Shiro: The Power of Fear [Chronicles of a Thousands Fists]

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Creepy smile
18th of Resplenden Fire,


By a sweaty hot summer evening you walk the streets of Manuya, a small relay town built on the main road leaving Greyfalls, a week walking. You are supposed to meet one of your informers, a man called Green Tooth, a merchant with deep guild connections, who shares your hatred of slavers and has provided you solid intelligence so far.


He contacted you a few weeks ago with a letter carried by one of his messengers, saying a big player was coming to town for businesses, and that you should definitely meet him.


He has set the time and place of the rendez vous in a common teahouse, the Red Carpet, where all most of the travelers come to enjoy a good tea, a meal and probably a musical folklore show if the owner is drunk enough.


Entering the Red Carpet, a nice wooden tea house with red curtains and carpets filled with people chatting and eating rather noisily, you can see Green Tooth on the second floor within one of the private alcoves, he slightly nods, indicating that the place is safe for you both to speak.
 
Shiro walks into the teahouse as the Vengeful Shadow. After receiving Green Tooth's nod, he gives the other people in the teahouse a quick scan to see if anyone seems to be giving either of them undue attention. Smiling as though meeting an old friend, he walks nonchalantly up the stairs to Green Tooth's booth, taking a seat across from the merchant.


Still smiling, as though they weren't meeting to discuss an assassination, he says, "Hello, Green Tooth. I see you are early, as usual." Leaning back in his seat, he cuts right to the chase. "So who was this client you mentioned in your last letter? I trust you weren't exaggerating."


===============


Before going to meet Green Tooth, he'll use FID (using 7m of peripheral, plus 1m to keep it from adding to his anima) to disguise as Vengeful Shadow, plus EOP on the way (using 3m of peripheral, plus 1m to keep it from adding to his anima). Can't be too careful now ;) In case it matters, that would put him at 11m of peripheral left, unless he could disguise far enough in advance that his hearthstone could recover some of the spent motes.


Manip + larceny for FID:


Shiro rolled the following in his 7 dice:


10, 10, 9, 7, 9, 8, 1


Using 7 as the target number, the roll resulted in 8 successes.


Wow ... that's a good way to start things off! :D


I've added a couple notes about his appearance and disguises and such to his sheet.
 
"Hello, Shadow, nice to see you too." he answers.


"As you know I usually have good information about the slave trade, but this... this is big, maybe even for you S. I know for sure that Black Raven, the headmaster of the Brown Hood company, is meeting a big buyer for the Realm in Marita and will probably be making a huge delivery for him... thought you might be interested in the intel." he says winking joyfully.


Black Raven was a rather grim infamous figure, an Outcaste with the utmost disregard for human life, leading a company of merciless mercenaries, participating in wars just to claim their prisonners as slaves for the trade, and reknown to have raided several small villages or kidnapped young children, though no investigation was ever lead to confirm this... how convenient it can be to live in the Scavenger Lands for opportunists ?!
 
Shiro raises his eyebrows at this news as thoughts jumble in his head. Black Raven? This is big. But he's a dragon-blooded, even if he is an outcaste ... That doesn't matter, he must pay for his crimes! I need to know more ...


Interest plain on his face, he says, "Really? Do you know when this meeting will take place, and how long Black Raven will be in Marita beforehand?" His thoughts continue to fly as they discuss the slaver, trying to think of anything or anyone he knew in Marita that could help him once he gets there. This would take preparation, and Shiro planned to meet the challenge. "You're right, Tooth, this is big ... very big."


===============


Haha, Marita, eh? How far is Marita from Manuya? And do I happen to have any contacts in the area?
 
Tooth smiles:


"No I don't have the details but I know it's going to be pretty soon, by the end of next season tops, and if the MO's followed, Raven will stay at least for a week and the Hoods will move the slaves as soon at the deal is concluded. If you can deal with him, I think you could do something about the buyer too... I mean going after slavers isn't going to stop people from needing slaves, but if the buyers are scared, then the whole market will crumble in the area right ?"


***


The Great Eastern Road leads directly to Marita. the distance between Manuya and Marita is 750 miles.


On foot it will take you approximately 3 months to get there, 2 months and a few days with a carriage, and a month and half with a horse.


Once in Marita, you can roll Contacts to see if you get minor ones on your own, or you can just be real nice to Green Tooth :wink:
 
Shiro grins at Tooth's suggestion. "Yes, making the buyers scared is good. If both the slavers and the buyers are scared, the trade should dry up nicely. Thank you once again for the intel, Tooth, it's as good as always."


Shiro sits silently in thought for a moment, then speaks again. "Marita, by the end of next season," he mumbles. "Do you know if Raven is in the area now, or will be soon? I would like to get the measure of the man and his band myself, and time is always an asset for such things. If he's in the area now, getting there fast would be an advantage."


"Unfortunately, I also find myself without transportation better than my own legs. You wouldn't happen to know of a caravan leaving for Marita soon, or have a spare horse lying around?" he says with a wink and a smile, making it clear he doesn't expect any guarantees, though any help would be seen as a further favor to be repaid.


===============


By the end of next season would mean about 3 or 4 months from now, right? Would river travel be an option? Man, I'm still getting used to the distances and time involved in Creation ... it's a lot bigger than I'm used to thinking. I think Shiro would like to get there before the trade happens, though I don't really expect Tooth will drop his plans to go to Marita with me ;)
 
"Well, I knew it would come to this" says Green Tooth smiling "and yeah I have a caravan of merchandise to be send to Marita. If you could ensure its safe travel, I'd consider it as a payment for the ride and meals, plus a little extra jade on your end.


It should take no more than 2 months to get to Marita, so you'd get one whole month to know the place and players, I have a few business partners there, they could help you settle a bit and maybe give you some info, but you'd have to deal with them for the price... I'm no prince merchant." he adds laughing.


"As for Black Raven, he should be around the place at least a month before the deal is concluded, to look for other buyers to raise the prices... demand and offer y'know..."
 
"Excellent! I knew I could count on you, Tooth. What would I do without you?" Shiro says with a chuckle.


"So, when does your caravan leave? Also, I must ask, have you already told the caravan I would be accompanying as a guard? If you haven't, I would prefer you didn't give them my description, for obvious reasons. But I trust you've already thought of all these details, so I'll not harry you," Shiro says with another smile.


===============


Will Tooth would be there to see his caravan off? I'm thinking I'd like to put together another disguise for my stint as a caravan guard, just to really throw everyone off, but if Tooth is going to be there it would be difficult to do without letting him see just how good at disguise Shiro is.


Also, do I owe Tooth any money or anything for the information? Or are we on a 'favor for favor' system?
 
Green Tooth sighs:


"One thing you have figured out about me is that I always think one or two moves ahead." he says smiling and looking for something in the leather bag pending at the side of his wooden chair.


He gets out a small scroll sealed with a green ribbon and hands it to you.


"Give this to Shun Jiao, he's the caravan master, tell him you'll be watching over the caravan, and he'll know I sent you."


***


favor for favor, he gives you something of value to you, he'll ask one day for an equivalent favor. The transportation / pay is however dealt with because of the protection you'll be providing to the caravan.
 
Shiro takes the scroll, tucking it away safely. "My thanks, Tooth. I always look forward to our meetings, and this has been no let down. So, when does the caravan leave, and from where?"
 
"It will arrive in two or three days, the caravan master shall have a lunch here, I told him someone would expect him, so he will ask the owner, and I just needed your confirmation to give my final comment to the owner.


I hope you will have a safe trip and a successful hunt S... now if you'll excuse me, I must return to Greyfalls to conclude a pretty big deal by the end of the week."


He politely stands, and takes his leave, shaking your hand vigorously.


"Always a pleasure to share a cup of tea with you." he adds.
 
"Always a pleasure," Shiro says as he shakes his hand. "Good fortune to you, Tooth."


Once the merchant is gone, Shiro takes his time with the rest of his tea, then leaves the Red Carpet to get a feel for the town.


================


So do we fast-forward to when the caravan arrives now? If you need to know what he does in the meantime, he'll get a feel for the town, and see if he can find a secluded place to train to pass the time.
 
Two days later, a rather large convoy makes a stop at Manuya.


While sitting at your table, enjoying a roasted pork with white rice and a sour sauce, a man enter the restaurant, comes towards you and sits at your table.


He's at least forty, rather well built and wears brown leather pants and and open white shirt. He's got blue eyes and short grey hair and his face and body show that he is used to travel. He's got that slightly brown leather skin formed from over exposure to several types of difficult climates.


"Good day fella, my name is Gam, I'm Green Tooth's employee, he told me he had contracted someone to watch over the merchandise during the trip to Marita, and the owner told me you'd be that someone..." he says lighting his pipe and smoking it very very slowly.


His voice is kinda rocky, but he is rather polite.
 
===============


Hmm ... seems I might've made a little fumble here. I wanted to have a different face as the caravan guard, but the only way I can see to pull that off would be to go to the owner of the Red Carpet as Shadow, tell him that I'm going to get the guy who the caravan master is to meet, then leave and come back as the other dude. Or do that right now with Gam. Probably would be best to do that before the caravan actually arrives, though. (Does that make sense?) So ... do I have to do some fancy footwork with Gam now, or do you mind retconning like that?
 
***


We're just going to assume that you (after you changed your appearance) told the owner that you were the guy sent by Tooth, it solves everything now doesn't it ? :)
 
Shiro swallows the food he's chewing at the moment, then cleans his mouth before standing and introducing himself. "Good day, Gam. I'm Taren, pleased to meet you. You're right, I'm the one Green Tooth hired." Shiro takes the scroll from Tooth out of an inner pocket of his shirt and shows it to Gam. "He gave me this, told me to give it to Shun Jiao."


He puts the scroll back into the pocket, then gestures to the seat across from the one he was just sitting in. "Anyway, would you care to join me? I won't be long, though if you have other business to take care of, I understand." Shiro waits for the man's response before he goes back to his food, letting his 'guest' sit first if he decides to stay.


==========


Sounds good to me :) Let me know if you need me to make any rolls.


I think I'm going to use different colours for talking depending on "who" I am at the moment, if you don't mind. Just a little visual reminder - I'm a visual person. Also, do you want a description of Taren the caravan guard?
 
***


Ah yep, a larceny roll could be good for a good disguise, along with a description (in your sheet if you intend to use that indentity again).


The longer the description, the better the stunt bonus :wink:
 
"Taren, the caravan guard": A man standing near six feet with tan skin, he wears a long, red-brown scarf which wraps around his head and neck, leaving his face exposed. (Using FID, he's shaved bald underneath, but since he'll be sleeping in the disguise he needs some way to cover his hair when the charm expires.) The face is rather stark, with strong cheekbones, square jaw, and pronounced eyebrow ridges, though it might be attractive in some sense if it weren't for the long, jagged scar reaching from his forehead, through his left eyebrow, and down his cheek all the way to his jaw (though it seems the injury missed his eye, fortunately). He wears loose pants (if you're wondering, his chain is complicatedly concealed under the pants, padded so it doesn't make any noise) and sandals, and a small red vest which leaves his chest bare. A simple belt holds several sheathed knives within easy reach. He is clearly strong, indicated by his well-toned muscles, and myriad smaller scars seem to attest to a first-hand experience in battle.


==========


Edit: this dude from Hidalgo is sort of inspiration, at least as far as dress. Taren is a good deal lighter-skinned, though ;)


I'll copy the description to my sheet if I plan to use it again; for now I'll just leave it here.


Since I'm using FID, I'll do 3-die roll for Manip as well. Then you can add it if you want ;)


Larceny:


Shiro rolled the following in his 4 dice:


7, 9, 9, 6


Using 7 as the target number, the roll resulted in 3 successes.


Manip, if you want it for FID:


Shiro rolled the following in his 3 dice:


6, 7, 1


Using 7 as the target number, the roll resulted in 1 successes.


So, if you want Manip included as well, that's 4 successes, plus any from stuntage.


Oh, and another question I've been meaning to ask. I assume an orichalcum dire chain is fairly distinctive, but would using it immediately mark me as a Solar? I'm pretty sure it'd immediately mark me as an exalt of some kind, since it's too big for a normal person, but I'm just wondering if it would be wise to use it in battles when he's not "hunting".
 
***


Uuuh.


okay sorry for the delay first.


Second: here are the rules for creating and wearing a disguise:

Appearing as another character or masking one’s identity
requires a successful (Intelligence + Larceny) roll. This is generally


a dramatic action, requiring several minutes of applying costuming


and perhaps prosthetics and makeup. The difficulty of the task


ranges from 1 to look like someone else of the same gender, racial


background, and body type (but not a specific person). Add one for


each of those criteria the character tries to surpass, so looking like


a specific person (+1), who is notably taller (+1), and is a different


gender (+1) has a difficulty of 4.
Click to expand...
Now if you use FID you just need to roll ([Wits or Manipulation] + Larceny) :)


And that be a 3die stunt :)
 
==========


First, no worries about the delay - I understand you're busy. I'm pretty busy in RL at the moment myself, so no worries :)


Stunt dice:


Shiro rolled the following in his 3 dice:


4, 4, 6


Using 7 as the target number, the roll resulted in 0 successes. :(


So then, Manip+Larceny+stunt = 4 successes, correct?


Would you like me to roll dice for Intelligence, since I'll probably still be in this disguise when FID wears off? And then just swap out the suxx from Manip for the suxx for Intelligence? Or am I overthinking things? :P
 
***


If you use a charm, only this roll counts, and 4suxx is pretty good actually :wink:


***


"So Taren, tell me, have you done this many times ? I mean protecting caravans is a pretty big responsability, lots of people and goods to watch over and look after..."
 
Shiro stays standing with the man while they talk, though he glances back to what remains of his food occasionally. "Well, I can't say that I've guarded a caravan before, but I do have experience with the guarding of buildings and important persons on the move. I think that gives me a fair idea of how to go about guarding a caravan, and what to expect."


===========


Just want to note that Shiro isn't actually lying here - he does have experience with guarding buildings and important persons. He's just been the guy trying to get past the guards, instead of the other way around ;)
 
Gam smiles again, he seems like a joyful fellow:


"Nah don't worry, you're going to do fine. You being hired means you got what it takes to pull this off. I was just teasing you.


We're loading the last items, and we're leaving in the afternoon. Come with me I'll introduce you to the rest of the staff."


***


Sorry for the delay, work's being crazy.


Tomorrow we'll start to be more active ^^
 
Shiro quickly takes another couple of bites from his meal, then decides to leave the rest and follows Gam.


==========


No worries on the delay - I was actually moving this past week, and only today got internet in my new place, so you'd have been waiting on me if you updated any earlier ;)
 
Gam leads you to the merchant caravan.


50 people, merchants, errand boys, servants and drivers, 8 large carriages containing spices, silks and various raw materials, a few ox and horses are awaiting you as well as a particularily small but fat man dressed in typical southern clothes of white silk and golden jewelry, wearing a thin sophisticated moustache and yelling orders at everyone.


Gam points at the small nervous man; "Meet Shun Jiao... he's always getting mad like this before a large trip. Don't take it personally, once on the road he's a good fella. I have to take care of my carriage, I'll see you later."
 
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