says, standing up straighter and appearing more alert. "We should gather the others and depart at once through this northbound tunnel," he says. While it displeases him that they'll have to remain underground for some interminable length of time, he knows that the sooner they set out, the sooner they'll emerge from these hellish depths.

As he sets about fastening his boots and adjusting his armor, his gaze shifts between Thosar and Galen. "Though since you only just returned here, I'll understand if you'd rather rest, or keep an eye on Thosar. I'm going either way, though."

With or without Galen, Keranos embarks on a journey to find the rest of the party.

The first one he encounters is Sagishi, who seems to be fiddling with the strange stone that the old man gave them. "Sagishi," he announces, "Thanks to Thosar's efforts, we think we know where to go next."

 

[KittenMaster]

<Are fhiess and ludwig still out on their own during this time? I'm personally willing to let Fhiess go back to the group since he failed to expand business opportunities and probably purchased a kitten or two.>

 

[Mike M]

Also, does Galen get anything fun from partaking in storytime?))

((Nothing but the usual scuttlebutt. We can pretend a character from a previous campaign had a cameo, though! Let's go with... um... If you deposit a copper piece into a slot, you can engage in an armwrestling contest with a menacing construct who calls you a pathetic fleshling.

Fuck, now I kind of wish I had done that.))

<Are fhiess and ludwig still out on their own during this time? I'm personally willing to let Fhiess go back to the group since he failed to expand business opportunities and probably purchased a kitten or two.>

((Yeah, I think Ludwig and Fhiess are at dead ends at the moment, it seems as good a time as any to regroup.))

 

[Song of Fire]

((

"Evening?!" Keranos looks out the window into the darkness. "I hate this place."

And there we go: a contender for the "Best Lines of Forgerun: Onward to the White Wastes" award.

Let's go with... um... If you deposit a copper piece into a slot, you can engage in an armwrestling contest with a menacing construct who calls you a pathetic fleshling.

I can safely say that is definitely worth finding. Is it at the inn, or were people talking about it?))


Galen stands next to the bed, for a moment unmoving. "It may be best for somebody to remain with Thosar," he answers. "Until he regains consciousness, at least."

And thus Galen watches as Keranos departs.

 

[KittenMaster]

At some unspecified time, Fhiess returns to the inn. He pries the kitten from his shoulder and places it on the window's sill before entering inside; it must have come from the campaign promising new pet and stray animal laws. After entering, he checks in with the clerk, "I'm with the, ah, Bald-I mean Bartholomeow-..mew Plantcorner group. They have the keys still? Thank you."

He heads back to regroup with the others.

 

[Mike M]

Is it at the inn, or were people talking about it?)).

((It's a coin-op contraption in the common room of the inn. It's not anything more than an arm, head, and half a torso resting its elbow on the table.))

((Nez, is Sagishi up to anything? Pulling out the crystal?))

 

[Nezumi]

((Was busy/sick last week, but yes, Sagishi post coming tomorrow.))

 

[Mike M]

((Was busy/sick last week, but yes, Sagishi post coming tomorrow.))

 

[Song of Fire]

((

I checked in to see what crazy shenanigans everyone has been up to in the, what, twelve-ish hours since I last looked, and you know, I can't lie: this was completely unexpected and entirely hilarious.))

 

[Noisy Ninj4]

Some time during the evening, Thosar awakes from his drunken, concussed stupor. Looking around to Galen, he realizes his notes have been found. "Ugh, was I out long? Looks like you found what I was working on." As he gets up, his feet find purchase and seem steady enough.

 

[Nezumi]

Sagishi sits in the inn's common room and is bored. He has been nursing the same tankard of beer for over an hour while contemplating how to possibly spent his time usefully.

He had wandered around the city a bit in the afternoon, but while he certainly didn't feel as claustrophobic as Keranos, he still came to the conclusion that from all the places he had visited in his life, he liked this city the least, even if he can't quite put a finger on the why.

While the fact how the election were handled here had been certainly amusing, he had no interest in actually partaking in the game. For him gambling is something that is best enjoyed in a small circle of friends over some cards or dice, ideally with lots of beer.

So he just sits there at the table, pondering. Not something he does often, mostly because it was something his dad had used to do a lot and Sagishi had never liked it, mostly because he had never told him the reasons why he would suddenly lock himself into his workshop not talking to Sagishi or his wife for hours.

But as he sat there, contemplating what possible business a local crime lord might have with an ambassador from Baglahm or what it was that Barrow was hiding, he actually found himself understanding his old man a bit better. Maybe, one day, when all of this was over and the world still existed, he might get a chance to tell him that.

He hadn't even realized that he had pulled out the crystal and started playing around with it until Keranos and the rest came storming into the common room. At the declaration that they had found a way to continue their journey his face brightens and he is about to open his mouth when something tingles at the back of his mind.

He frowns and looks down at the crystal, lifting it up and moving it around a few times. When he is sure that he is not mistaken he looks at Keranos with a sad smile on his lips.

"Sorry buddy, but..." he points at the crystal in his hand and then to the door of the inn. "It looks like the crystal still has some unfinished business in this city still."

He will hand the crystal to anyone that wants to inspect the new signal for themselves.

 

[KittenMaster]

If Fhiess is present, he'll offer take the crystal to look at the direction the light goes, "I've explored a bit of the city, so perhaps I would have a faint idea of where it would lead." He then smiles, "Or where the crystal doesn't lead."

 

[Song of Fire]

Galen answers Thosar's question of how long he had been out, and, should the elf accept, helps him to his feet.

"It seems you have made our little godling's day," he says. "Keranos has run off to gather everybody and share your find. But not before tending to your injuries, of course." A beat.

"He seemed very curious what you have been up too."

 

[ThLunarian]

((Not sure where this bar is so I'll assume it's very close to the inn))

Keranos stares at Sagishi for a few seconds, trying to decide whether this is bad or neutral news (anything that involved staying underground could never be considered good).

Finally, when Fhiess takes the crystal, he speaks up. "I'll summon the others."

He closes his eyes and separates his consciousness from his body. He meanders out of the bar and to the nearby inn, then enters their room from the window.

He speaks directly into Galen and Thosar's minds: Good, Thosar is awake. Meet us at the bar. Our crystal seems to have identified a new target.

Once this is done, he returns to his body. "They're on their way," he says.

 

[Nezumi]

((I just imagined the common room in the inn to have a bar. So Sagishi is in the same building.))

 

[Noisy Ninj4]

Rubbing the back of his head as Galen helps him up, he replies. "I was looking for details on the North and how to get there. I ended up in the archives, from there it gets somewhat fuzzy..." He shakes his head.

"No matter, looks like we're on to the trail again. I'll have to thank Keranos for the care." He makes his way to the others.

 

[Mike M]

As the Endowed gather around Sagishi, the light of the crystal points with unfailing precision across the central chasm of Hammerfall toward the complex that Fhiess explored earlier that day, no matter how it is oriented.

 

[KittenMaster]

"Ah, where I was earlier today," he points out, "It's a central governing building, but anybody of importance there would be guarded by form letters and requests and clerks slow to hear pleas for a visit.. but as a group, our voice is louder and more profound, so we simply need to stand out and show that we aren't ordinary visitors.."

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

Ludwig is close to the outer perimeter of the Gottermang when Keranos reaches out to tell him the party's reassembling. Disappointed that he couldn't launch his vote-rigging/investment scheme, Ludwig looks to the large building while walking back with Keranos and mouths "Soon."
-------------------------------------

With the party meeting back up at a bar, Ludwig maneuvers his neck to where everyone else is gathered in the most convenient way he can manage. Once everyone has gathered and Fheiss chimes in about the location, Ludwig adds "Yeah, now that you mention it, that's definitely pointing to the Gottermang. Right before we all met back up, I was about to go in there and start talking to chamber members in the Targus and Pandam houses about how they could make loads of money by all collaborating with a third party to vote a certain way on freedom oriented legislation, giving that third party money to bet, and then proceeding to use their votes to rig the outcome! If we need to go back down there anyway, that can be how we get in!"

Ludwig excitedly looks to the others, expecting them to be equally thrilled about the potential electioneering. In the highly likely event they aren't, he says "Or, you know, if that doesn't get us to the guy, we can go with the whole fate of the world angle I guess."

 

[Noisy Ninj4]

Rubbing his forehead in thought, Thosar actually agrees to Ludwig's plan. "I think you should try to do just that, my friend. Go in first, you can make a stir among the crowd there with your scheme. In the mean time, we can find who we're looking for with some subtlety."

 

[ThLunarian]

Keranos listens to Ludwig's intentions in growing horror.

"You mean to do WHAT?!" he exclaims, his eyes taking on a neon-purple glow. "It was my understanding, Ludwig, that you distrusted government because of their tendency toward corruption! And now I hear you going on about colluding to rig elections for the sole purpose of increasing your own personal FORTUNE?!"

In the distance - far, FAR in the distance, probably - a muffled clap of thunder echoes.

Keranos walks directly up to Ludwig's head, looking him square in the eyes.

"My initial impression of you, Sir, is that you had the peoples' best interests at heart, and so I was enticed by your incessant treatises on the folly of a government that was too powerful for its own good.

"Yet now, your true face is revealed: You do not rail against governments in the name of the people. You rail against the governments in the name of yourSELF!"

Another (very) distant thunderclap - distant enough that its effectiveness is severely mitigated.

He whirls around to address Thosar. "I will NOT be complicit in taking advantage of these citizens in the name of this philistine's self-important mad grabs at wealth! If we seek to make distraction in order to find our target, then so be it - but by Keranos's will, it will NOT be like this!"

Keranos again whirls around and makes a dramatic exit. He uses the directions that Fhiess gave and marches ahead toward the Gottermang.

 

[Nezumi]

Before the strong headed god can leave the inn Sagishi grabs his arm. "Keranos, wait." He continues. "I agree with you that needless interference with these already chaotic politics probably isn't the best idea, but so is simply storming in there with your God of Thunder routine. We need to thoroughly think this through. Mostly because I fear that whoever the crystal might have picked in this hornet's nest might be inclined to actually cling onto his newly bestowed cosmic powers instead of giving them up for a greater good.
"The government here has already proven how much they care about what has happened in Telmur by closing the gates. I fear whoever we are dealing with might see it as a chance to gain the upper hand over his opponents. Which brings us to the question, what can we actually do if one of the choose refuses to give up his power?"

 

[ThLunarian]

Keranos sneers. "Storms," he says. "I'm the God of Storms. Not just thunder." He folds his arms. "And if anyone has a proper plan that is NOT morally bankrupt, then I am willing to listen. But I tire of spinning our wheels in this accursed place. My God of STORMS routine should be more than sufficient to provide ample distraction for the lot of you to find our man, so if anyone has a better alternative then they'd better speak up soon."

 

[Nezumi]

Sagishi smiles warmly while carefully guiding the boy to a seat. "Storms, got it. Still, as much as I want to leave this place I feel like we are better of going about this more subtle."

He thinks about it a little more. "I wonder if maybe our dragonborn ambassador might be able to help us once more. Can't say I like the guy much less trust him, but his influence could be useful."

 

[ThLunarian]

((Keranos is too amped up to think of this himself, but if someone else wants to suggest it, Barrow might be a good resource for this.

Also, Keranos refuses to actually sit down. He's currently standing there with his arms crossed in front of him))

 

[KittenMaster]

Fhiess shakes his head at what Ludwig suggests, "Is a rigged market truly a free one? I mean.. wouldn't a truly free market breed competition for the benefit of all? Besides, I'm sure that if the politicians wanted to collude with a third party to secure votes, they would be doing so without anyone's knowledge.." Fhiess thinks of what Sagishi said about those wearing a red ring and knowing that they are present in this city, creating a personal theory that a criminal organization could possibly involve themselves that way, but he fails to find a way to bring it up vocally.