Snippet day! Here’s the bulk of the Baldassare scene I mentioned a month-ish ago.
If you agree to spy on Baldassare for kuria Alasais
You find lady de Irde in her outer chambers, consulting with Alastor Korren. At your hesitation, she gestures to her footman to close the doors behind you, then beckons you closer. “Speak openly, ${ird_name}. The Captain is fully aware of the task I’ve set you.”
Delivering a spy-report on a Telone in front of an Alastor? $!{oath}. You’re not half as sure as Alasais about Korren’s loyalties; but if she’s already told him, there’s little more damage you can do now. “Our friend received a messenger from Marbrey today. He was extremely keen to keep anyone from finding @{(baldspy = 6) out—paid the man extra to not spend even a single night here, and checked to make sure he’d not spoken to anyone|out}. Seemed to me there’s some secret that might be useful there, and that I should let you know.”
Without taking her eyes off you, Alasais addresses Korren in a low voice. “This courier will have made camp somewhere in our demesne. I think it might be best if you found him and relieved him of his missive.” The Alastor captain bows and leaves at once.
You clear your throat, uncomfortable under her stare. “Couldn’t the Telone make trouble over you reading his messages, milady?”
“House de Irde will have done no such thing. It is the responsibility of the Alastors to intercept suspicious messengers. Rebels may seek to spread their seditions under a counterfeit Telone’s seal, after all.” Her lips twist slightly. “And no one save the Innkeeps saw a rider come for the Telone today. The Innkeeps, and you.”
*fake_choice
#“As you commanded me, kuria,” I remind her. “I’d not otherwise have put my nose into such matters.”
“Would you not?”
*goto oddtaut
#“The Telone @{(baldspy > 6) knows|doesn’t know} I saw his messenger.”
*if baldspy <= 6
“Then there’s no reason for you to be further involved,” Alasais says decisively.
*if (baldspy > 6)
*if baldspy = 7
“He thinks I’m your spy,” you admit. It’s sure to come out, anyway.
*goto allthemorere
*if baldspy = 8
“He thinks I’m serving someone with power—someone he betrayed in Marbrey.”
*label allthemorere
“All the more reason to distance you from the rest of the matter,” Alasais says decisively.
*if baldspy < 7
“And he’s probably on his way to see you now and complain about my blackmailing.”
“You think so? I doubt he’d choose to raise the matter of Marbrey with me at all—certainly not while his courier is still in arm’s reach.” Alasais gives a small, hard smile.
#I shrug. “I’m not about to tell anyone about any of this.”
“No, I should hope not.”
*label oddtaut
There’s an odd tautness in Alasais’s voice, making you uneasy.
“I’d advise you to return to the Chesnery, ${ird_name}, and keep yourself far from the Telone. We’ll see what can be achieved with this.”
*label baldfoch
*choice
*disable_reuse #I ask if Captain Korren would share with me what he learns about the Telone’s business in Marbrey.
A line forms between lady Alasais’s brows. “Whyever would the Captain do that?”
“You asked me to help find information that could lead to the Telone leaving Irduin, kuria. We can’t be sure yet whether this…”
She interrupts you, a trifle sharply. “I asked for information, and you have provided it. Now I would like to test your ability to refrain from prying until such time as I ask you for more. Do you understand me?”
“Of course, milady.” You bow and hurry from the room, unsettled by the encounter.
*set doirefrain true
*goto baldfoch
#@{doirefrain But I still|I} stay close to them to see when they confront Baldassare, so I can spy on that meeting.
*goto spyonalkobal
*if doirefrain
#Honestly, now I’m more interested to see if I can overhear them talking about me.
@{(tam_rel = 0) Even allowing for her continued anger over Auche’s scandal, you’d have|You’d} thought a successful test of your spying skills would lead to her wanting to make more use of them, or some easing in her suspicion—not the brittle hostility you sensed throughout your encounter. Something is off-kilter, and you mean to find out what.
*goto spyonalkobal
#I keep my distance, as the lady told me to. If this keeps her from expelling me from Irduin, it’s good enough.
From that distance, you keep an eye on the Telone to see if there’s
*label irritbald
*set baldspy 11
any sign of his expulsion—but he seems as relentless, irritable, and immovable as ever. Clearly whatever he was up to in Marbrey wasn’t scandalous enough to lever him out of his duties here.
*return
*label spyonalkobal
You hover around the @{((ird_focus = 1) or (ird_subfocus = 1)) de Irdes|estate} and Alastor barracks for several days, waiting to see if whatever they’ve found out gives them leverage against the Telone. When you finally observe Baldassare hurrying toward the manor’s uppermost rooms, you’re sure it’s for a meeting with the lady kuria.
*if ((int < 3) and (com < 3))
Unfortunately, there’s no way for you to get close enough to overhear @{(int > 1) them—even with ${wisardry}, the number of walls and floors separating you is just too great for you to focus on their voices|them; your presence in any of the rooms in earshot would be noticed and questioned}.
*if not(doirefrain)
When Baldassare stalks out, all you can do is watch from afar with frustrated curiosity. You do keep an eye out over the following days for
*goto irritbald
*if doirefrain
You still work your way in as @{((com > 1) or (int > 1)) close|unobtrusively} as you can. By the time you manage to reach a neighboring room @{((com > 1) or (int > 1)) unseen|without raising any alarms}, their conversation is nearly done. You’re both surprised and disappointed to hear lady Alasais’s closing words: "Accept
*goto overhearalkor
*else
It takes all your @{(int = 3) concentration and ${wisardric} skill to be able to focus on their voices through multiple floors and walls—but|agility, speed, and stealth to get yourself up to a perch on the roof without being spotted—but} you manage, just in time to hear the Telone say, “Captain. Milady. You requested my presence?”
“I did, segnure Baldassare.” Lady Alasais speaks crisply. “You should be aware that Captain Korren has of late redoubled his efforts to catch any rebel agents that might dare to trespass in our demesne.”
“And not before time!” The ${erretsin}'s scorn is cuttingly plain.
In response, Korren allows himself a chuckle. “We’ve been warned that the rebels are sending messages under forged seal. Nobles, Syntechnia houses. Telones.”
There’s a silence, broken eventually by a rustle of paper and Alasais saying, “Does this letter appear to be authen…?”
“Of course I can confirm that it is mine,” Baldassare cuts her off in a low snarl.
“Wait, wait now, no snatching. You’re confirming that you, personally, recently wrote to Marbrey? To…kuria Agniesz of House Cestok?” Korren sounds amused. “I must say, these professions of concern for her welfare hold real passion, Telone. Clearly written from the heart. It’s one reason I was disinclined to believe…”
*page_break
“She is twelve.” Baldassare nearly spits out the words. “The last scion of a House hemmed in by predatory neighbors, all competing to devour what remains of her land. She was orphaned, almost certainly to murder, though that has gone unacknowledged and uninvestigated by Alastor and aristarch alike.” When the only response is silence, the Telone concludes in a lower but still savage tone: “And she is exceedingly intelligent. Enough to know precisely how alone she is. And precisely how unlikely to survive.”
“Yet…somehow also fortunate enough to receive regular written advice on the preservation of her estate from a seasoned Telone?” Alasais speaks slowly, mystified. “How long was your service in Marbrey, kurios?”
“Four years, kuria de Irde.”
“And were you quartered on the estate of this unfortunate House Cestok, or one of its…predatory neighbors?”
“I took my room and board from perhaps the highest House in Marbrey.” A subtle shift in Baldassare’s tone of contempt makes clear his response to the lady’s question.
“The aristarchs? The de Gautier?” Alasais responds after a moment’s thought. At a surprised-sounding grunt from Korren, she adds, “No, I don’t keep up with all sixty-odd aristarchal families across Shayard. But Marbrey is no mean district—and I’ve reason to know the Traditionalists.”
“The de Gautier, yes.” Baldassare also sounds slightly taken aback. “I do not concern myself with Ciarreno factional politics.”
“Truly? Because the Traditionalists are concerned with you.” Korren’s voice has sharpened. “They’re behind your placement here, man. @{(tyndar < 5) Tyndar de Wrase, who used to be married to the lady kuria, is one of them. You’re their tool against her|You’re their tool}.”
*fake_choice
*if (tyndar > 4)
#Hm. I’d not expected them to openly tell Baldassare they know that Tyndar sent him here.
*if (tyndar < 2)
#I try to remember what I’ve heard about the Traditionalist faction.
[…]
*if (tyndar < 2)
#I’d have thought the de Irde were traditionalists themselves…but apparently that’s not enough to qualify them for this faction.
*if (tyndar >= 2) and (tyndar <=4)
#Via lady Alasais’s ex-husband? Things are beginning to fall into place.
#I’m still adjusting to the idea that the Telone’s dark secret was helping a young noble girl survive.
#Baldassare’s story is surely self-serving. I don’t believe it for an instant.
*if tyndar < 5
*set tyndar 5
“I am no noble’s tool,” Baldassare counters. “I perform my duty in all diligence, without fear or favor, in accordance with my oaths. Any aristo who dreams of using me otherwise is a fool.”
“Like the Traditionalists who arranged to have you placed in Marbrey.” Alasais now sounds quietly fascinated. “They thought you’d serve their interests. And perhaps you did, in some respects—otherwise they’d not have called for you elsewhere. But clearly not when it came to this beleaguered little House they meant to swallow up.”
“The Cestok were victims, not perpetrators, of lawlessness. Objects of a long campaign by certain Ciarreno Houses to purge the last Uendrians from the district. My duty to the ideals of the Hegemony was plain.” Bitterness still pulses in the Telone’s voice. “Even though my support had to be discreet, thanks to the corruption of Marbrey’s Alastors.”
“The Laconniers can’t be aware of all he’s been up to.” Korren’s talking to Alasais, as if Baldassare isn’t even there. “They’d not have set him on us if they knew he’d ever worked against their purposes. Would they?”
“Anyone who suspected that the law was not being fully respected in Irduin—which of course we have already found to be true, and by no means entirely remedied!—would have been well advised to send me here,” Baldassare retorts thinly. @{(baldspy = 8) "And for your Traditionalists, I expect their spy ${ird_name} has told them all about my doings in Marbrey, or shall soon. Regardless, do|“Do} not think that your knowledge of this letter will affect my duties with regard to your demesne, milady.”
Alasais barely pauses before saying, “I would expect no such thing, Telone. Your devotion to duty is both clear and commendable. So please accept
*achieve baldmarb
*label overhearalkor
my apologies for the misunderstanding over your letter. Now that we know the courier was no rebel fraud, we shall see him safely on his way.”
*fake_choice
#@{((int < 3) and (com < 3)) I’m surprised and disappointed. Did the message truly have no extortion value?|What is she thinking? Whatever the man says, she could surely force him out of Irduin with this.}
#Perhaps the lady @{((int < 3) and (com < 3)) still means to use whatever she’s learned, without Baldassare being aware of it.|thinks she can best get rid of him with an anonymous message to his enemies?}
#@{doirefrain I’m mainly interested to see if the lady and captain have anything to say about their spy.|I wonder if they’ll say anything more illuminating when he’s gone.}
After a brief and uncomfortable leavetaking, the room’s door thuds shut behind Baldassare. You strain your @{(int > 2) ${wisardric}ally enhanced hearing in|ears against} the ensuing silence, wondering if they’ve dropped into whispers; but when Korren finally speaks, it’s in a normal low voice. “Do you truly think we couldn’t push him out with this, kuria?”
“If he were hiding corruption or fornication, as we’d hoped…” Lady Alasais sighs. “But it seems those aren’t among our Telone’s flaws.”
The captain snorts. “Does it matter? He may say he doesn’t care about factional politics; but he has to know that his old patrons would cut his throat if they knew everything he’d been up to.”
“And did that affect how he behaved at Barningday? No: I say better to eke some trace of goodwill out of him with this secret, rather than making threats that will most likely fail.” There’s another silence, and then,
*if ird_sus < ird_sus_med
“Tell ${ird_name} that ${he} needs to stop dogging the Telone’s steps. $!{he}'s heard it from me, but better to have it openly from you, too.”
“Aye, we’d have no goodwill from Baldassare if he thinks we’re still sending spies after him.” The amusement fades fast from Korren’s voice.
*if ird_sus > ird_sus_low
“Especially spies probably dispatched by friends of your ex-husband.”
“@{(baldspy = 8) You think the Telone guessed rightly, do you|That thought came to you, too, did it}?” Alasais also sounds mirthless. “I’d not been sure what to make of our curious @{sralibi tinker|herbalist|tutor|swords${woman}|player} when ${he} actually started spying on a Telone. How many would-be informants would dare that? But now that we know who in Grand Shayard might bear a grudge against both segnure Baldassare and myself…”
@{(tam_rel = 0) “The idea of that bastard stirring up rumors that might ruin his own son, just to strike at you?” You hear Korren smack a fist into his palm. "I wish I thought he was above that. Do|“Do} you want me to run ${ird_name} off?”
"No. They’d just send someone else we needed to identify. But keep
*goto keepaneye
*if ird_sus <= ird_sus_low
“You know…${ird_name} must truly love Irduin if ${he} was ready to spy on an honest-to-Angels Telone just because you told ${him} to.”
“Indeed ${he} must. Or perhaps @{(baldspy = 8) as Baldassare alleged,|} ${he}'s a spy for my ex-husband, sent to cause trouble for me and the Telone.” Alasais doesn’t quite sound like she’s making a joke. “Keep
*label keepaneye
an eye on @{alone ${him},|}
*if not(alone)
${him} and ${his} @{(gam and cerl_here) cronies|crony},
Captain.”
*set ird_sus +1
*fake_choice
#$!{oath}.
*if ((int < 3) and (com < 3))
#Whatever was in that letter had something to do with lady Alasais’s former husband—and @{(baldspy = 8) thanks to my bluff with Baldassare,|} they think I do too.
#At least they’re not calling me rebel behind closed doors. To that extent, my caution has paid off.
#I’ll watch Korren right back, and be ready to run if needed.
*return
*if ird_sus >= ird_sus_med
“What does this mean for our @{sralibi good${woman} tinker|prying herbalist|curious tutor|spying swords${woman}|good${woman} player} and ${his} extraordinary appetite for other people’s secrets?”
“${ird_name}?” Korren lets out his breath through his teeth, while you hold yours. “It muddies the question. Yesterday, I thought @{(ird_unity < ird_unity_med) we could be sure|maybe} ${he}'s spying for the rebels. @{(ird_unity < ird_unity_med) All the trouble we’ve had since ${he} came, and the|The} fact that ${he} actually did dare to spy on the Telone for you, rather than tattling to him, or just trying to sneak off one night…”
*fake_choice
#$!{oath}.
#I drive my knuckles silently but fiercely into my palm.
#I’d not thought she was testing my loyalties from that angle.
“But now we have to wonder if ${he}'s just a spy for your once-husband and his cronies instead. Since they’ve also got a grudge against this Telone they sent us. Could they be trying to bring both of you down?”
“Segnure Baldassare thinks the Traditionalists don’t know what he’s been up to in Marbrey.” Alasais sounds doubtful. “We now know they’ve grounds for a grudge, but…all of this might be distracting us from the likeliest conclusion.”
“Do you want me to bring good${woman} ${alias} in for questioning, then?”
“No. Not yet.” You hear the swish of the lady kuria’s long robes over the floor. “For now, just keep watching @{alone ${him}.”|}
*if not(alone)
${him} and ${his} @{(gam and cerl_here) cronies.“|crony.”}
*choice
#Right—time to leave Irduin. Before they decide to do more than just bloody watch @{alone me|us}.
*set fleetime true
*return
#No. Best to wait until their attention is less intensive than it will be for the next couple of weeks.
*return
#I’m not leaving until @{(irdgoal > 3) I’ve brought down the de Irde.|I’m sure that Irduin is going to stand up to the Hegemony.}
*return