>>357666
>[Intrigue/1d12] You would like to know how interested those girls are in you.

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>>357666
Hey QM! Here's the first draft of the map I promised.

>[Intrigue/1d12] You would like to know how interested those girls are in you.

>>357685
Very nicely done, MapAnon.

I'm going to need to find an appropriate reward for your work.

>>357666

>"I built my pride on war and victory."
>but
>[Intrigue/1d12] You would like to know how interested those girls are in you.

>>357666
>[Intrigue/1d12] You would like to know how interested those girls are in you.

>>357698
I have some ideas for the various geographic features and climates of the various regions of the map, as well. Things such as mountain ranges, rivers, fault lines, biomes etc. But I figured I shouldn't go too overboard until I got your approval.

>>357666
>>[Intrigue/1d12] You would like to know how interested those girls are in you.

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>>357666
"I suppose it does make me a little curious," you say. "I'm interested, but I would like to know if it's reciprocated."

You place your hand on Olwen's back and gently slide it all the way down until it's no longer on her back.

"What are you doing?" Olwen asks, her face bright red.

"Just gauging their interest."

You stroke Olwen's thigh and slowly slip your hand back up under her skirt.

>Roll 1d12, best of three.

Rolled 10 (1d12)

>>357733

Rolled 3 (1d12)

>>357733

Rolled 8 (1d12)

>>357738
dammit wrong die

>>357733
Womanizer prince no longer is pure.

>>357760
Good~

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>>357733
Olwen lets out a yelp and bites her lip to stop herself from crying out even more. It's a subtle thing, but it's enough to get attention.

Nia and Isla don't seem to notice at all. Laila turns your way, but doesn't seem to catch what's going on. The others notice though. Aleksandra looks away immediately, and Agda doesn't really react, Desylt is staring at your hand out of the corner of her eyes, Eleri is unconsciously stroking her own legs, and Esyllt misses a step, as if she were unconsciously rubbing her thighs. Reagan is openly ogling, although she retains her poise and grace.

And now you know who's most interested in your company.

You nonchalantly remove your hand from inside Olwen's skirt and act as if nothing had happened. You don't want it to get too awkward. Just a little bit.

"I hope we can all do this again some time," Queen Margrete says. "Please be careful on your way home."

"I look forward to seeing you all again," you say. "The celebrations will continue for a while, so I'm sure we'll have a chance."

There are polite thanks and goodbyes as the girls leave on royal carriages one by one.

"That was a bit excessive, Meirion," your mother says. "You could have done that in private, at least."

"I was inspired by Olwen," you say. "Take it as a sign I'm getting more into this."

"I guess that is an improvement," your mother says. "Now, I need to be there for your uncle's arrival. Will you be joining me?"

>"Of course, mother."
>Investigate your uncle's arrival privately first.

>>357790
>Investigate your uncle's arrival privately first.

>>357790
>Investigate your uncle's arrival privately first.

Reagan is lewd as fuck. Best girl

>>357790
If the whole family's going to be there
>"Of course, mother."
Otherwise
>Investigate your uncle's arrival privately first.

>>357790
>>Investigate your uncle's arrival privately first.

>>357790
>>Investigate your uncle's arrival privately first.

>>357790
>Investigate your uncle's arrival privately first.

>>357798
Eleri is touching herself looking at us. She's lewder.

>>357832
That is true She isn't best girl though. She is best concubine, granted

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>>357790
"Unfortunately, we have a few matters to take care of first," you say. "You know how it is. I want to be absolutely sure nothing disrupts uncle's return."

You count your mother's smile as a sign of approval. "That's an excellent idea, Meirion," she says. "We wouldn't want any unforeseen problems, would we?"

"I assure you, mother, that everything will go smoothly," you say. "No one will even hear a whisper of a problem."

"Good luck then, dear," your mother says. "I'm sure Myrddin will be glad to assist you."

"Of course, your majesty."

Your mother returns home as well, leaving the three of you alone together to decide what to do about Prince Aled.

"Who did my uncle bring with him?" You ask. You want to know who your opposition is before you act.

"No one important, surprisingly," Myrddin says. "After what happened to Prince Siarl, I don't think Prince Aled will allow any of his other children out of his sight. He has plenty of heirs, but that doesn't mean he can afford to lose any more of them."

"So if he didn't bring anyone important," Olwen says, "who did he bring?"

"An assassin, a spy specializing in blackmail, and a known kidnapper," Myrddin says. "Even by my standards, it's an impressive retinue."

>"Let's start with the assassin."
>"What about the spy?"
>"Why would my uncle need a kidnapper?"

>>357867
>>"Why would my uncle need a kidnapper?"

>>357867
>"Let's start with the assassin."

>>357867
>>"Let's start with the assassin."
Yeah this is the pressing concern. If someone is kidnapped at least you still can rescue them.

>>357867
>"Why would my uncle need a kidnapper?"

>>357867
>"Let's start with the assassin."

>>357867
>"Why would my uncle need a kidnapper?"

>>357878
True, but we've also disrupted his assassin plot already, he'll need time to acquire new tools. We haven't heard of this kidnapping yet, that concerns me more

>>357892
Good point
>>357878
>>357867
Changing my vote to
>"Why would my uncle need a kidnapper?"

>>357892
Yeah but this is a personal assassin of his, not some schmucks he hired, really we need to deal with them all quickly, but the worst outcome out of the three is somebody important dying during this event.

>>357867
>"Why would my uncle need a kidnapper?"

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>>357867
None of those options are particularly pleasing to the ear, but the kidnapper is the one that sticks out. It's simply too strange.

"Why would my uncle need a kidnapper?"

Myrddin shrugs. "Honestly? I have no idea," he says. "Aside from the obvious, I mean. There must be someone he wants taken alive rather than dead, but without further investigation, we can't know who. That's why I brought it to your attention."

Assassins are commonplace - you've dealt with two sets of them yourself just recently - but abductions are somewhat rarer.

"His ventures in Rosea literally died in a fire," Olwen says. "He might need ransom money urgently."

"Or perhaps he needs leverage on someone by abducting one of their friends or relatives," you say. "What do we know about our man?"

"He calls himself the Black Fox," Myrddin says. "He's a minor alchemist with a talent for sleeping draughts and he's not bad with a sword, but he prefers to get his job done quietly and without bloodshed."

"That isn't a lot to work with."

"I also have the name of his contact in Aurwain and the location of his safe house," Myrddin says. "We can ambush him wherever we want."

"That's what I like to hear, Myrddin."

>[Intrigue/Autosuccess] "We'll visit his contact."
>[Intrigue/Autosuccess] "Take me to his safe house."

>As a reminder, you have a crit on Intrigue, so either choice is worth 5XP.

>>357962
>>[Intrigue/Autosuccess] "Take me to his safe house."

>[Intrigue/Autosuccess] "Take me to his safe house."

>>357962
>>[Intrigue/Autosuccess] "Take me to his safe house."

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>>357962
>>[Intrigue/Autosuccess] "Take me to his safe house."

This kidnapper is about to have a bad day.

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>>357962
>[Intrigue/Autosuccess] "Take me to his safe house."

Mr. Black Fox? Why don't you take a seat

>>357962
>[Intrigue/Autosuccess] "Take me to his safe house."

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>>357962
"Take me to his safehouse," you say. "I want to have a chat with him immediately."

"Yes, your highness," Myrddin says. "It's not that far from here, but we'll have to take a few detours just to be on the safe side. What do you want to do with him once we're there?"

"I'd prefer to talk," you say, "but I have my sword with me just in case. Olwen?"

"Right here." She holds out her own weapon. "I'm ready for anything, your highness."

Myrddin leads you through winding alleys and streets packed with vendors and tourists. The capital hasn't calmed down the least bit; if anything it's getting busier and busier every day. At the back of one of these alleys, Myrddin points to a wooden basement door.

"This is the place," Myrddin says. "It's separated from the rest of the building. I'm not sure the owners even know about it."

You gingerly pry the door open and listen for sounds. After several seconds of silence, you're confident the place is empty and step inside.

The interior isn't much to look at, but it's not shabby either. There's furniture, an icebox and everything else a person might need to survive in hiding for a few days. As you suspected, the Black Fox isn't around at the moment.

>[Military/1d12] Prepare an ambush.
>[Intrigue/1d12] Make yourself at home. It'll throw the Black Fox off when he comes back.

>>358038
>>[Intrigue/1d12] Make yourself at home. It'll throw the Black Fox off when he comes back.

>>358038
>>[Military/1d12] Prepare an ambush.

>>358038
>>[Military/1d12] Prepare an ambush.
Also acquire mask, Gwain rides again!

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>>358038
>[Intrigue/1d12] Make yourself at home. It'll throw the Black Fox off when he comes back.

>>358038
>[Military/1d12] Prepare an ambush.

>>358038
>[Military/1d12] Prepare an ambush.

>>358038
>>[Military/1d12] Prepare an ambush.

>>358038
>[Military/1d12] Prepare an ambush.

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>>358038
"We're going for a basic ambush," you say. "Olwen, cover the door from the outside. Myrddin, go hide somewhere."

"Yes, your highness."

You choose to hide in a corner close to the icebox. It's placed on the ground and fairly small, so if the Black Fox wants to get something from it, he'll have to bend down, making him vulnerable. That'll be your chance to strike.

>Roll 1d12, best of three.

Rolled 4 (1d12)

>>358097

Rolled 3 (1d12)

>>358097

Rolled 6 (1d12)

>>358097

>>358097
Don't forget to get a mask on.

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>>358097
Your ambush was prepared just in time. The Black Fox returns just a few minutes after you gave your orders and furtively opens the door to the safe house. He peers inside and looks around to check the premises. He sees nothing that might warn him away.

The Black Fox descends into the hideout and sets a bag of vegetables and pastries on a table. He walks over to the icebox and that's when you make your move. As soon as he kneels down, you place one hand on his mouth to keep him quiet and use your other hand to twist his arm behind his back. You pull him over to the bed and pin him face-down so he can't get a look at you.

"Hello, Black Fox," you say. "I've got a few questions to ask you."

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"I've heard that one before," you say. "People get their memory back very quickly with the right incentive."

You twist his arm a little more and he screams.

"Okay! Okay! What do you want?"

>[Intrigue/1d12] "You can start by telling me who hired you."
>[Intrigue/1d12] "You can start by telling me who your target is."
>[Intrigue/1d10] "You know exactly what I want."

>>358153
>[Intrigue/1d10] "You know exactly what I want."

>>358153
>>[Intrigue/1d10] "You know exactly what I want."

>>358153
>[Intrigue/1d10] "You know exactly what I want."

>>358153
>>[Intrigue/1d10] "You know exactly what I want."

>>358153
>[Intrigue/1d10] "You know exactly what I want."

>>358153
Intrigue/1d10] "You know exactly what I want."

>>358153
>>[Intrigue/1d10] "You know exactly what I want."

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>>358153
Although you don't have that much experience with interrogations, you're well aware that the easiest way to make people tell you what you want to know is to not tell them what you want to know. If the person you're interrogating knows exactly what you're after, they can hold out on you, but if they have no idea, they have to keep talking until you let them go.

"You know exactly what I want," you say.

>Roll 1d10, best of three.

Rolled 10 (1d10)

>>358245

Rolled 3 (1d10)

>>358245

Rolled 6 (1d10)

>>358245

Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>358248
nailed it

>>358248
The prince is getting good at this shit.

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>>358248

>>358260
It's why he's the Victorious Prince.

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>>358245
"Look, I was just hired to get Prince Reagan safely out of the city," the Black Fox says. "I was guaranteed that no one was going to hurt her; I don't need that kind of heat on me."

You twist his arm harder until it's on the verge of snapping out of its socket.

"That's not everything and you know it."

"I don’t know who hired me," the Black Fox says through pained gasps. "I get all my contracts through intermediaries. All I know is that I'm supposed to take her to Duwcan."

So there's no direct evidence of your uncle's involvement, but if the Princess was to be sent through Duwcan, either he's the one who wants Princess Reagan kidnapped, or he's working in concert with those who do.

It makes sense, now that you think about it. Olstren's noble families are trying to use Reagan to forge a claim to the throne, but she's been uncooperative so far. If she's kidnapped, one the noble families can keep her in custody until she agrees to help them, or they can simply "rescue" to gain public support.

None of that is going to happen now, of course.

>[Intrigue/Autosuccess] Run the Black Fox out of the city.
>[Military/Autosuccess] Execute the Black Fox.

>As a reminder, you have a crit on Intrigue, so you'd get 5XP for that choice.

>>358303
>>[Intrigue/Autosuccess] Run the Black Fox out of the city.

No reason to kill him. And he may even be useful later on.

>>358303
>[Intrigue/Autosuccess] Run the Black Fox out of the city.

>>358303
>>[Intrigue/Autosuccess] Run the Black Fox out of the city.

>>358303
>[Intrigue/Autosuccess] Run the Black Fox out of the city.

Keep him as a contact, though. He might prove useful, and he's been cooperative so far.

>>358303
Our uncle really needs to die.

>>358303

>[Intrigue/Autosuccess] Run the Black Fox out of the city.

>>358303
>>[Intrigue/Autosuccess] Run the Black Fox out of the city.
Was weirdly hoping for a "hire him" option. Oh well.

>>358322
Eventually, we need a proper power base first.

>>358324
We should just keep tabs on him, see how his career progresses. If he gets good enough then we can play the whole "Deal you cant refuse" angle.

So the assassin is for alexsandra and the blackmailer is for agda probably.

>>358362
.....Oh crap, can we do anything about those guys?

>>358372
Course we can.

We abduct the assasin and either kill them or force them into our service. Blackmailer we just turn into an informant on our uncles plans. Turncoat him.

>>358372
Anon, we're the Victorious-fucking-Prince

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>>358303
"I'm going to make this simple for you, Black Fox," you say. "Get out of Aurwain, and don't come back here again."

You drag him towards the door and throw him out, making sure he still can't get a good look at your face. You shut the door behind him and give him time to leave. When the door opens again, it's Olwen who steps through.

"I'm surprised you let him live," she says.

"He might come in useful later," you say. "It's enough to keep him out of the way for now."

"And what did he want?"

"Someone apparently paid for Princess Reagan to be moved to Duwcan," Myrddin says as he comes out of his hiding place. "There's no evidence of Prince Aled's direct involvement, but since Duwcan is under his rule…"

"He has to be responsible for this to some extent," Olwen says. "That doesn't explain the assassin and the spy though."

"We'll get to that," you say. "Right now."

>"What about the assassin?"
>"What about the spy?"

>>358405
>>"What about the assassin?"

>>358405
>"What about the assassin?"

>>358405
>"What about the assassin?"

>>358405
>>"What about the assassin?"

>>358405
>>"What about the assassin?"
I'm interested in what uncle's plan for Svekka is, since we didn't thwart him there, but this guy has a greater potential of ruining our brother's wedding

>>358405
>"What about the spy?"

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>>358405
"What about the assassin?"

"His target is Archduchess Aleksandra, I'm certain of that," Myrddin says. "Prince Aled needs to kill her to avenge his son and erase his involvement with that Rosean war."

"And he's already failed at that," Olwen says. "As I recall, we destroyed the inn his people were supposed to stay at."

"If at first you don't succeed," Myrddin says, "try and try again. Prince Aled isn't known for his temperance or his wisdom. He'll let it go eventually, but in the meantime, we'll have to keep an eye on him."

"I don't suppose you have that assassin's address as well?" You ask.

"Unfortunately, this assassin learned from his predecessors," Myrddin says. "He's staying at a legitimate inn. It'll make it more difficult for him to get the tools and information he needs, but it won't attract attention and we can't destroy that inn without hurting innocent people."

"What's your suggestion?"

"We can hire an assassin of our own and just kill him while he's sleeping," Myrddin says. "Alternatively, we can set a trap for him, which would make it easier to capture him alive."

>[Intrigue/1d10] "Have him killed. I want this done quickly, just like last time."
>"We'll set a trap for him at a later date. Now, tell me about the spy?"

>>358487
>"We'll set a trap for him at a later date. Now, tell me about the spy?"

>>358487
>"We'll set a trap for him at a later date. Now, tell me about the spy?"
Set a trap...at the temple!

>>358487
>"We'll set a trap for him at a later date. Now, tell me about the spy?"

>>358487
>"We'll set a trap for him at a later date. Now, tell me about the spy?"

>>358487
>>[Intrigue/1d10] "Have him killed. I want this done quickly, just like last time."

We don't *need* him alive. Plus we have no idea when he plans to assassinate the Archduchess. Too many unknowns to put things off for mush later anyway.

>>358487
>>"We'll set a trap for him at a later date. Now, tell me about the spy?"

>>358487
>"We'll set a trap for him at a later date. Now, tell me about the spy?"

We in all likelihood have a decent amount of time before our assassin friend is in a position to try anything, seeing as how we've so thoroughly foiled the previous assassins and their supplies. Don't give him too long, though, and keep spies on him at all times.

>>358487
>>"We'll set a trap for him at a later date. Now, tell me about the spy?"

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>>358487
Ordering other people to do your killing for you gets boring after a while, and besides, you have the perfect opportunity to snatch the assassin when you meet Aleksandra at the temples. Knowing her, that kind of violence should turn her on.

"We'll set a trap for the assassin at a later date," you say. "Now, tell me about the spy."

"He's another fairly low-key rogue," Myrddin says. "He poses as an ordinary merchant and visits inn and taverns looking for gossip and potential targets. Once he finds something interesting, he delves deeper into it."

"Who's he asking about now?" Olwen asks.

"Everyone," Myrddin answers. "That's what makes things complicated. He's asking about anything interesting, which is everything that's happening in Aurwain at the moment. I can't narrow his target down."

>"We need some bait. I'll meet him in person."
>[Intrigue/1d12] "Keep him under surveillance until he reveals his target."

>>358576
>[Intrigue/1d12] "Keep him under surveillance until he reveals his target."

>>358576
>[Intrigue/1d12] "Keep him under surveillance until he reveals his target."

>>357760
>Implying he ever was

>>358576
>[Intrigue/1d12] "Keep him under surveillance until he reveals his target."

>>358576
>[Intrigue/1d12] "Keep him under surveillance until he reveals his target."

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>>358576
"Keep him under surveillance until he reveals his target," you say. "Since he's mostly harmless until he gets blackmail material, I don't want to tip our hand and risk doing anything that might alert the assassin."

"Yes, your highness."

It chafes like an itch knowing there's a threat in Aurwain, but you've long ago learned the importance of patience and, as you said, you can't afford any mistakes.

>Roll 1d12, best of three.

Rolled 11 (1d12)

>>358658
Check my 12

Rolled 3 (1d12)

>>358658

Rolled 10 (1d12)

>>358658

Rolled 5 (1d12)

>>358658

>>358664
>>358672
....what happens when you have 2 crits again?

>>358679
I just take the best one.

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>>358658
You walk back to the palace, stopping at a few stands and street vendors along the way. Myrddin has to speak with his contacts, but Olwen and you prefer to enjoy the food. Although they're not as elaborate as what you'd find in the royal palace, you can find most of the fundamental skewers and fried foods of Gwyrden cuisine. It is, after all, a country of farmers and fishermen, and you shouldn't forget that.

Olwen casually slips her arm around yours and takes a bite out of a potato that was, somehow, sliced into a single thin helix strip, stuck on a skewer and then fried.

"Are you ready to face your uncle again?" She asks.

"Of course I am," you say. "Then again, most of our business isn't face to face."

"I suppose that would take the fun out of it."

Your uncle's cohorts are either running as far away from the city as possible or firmly under your thumb. The situation is under your complete control, and you will keep it that way until you've completely crushed your uncle's plans.

>>358698
And that's it for today. Next thread will be Friday July 15th at 7PM EDT. You can follow me on twitter @BeleagueredQM for the announcement.

I'm expecting visitors next Sunday, so I might not be able to run then. I might take the opportunity to put Beleaguered Prince Quest on hiatus for a week and start another quest. BPQ is doing exactly what I want it to by focusing more on relationships and intrigue through proxies, but I have a folder with 20 ideas for quests, and I'd like to do something more direct and action-oriented on the side.

The problem is that it takes almost a week for my threads to fall off the board and /qst/ has a limit of three threads per IP, so if I start a new quest, there's a chance I won't be able to run BPQ on schedule, and I absolutely will not let that happen. That's why I cancelled my previous attempt at a one-shot.

Anyway, the next thread will run on the 15th as normal no matter what I decide to do. If you have any questions or comments, you can just leave them here or send me a message through Twitter.

Until next time, goodnight and thanks for playing.

>>358717
Have a good one senpai.

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>>358717
cheers, boss

>>358717
This is why a quest board was a bad idea, there isn't enough specific interest to keep a good thread rotation on the board.

>>358717
Thanks for running.