The War for the Rose: Book One Complete

[alexthewhite]

I still think Frowning and Reading should distract the guards, while Hiding goes to find her blackmailing material.

FROWNING SAGE: I am going to go get my sister now. Wait ten minutes after I leave, then head for the Roselord's office and wait for me to show up.

READING SAGE: Aye. Good luck.

You stand up and quietly leave the feast hall. If anyone noticed you, they didn't go after you.

You head up to Hiding Spire's room. The hallways are empty; everybody is currently eating. Only the front gate and high security areas (like the Roselord's office) are still guarded.

Hiding Spire is still in bed, her eyes wide open and staring at the ceiling.

FROWNING SAGE: Get up. I need your help.

HIDING SPIRE: Is that a good idea?

FROWNING SAGE: No. Do you need help?

HIDING SPIRE: Please, dear sister.

You walk over and pull the blanket down. Hiding's wearing a long and shapeless white garment that goes down to her knees. You put one hand on the back of her neck, the other under her legs, and lift.

She goes up surprisingly easily. You inherited a solid build from your father, but you are hardly exceptionally strong. Hiding Spire must have shed a dozen pounds or more from her already-slender frame.

HIDING SPIRE: I said help me, not carry me.

FROWNING SAGE: Too slow. We're in a rush. I need you to break into the Roselord's office and get those documents you needed. I'll distract the guards, wait for my signal.

HIDING SPIRE: Kay. Tell me when we get there, and try not to smash me into any walls.

You descend the stairs and head for the throne room, but take a right at the door, before the guards can see you. From there, it's a short walk to the hallway leading to the office.

Reading Sage is waiting for you, playing absentmindedly with a coin. He nods when you arrive.

READING SAGE: My love, my love's younger sister.

HIDING SPIRE: Lord Sage. You'll be helping us break in?

READING SAGE: Anything for my love. How shall we do this, my love?

HIDING SPIRE: Oh, and don't try to, uh, "wing it". I tried that once, sort of. It ended poorly.

[Miss_Meg]

Actually, I have an idea.

Lord and Lady Sage walk down the hall. A bit away from the door, far enough that we can still see them but that Hiding can get in, Lord Sage falls down. Lady Sage calls for help from the guards, blah blah blah, and asks them to help him down to the infirmary or whatever. If they don't want to leave their post, Frowning can volunteer to wait there until they come back, and then Hiding can get in and then out with out a fuss.

Any more suggestions? Refine the idea?

[OnBackorder]

Injury seems more a trump card to use if all else fails. Try a normal conversation to draw their attention away from the door and resort to painful distractions later.

Hiding: Steal several unrelated documents to cover your tracks.

[Cadorean]

Lord and Lady Sage walk down the hall. A bit away from the door, far enough that we can still see them but that Hiding can get in, Lord Sage falls down. Lady Sage calls for help from the guards, blah blah blah, and asks them to help him down to the infirmary or whatever. If they don't want to leave their post, Frowning can volunteer to wait there until they come back, and then Hiding can get in and then out with out a fuss.

Hiding: Steal several unrelated documents to cover your tracks.

These.

[Jonaristotle]

Yeah maybe converse with the guards frist, grab there attentino, and as you leave have reading Sage fall.

[alexthewhite]

Lord and Lady Sage walk down the hall. A bit away from the door, far enough that we can still see them but that Hiding can get in, Lord Sage falls down. Lady Sage calls for help from the guards, blah blah blah, and asks them to help him down to the infirmary or whatever. If they don't want to leave their post, Frowning can volunteer to wait there until they come back, and then Hiding can get in and then out with out a fuss.

Yeah maybe converse with the guards frist, grab there attentino, and as you leave have reading Sage fall.

READING SAGE: You want me to trip? And hurt myself?

HIDING SPIRE: Sister, that's stupid. He's a lord, you're a lady; a soft, sensitive lady. If you trip, then this will go much smoother.

FROWNING SAGE: Watch your tongue, Hiding Spire. Soft as I am, I'm still bigger and stronger than you.

HIDING SPIRE: I've killed, like, a dozen people, and they were all bigger and scarier than you.

Hiding Spire stops and thinks for a moment, her thick brows furrowed.

HIDING SPIRE: Okay, most of them weren't as scary, but they were all bigger.

READING SAGE: Ladies, ladies, please! Let's just go.

You set Hiding Spire down, and she remains standing despite a tremble in her legs. After that, you and Reading Sage head past the guards.

FROWNING SAGE: Greetings, my lords.

GUARD ONE: My lady. I'm afraid I must ask you to leave.

READING SAGE: Why? What's back there?

GUARD TWO: Lord Rose's personal effects. Only he may enter this room.

FROWNING SAGE: I told you the washroom was in the other direction. Let's-

You purposely step on your dress and fall forward, shrieking. You land face-first, the cobblestone mushing your nose on impact.

READING SAGE: My love! Are you alright?

GUARD ONE: Is she alright?

You grope around for a loose stone and finally clasp one, then subtly hand it to Reading Sage. He gets the hint.

READING SAGE: This is what what made her trip!

He holds up the stone in triumphant fury.

READING SAGE: What sort of slacking cleaning staff do you have here?

GUARD TWO: My lord, please...almost no one uses this hallway. We are so, terribly sorry, Lady Sage.

FROWNING SAGE: Urghh...I think I need to be taken to the infirmary.

Reading Sage looks at the guards with a scathing fire in his eyes.

READING SAGE: Well? You heard her! Take her to the infirmary!

GUARD TWO: But, my lord-

READING SAGE: Oh, you want me to take her, is that it? Is this how the Roselord treats his guests?

GUARD ONE: No, no, no! My lord, please, I'll take her to the infirmary.

READING SAGE: And risk tripping on another cobblestone and harming my beloved even further? No, I want you both to take her. That's the only way I can be sure you won't screw things up even further!

GUARD ONE: Err, my lord, we must guard this-

READING SAGE: Oh, for the Airwalker's sake. I'll guard the door until you return. You two go, now, now, now!!!

The two guards panickedly pick you up and start carting you down the hall in the opposite direction from the way you came. You roll your head to look at Reading Sage, and the two of you exchange a wink.

You are now Hiding Spire.

As soon as the guards are out of view, you creep over to Reading Sage.

HIDING SPIRE: Wow. You two are good. Have you done it before?

READING SAGE: This would be the third time we had to dispose of guards in a manner similar to this, yes. Now hurry, before someone else comes along.

You walk into the office and look around. It's a cluttered but cozy place. There's a warm but dying fire crackling weakly in the corner. There are four cabinets, one labeled "Correspondences: First Five Families", another labeled "Correspondences: Northern Lords", a third labeled "Correspondences: Southern Lords", and the fourth labeled "Correspondences: Foreigners". They all sit behind a cluttered desk with numerous inkwells, quills, and scrolls both unmarked and recently opened.

You don't have unlimited time before someone comes looking. Where should you start looking?

[mellifluousMastermind]

Start with Southern Lords, since it is the most relevant to your interests.

First Five Families might have something neat but its the lowest priority.

My gut says Northern Lords is more interesting than Foreginers, but these two are iffy.

[OnBackorder]

If it were for Hiding's interests I would agree with that, but Lord Marble wants the documents. Satisfy the debt first.

LM: Then I have a task for you, Lady Spire. When you arrive in Palegarden, I would like you to break into the Roselord's personal effects and find something...shall we say, tantalizing. A letter of correspondence with a Northern lord, perhaps, or anything that I could use to, ah, convince Lord Rose of certain things.

Too bad he was so vague with his order.

I'd check the notes on the desk first.

[absoluteCertainty]

> just take the northern lord correspondence and go :I

[alexthewhite]

> just take the northern lord correspondence and go :I

Yeah, that's probably where you should start look-

Oh. Hmm.

The cabinet is nearly bursting with papers. It seems Lord Rose simply sticks papers into the cabinet when he doesn't need them. The ones at the very bottom look a decade old or older. Maybe you ought to start someplace a bit, uh, more organized.

I'd check the notes on the desk first.

You check the table, which has three open, unsealed scrolls on it. You swiftly look over each.

The first is addressed to someone named "The Red Lion", and it seems finished barring a signature and seal. The second is addressed to "Lord Star", and looks to be half-done. The third isn't even halfway complete, but is addressed to "King Sky" and appears somewhat urgent.

You don't have forever. Should you start with one of these, or grab a random letter from one of the cabinets?

[Miss_Meg]

Don't take something noticable. Take a letter from the cabinets.

[OnBackorder]

The Red Lion is the only one with a seal, thus whatever is written can't be denied later; Perfect for blackmail.

Edit: Speed reading is for chumps. To glean information, just look at the first and last sentence.

[absoluteCertainty]

it's unfortunate that you're not a priest or you could take the entire cabinet.
don't take something noticeable, right.
but also don't take something unfinished.
how fast can you read?

actually, quickly look over the red lion letter and if it's super blackmail worthy, take it
if not, go through the cabinets and find a very powerful name and take that instead

[alexthewhite]

actually, quickly look over the red lion letter and if it's super blackmail worthy, take it
if not, go through the cabinets and find a very powerful name and take that instead

You decide to only read the first, middle, and last paragraphs of the page-long letter.

"To The Red Lion,

I know you are fluent in Known, so I will not simplify my language for a foreigner's sake. I am sending you a written correspondence because I am aware of the sort of treatment you give diplomats. Your request for resources must be, unfortunately, denied. Whitesky has its own war brewing; we cannot spare anything, especially not for use against the King of Rage. If Reegus is to declare war on Avalia, Whitesky cannot involve itself without betraying one of its allies...

...I know you have sent similar letters to each of the First Five Families. They will respond in kind, I am sure. If you wish to achieve support for your war, ask the Honitians, or the Etonsians. Buy some mercenaries, if you can afford them. Whitesky has larger problems than the squabbles of its allies, and so do I...

...As for your question regarding the leader of the Ten Knives mercenary group, I cannot help you. Southern mercenaries hold little interest to me. My advice is to ask a southern lord who gives half a damn about Southflight. Lord Sand might be able to help you in that.

Glory to Whitesky, Reegus, The Roses, and The Lions,

Grinning Rose, lord of Palegarden"

You purse your lips. This doesn't seem very useful. Should you take it, or keep looking. And if so, where?

[Askia]

probably not so useless, but to risky and obvious to steal. Take something from the cabinet

[meekmeep]

First obtain information from the Northern cabinet. That is, after all, what Lord Marble wanted. Then just take some random stuff out of the other cabinets (so as not to look suspicious, I believe another user said this before me). On the way out, briefly look at what is on the Rose Lord's desk. If anything seems useful, take it, then leave. I would also suggest to keep anything other than what was taken from the Northern cabinet and perhaps what was found on the desk, for the Spire family (if after reviewing it, it seems important). Repaying debts is good, but why stop there? Hiding is being given the chance to obtain sensitive information, so it would seem like a good opportunity to help out her own house.

[Miss_Meg]

Cabinet.

[Cadorean]

The Red Lion is your honey pot. Take it to show to the Roselord that he was robbed, then search for more useful information.

Have you ever heard about the security for the CIA's website? There's no firewall, the ftp password is 1234; they try and make it easy to hack, because they leave what are called "honey pots" - pieces of data that copy themselves onto your computer that easily identify you as CIA thief. It is evidence that they can use to put you in jail.
The reason we want to stick our hand in the honey pot is to make it appear as if there is an incompitent thief in the keep. If you dip into the honey pot it is more likely for other documents to be overlooked. An easy way to be sure of that is to simply leave the cabinets ruffled. It's amazing how human nature will work against itsself that way.

[alexthewhite]

The Red Lion is your honey pot. Take it to show to the Roselord that he was robbed, then search for more useful information.

You shrug and grab the letter. Of course, the cabinets are so packed, you doubt Lord Rose will notice anything from there missing for a long, long time. The letters on the desk can be copied, if need be; it'll take a little while, but it's doable. Lord Rose won't have to know he was robbed at all.

Cabinet.

You look at the cabin...s. There are four of them. Four.

You shrug and open one randomly, the Southern Lords cabinet.

There are three letter sticking out, meaning they were taken out and refiled at some point. One is addressed from someone named Lord Sea, another from Lord Table, and a third from...your father, Lord Spire. Which of these would you like to read, or would you like to check a different cabinet?

[absoluteCertainty]

> you poop why did you open the southern lords cabinet marble is looking for correspondence from a northern lord who are you

also can anyone think of what marble wants to convince rose of because iiiiiiiiiiii can't

[mellifluousMastermind]

>Quickly read your dad's, and then go to the Northern Lord's cabinet next.

[Miss_Meg]

Read your fathers letter. It surely has important information!

[Cadorean]

We haven't the time to read right now, take them all and keep searching.

[Whimbrel]

The one from Lord Spire, first, but take all of them

[OnBackorder]

Lord Table is an awesome name so the letter must be equally great.