I attempt to convey a serious tone to Reina.
"I apologize for taking so long. I ran into someone from the castle. He happened to be heading in the same direction as I was, to [Insert Shop Name and Location here]. But they didn't have anything that I liked, and I couldn't find a tailor."
I buy myself something to drink. "Still, I think he stayed back there or headed back to the castle."
8 and 7, 15 for the intuition check.
11 and 18 for him.
§
You see the fellow walk into the bar; he doesn't see you. He walks up to the bar and orders a drink.
What do you roll for the basic checks like that? Also, how do you determine difficulty of the check/success?
***
So this is Phil that I see in the bar? I address Reina, and point him out to her. "He's been following me since we left the castle. I thought I lost him on the other side of the city. Any thoughts on how we could meet from here on, or is this bar still safe?"
2d20 for simple attribute checks, 1d30+10 for difficult checks.
I use my discretion for whether the check is simple or difficult.
Success is determined by adding the two numbers together; if the number is equal or greater, failure; less, success.
§
Reina glances at him, and says to you, "Well, we can't very well throw him out. Was there anything sensitive you needed to tell me?"
I keep my eye on him occasionally as well, trying to keep track of his location. "Nothing too much so. Just that there's a new knight in town. He hates Saxons and has a French accent. Maybe you've heard of Sir Gee? I met him the other day, actually. He barred my way to get into the castle before I told him about my position and he met with the book keeping official personally."
"But he's in charge of chasing shadows in the woods now. I think he's also responsible for my new constant companion." I gesture to Phil at the bar. "Do you think I should invite our new friend over to join us? We just have to keep ourselves composed."
She looks a little bit concerned at the mention of Sir Gee. She nods to you quietly.
"Yea," she responds to your offer to invite Phil over. "But, praytell, whilst ye introduce me as thine woman?" She smiles coyly.
I decide to accept the banter, it being a nice break from the current situation involving Phil, Gee's spy. "I will introduce you as you would have my, my lady."
I call to Phil accross the room. "Funny seeing you again. Fate must see fit to throw us together. Why don't you join the fair lady and I for a few drinks?"
Difficult persuasion check: 14 + 10 = 24, I doubt your persuasion is 2@5.
§
Phil looks a bit startled to see you, and responds, "Oh, ah, I, actually, I'm just having a drink, but then I've really got to get back to the castle, thank you all the same."
Can we determine my persuasion really quick? I doubt it's 2@5 as well (I'm not a professional public speaker).
I would say that I have taken a public speaking class, but I think that was after I joined the game, so I'd be average at persuasion, I think.
***
"All the same, we should make plans to come out here some other night this week. I still haven't made too many friends in the castle."
Your Persuasion is on the character paper you gave me, I think. It is, it's 1@7.
Your Density is 1@1, by the way, that's human normal.
§
He smiles and answers, "Certainly. One can never have too many friends."
"I look forward to it."
I give Phil a smile and a wave when he decides to leave.
If I see him exit the bar, I turn to Reina, "It seems like they want to pin me for being a Saxon-supporter. They can't do that by just following me around town when I decide to associate with a woman such as yourself, as you are not Saxon. So we should have no worries, correct?"
***
I believe you mentioned that Reina is Irish, right?
Reina is Irish, yes.
§
"Nothing to worry about when ye speaketh with me, nay. Though it is a predominantly Saxon bar, with Saxon owners. Wherefore do they wish to maketh ye seem so?"
"Sir Gee, the knight who has returned to the castle, has it out for me because I work there and am not Norman. He threatened me today with a fate worse than death should he find any treason in my actions. I think that's why he's having me followed. Perhaps he will be the next person I should try to befriend?"
I drink my beer and keep up conversation with Reina. I ask her if there's any news from outside of Nottingham, or any other news from within.
"You and others should know that I am not getting comfortable with my position as accountant."
"I am sure if thou befriendeth the knight, thou wilst gain some sort of leverage over him; that would be good, nay?
"Wherefore, Kurt? Doth thou findeth my company distasteful?" She's smiling coyly, but you think she does want to know if anything else is bothering you about your current position in the castle.
I smile comfortingly to Reina. "Not at all, Reina. I simply state that while I am working at this location, my loyalties to other pursuits are still more important than the comfort of employment and a roof over my head. I will attempt to gain access into Sir Gee's circle, and I will start to map out the castle, so that no one who wishes to will lose his or her way within." Then, I decide to speak more openly to Reina about the Norman in general.
"I find it hard to believe some of the Normans that I know. While most seem to consider me an average person, they still aren't entirely open to me. They seem to identify me as an 'other' of sorts, rather than another man under the employ at the castle."
Then, I lean in close to boast. "Though I make more than twice as much as my Norman co-worker." I throw Reina a wink.
"And well thou shouldst; thine intellect maketh thy company look like the uneducated lass she is," she titters softly.
She glances about, then, deciding the coast is clear, she tells you, "Quite an arrogant lot, aren't they? Normans."
I wink to Reina. "Trust me, you have some great potential compared to those I've met in the past. And that's the very problem that the Normans seem to have." At her second question, I speak openly. "They don't validate the opinions and feelings of those around them. Consider this: one in a thousand people in the Empire is a genius. Now, Normans are only a portion of that population. Consider what potential that the nation could have if it considered the intellectual contributions that the Saxon population could make if given the proper education and opportunity."
I stop myself here, in order to allow Reina (and myself) to catch up after my burst of thought on the issue.
"Give an education to everyone?" She looks as if you've lost her. "How could such a thing even be imaginable? The amount the teachers would have to be paid alone; there simply wouldn't even be enough teachers; where did you get such an unheard of idea?"
"I'm talking about giving the opportunity to the Saxons in general. The Normans are trying to horde the upper-class, and it's ridiculous."
I look her in the eye. "Are you under the impression that not everyone can learn? Let me ask-do you know mathematics? Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division?"
"Everyone can learn, aye, but not everyone can afford instruction. Do I know who?"
"That's exactly it. Saxons should be able to afford instruction as easily as Normans can. Society's class structures should be based around the hard-working and ingenuitive rather than simply where one was born.
First, do you know your numbers? If you'd like, I could teach you basic mathematics. It is what one uses for accounting at the castle."
"An intelligent notion, but who would teach the poor, and at what cost? The poor can't even always afford to put food on their tables. They certainly can't afford the education of the nobles.
"Oh, numbers? Well, I can handle money well enough; not so well as you, I'd imagine. I'd love to learn."
I try to teach her simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
I'll use my own educators as examples, if they're needed, taking into consideration actual instances that she would find herself in.
ex: "If you make 3 silver a day for 10 days, how much silver would you have?"
"If you were gambling and the pile was at 15 silver, and 3 of you split the pot, how many silver would each of you get, assuming it is to be split equally?"
I take my time teaching it to her tonight.
"It depends how much I had to spend on other things.
"Each of us would get one until the pile was empty, then we'd see if anyone had more than the rest of us and try to figure out a way to divvy it fairly. We'd probably play another hand, winner take all."
For the most part, though, she's a bright student.
I'm going to try and draw up a multiplication table for her and ask her to try and memorize it in her spare time. I'll also teach her the 'long' way to multiply.
"Leaving spending money and food out for a moment, what you can do is multiply the amount of silver you make every day by the number of days you work, and you have the amount of silver that you'll actually earn in that amount of time."
I'll write this out for her, 3 x 10.
Do we need to do a roll for my attempt at teaching her multiplication or simple mathematics, whichever is the proper term for what I'm trying to teach her.
I'm going to try and draw up a multiplication table for her and ask her to try and memorize it in her spare time. I'll also teach her the 'long' way to multiply.
"Leaving spending money and food out for a moment, what you can do is multiply the amount of silver you make every day by the number of days you work, and you have the amount of silver that you'll actually earn in that amount of time."
I'll write this out for her, 3 x 10.
Do we need to do a roll for my attempt at teaching her multiplication or simple mathematics, whichever is the proper term for what I'm trying to teach her.
Do you have teaching skill recorded on your sheet?
No, I don't have any teaching skill recorded. I haven't taken any classes on education, either.
Is teaching a skill?
Teaching is a skill, aye. Psionic-like. I'll be back to do the skill learning roll later when I can look up exactly what bias intensity in the 0@ it is; in the meantime if you could provide your Area Bias Level (ABL) for Psi and Best relevant attribute (BRA) for Psi (highest out of Persuasion, Will Power, Intuition), that would be helpful.
I believe that my ABL is 5@0, but I'm not sure.
And my BRA is 1@10 (Will Power).
Right, then, but teaching is one of those things that most people do know how to do at an amateur level; so, how good would you say you are at it?
I'm going to say that I was alright at it back at the end of highschool (when I joined this game).
My credentials back then were: I taught other students after school in Greek Mythology and Latin. Also, I helped tutor peers in Mathematics, English, and Latin. I hope this helps.
I think I'm at an amateur level, but higher than amateurs with no experience.
1@9 Teaching P0@1
§
As she already understands the basics of mathematics, it will take some time before you begin seeing marked improvement.
Sweet, about the Teaching skill. How should I keep track of training with skills, or do they only improve upon New Use or with a Teacher?
***
Okay, well after trying to teach her for a while at the bar, I'll return to the castle at my regular time.
I keep my eye out for suspicious behavior of the guards, just in case I've been deemed a 'traitor' by Sir Gee already.
Have you got a Big Book, Kurt? They are really helpful as reference guides =P
Offhand, skill increases without a trainer are one every -- oh, now you've got me thinking about it, so I'll just talk about with trainers, because I know them certainly. 2 weeks in the trainer makes a successful roll, 4 weeks if they fail the roll. Teaching only allows you to teach someone up to your SAL, but Training allows you to theoretically bring them up to twice your SAL; theoretically, because if you fail a skill check for training and they are a higher SAL than you are, they can no longer advance under your training.
I believe it may be 4 weeks without a teacher, but that may be as much as 8.
§
No, the guards seem to treat you with the same ignorance as always.
The next afternoon, while you are working, a servant comes and speaks French. "Begging your pardons, but the reeve wishes to speak with this one." He motions to you.
Your boss excuses you, and you are taken to the shire reeve, who has Sir Gee at his side. They appear to be looking at some papers and speaking in hushed tones. The servant does not interrupt them, but rather excuses himself.
I don't have a Big Book and I'm uncomfortable ordering anything online. Do you have thoughts on another way to gain access to the book?
***
While on the way to the reeve's office, I don't resist in the slightest; however, I do question the servant in French. "Excuse me, but why would the reeve wish to see me? Is there something wrong with my accounting thus far?"
When I actually arrive, I don't interrupt Sir Gee and the reeve. Instead, I stand there waiting, and attempting to listen in on their conversation from where I stand in the room.
I don't even know if it's orderable online right now. I'll get back to you.
§
"He didn't tell me why, simply that your presence was required."
Finally, the reeve registers your presence. He asks you, in French, "Good afternoon, what can I do for you?"
Okay, thank you. I'd be interested in running my friends.
***
I thank the servant, and give him a piece of silver as thanks for the help.
I initially plan on staying quiet, reserved, in order to just gather information on the situation; however, I decide to act otherwise: "You can explain to me why I'm being actively investigated and threatened by Sir Gee and his spies."
The reeve looks absolutely confused, and the knight clears his throat.
The reeve asks Sir Gee, "What is the meaning of this accusation?"
The knight responds, "We had a small run-in the other day, but I have not been doing any such thing."
The reeve looks to you for your side.
"I just find it curious and ironic that Sir Gee should arrive in the afternoon one day, then I should be followed by a servant of the castle the next day. His name was Phil. I notice that he was following me from the castle, when I was travelling about in a Norman market sector, looking for finer clothes.
When I realized that he followed me into the general store, I chose to test my theory and travelled to a prominantly Saxon bar. To my surprise, I spotted him at the bar only a few moments after I entered. When I addressed him to come join me for a pint, he brisked himself off once more to the castle."
I try to keep my composure while speaking, and then look to the reeve. "I have done nothing wrong, and I just thought that you, sir, should know about my current observations. I believe that Sir Gee isn't interested in anyone like myself who has strived to achieve more than what I gained from a humble birth. By this I am hurt."