Strife:The Message (Camonna Tong)

To the GM's page

Overview
We need a leader, not a boss...
 * Quest Giver: Bobby.
 * Location(s): Vivec.
 * Prerequisite Quest: Magicka Murimush.
 * Next Quest: Sangiin Rawl.
 * Reward: 5000G, promotion to Lifetaker rank.
 * Optional Bonus: None.

Quest start
The players have been asked by Bobby to investigate what he presumes is a spell, that is actively destroying his mind, and has been for a while. He can no longer do this by himself, or at all, so has asked a confidant in the party for help. This by translation means the entire party is on the case, with no help from NPCs, since anyone could have done this.

J'Krin
If she is questioned, she will tell the truth during this, she is sitting in the main common area, eating a bowl of moon sugar. She does not interact with a smile, almost expressionless. If persuaded she can be asked about anything she's seen and she says: "Orvas' necklace glows in a wild way, ion know, shit not religious imma tell you that. Strange situations..."
 * If asked directly about any spells on Bobby she will say: "I be in situations you know, god made me for violence, I wanna meet the man who invented assault, he'd be a fan, but I ain't never done no spell shit."
 * If asked about Bobby she'll say: "Good man, almost go the case in the wrap, passionate, you know."
 * If asked about Balz she'll say: "Don't know 'em, Bobby trusts though, plus he do shit with a posture."
 * If asked about Orvas she'll say: "I just guard 'em, get paid. You gotta respect death to respect life, don't respect either. Got a body chute in the office he in all day, but no bodies on himself. All I'm sayin' is he 'round the street but not neck deep in the shit, yeah?"
 * If asked about anything she doesn't know about she'll say: "3am last night was eatin' tunas raw out a barrel, you think imma seer?"

Balz
Balz really knows nothing, he'll tell the truth except for one circumstance.
 * He won't tell the truth when asked about if he noticed something about Bobby: "Sorry, 'aven't noticed anythin'." Players can tell this is a lie if he fails his personality roll if players ask if he's lying. If pressed he will tear up slightly: "Look, sorry, I have... I don't know why he's acting like this; I am scared..." He pauses "But I don't know ANYTHING about it, tried asking him; he's fine apparently..."
 * If asked about J'Krin he'll say: "Haven't talked to them much, she's intimidating... You know her name means 'smiling girl', right?"
 * If asked about anything he doesn't know about (including the man): "Yeah sorry, you're barkin' up the wrong mushroom."
 * If asked about spells he'll say: "You saw my scrolls, right? You really think I could do magic if I tried?!"
 * If asked Orvas he'll say: "Hmmm, I tend to avoid him. 'Far as I'm concerned Bobby's our leader."

Orvas
Little do the party know, Orvas is the culprit. On everything bar from talking about J'Krin and Balz, he is hiding something which can be detected as a lie. If pressed he'll say: "Don't know, leave my office, yeah?" If pressed when he has over 80 disposition he'll say: ''"Hah, you got me; I trust you so I'll say. The man that came a few days ago from Cyrodiil, he's settin' up a chapter there. Has a way or somethin' to give someone power, got it from the arcane university or whatever." He holds up the amulet: "Somethin' to do with binding souls, I think..." He looks at the amulet: "I don't know what mine does yet." He puts the amulet back down and says: "No-one does yet, it's a new thing, I think. Not even the person who gave this oppurtunity to me."''
 * If asked about Bobby he'll say with a smile: "Just wen' out didn't he, wonder what that's 'bout; he ain't tell me nothin'"
 * If told about Bobby's situation he'll say: "Poor lad, crackin' under the pressure, maybe. Bein' a leader's hard work."
 * If asked about J'Krin he'll say "Good lass, says weird shit if at all, but does what I say."
 * If asked about Balz he'll say: "Don't talk to him much, far as I care he's Bobby's. Never agreed to 'ave the orc here in the first place."
 * If asked about his amulet he'll say: "Oh this? Jus' a gift from a friend."

He is hiding something still; the players in the office roll group personality. If this is a failure he stops talking. If this is a success ''Orvas leans forward: "I'm being unfair, I can see no ill will, let me be truthful. The enchantment follows your souls desire, and what does one man with everything want? Do I think it's affectin' Bobby? This is The Message; if there is someone I deem in my way of power, it exploits mental weakness." He leans back. "With this, I am all powerful, a GOD... Now leave, work for me and we'll be kings, work against me? Well..." Suddenly all of the players hear a horrifying noise, a thousand voices screaming over one another from inside their own head, so loud they can no longer hear and their vision tunnels... The voices fade, and they are outside the office.'' If he admits this, this is case closed, players can return to Bobby.

Finding evidence without a verbal confession
The party may remember from One Small Favour that when moving Orvas' belongings into his office they moved in a safe. This safe contains a journal of Orvas' possession and 5000 gold. It is a 100 lock safe, but Orvas carries a key to it on him at all times. Upon finding the journal it has various disjointed entries, referencing important events that have occurred to him; most likely started to talk about his Silt Strider pet, but was side-tracked. It importantly it uncovers his newfound abilities which are affecting Bobby. This is case closed, players can return to Bobby.

The confrontation
The players can go back to the council club in Balmora. There they do not see Bobby. If the party has a good and reasonably high enough reputation for Balmora to be known, the barkeep will tell the party: "Room 1, he's expectin' ya'" Otherwise, the players can talk to the barkeep and if they ask for Bobby, on a majority or 50-50 success party personality roll, the barkeep will say: "Oh, yeah he's in the back, room 1. Is he alright? Man was stumblin' everywhere." Room 1 is the first downstairs basement room. ''It is unlocked, and Bobby is sitting on the bed with his hands in his head. He looks at the party: "T- Tell me you found something I... I can't even sleep..."'' The party can tell him everything. After which ''he does not express concern, instead saying: "Come with me." Bobby gets up, he leads the party to the Silt Strider and pays to go to Vivec. During the 4 hour journey he is silent, and upon arrival he leads the party straight to Ibishammus.''

''The party and Bobby walk past Balz who is sitting in the main area. 'Stridery' has been bought to the sanctuary for a day by Orvas, and Balz is playing with the young Silt Strider. Bobby does not address Balz and walks straight for Orvas' office. Balz, confused, picks 'Stridery' up, following behind the party into Orvas' office. Inside Orvas' office is J'Krin sitting opposite to Orvas at his desk. Upon entering, Orvas stands up, Bobby says: "Excuse my rude intrusion on your routine." He walks over to the other chair, sitting down on the chair as Orvas is still standing. "...and please, join me at your table." Trepidatiously, Orvas sits down: "Yes, what is it, Bobby..." Bobby places one of his axes on the table.''

Bobby: "Right now, I am fighting for my life with my own head, speaking and acting normally; it's causing me excruciating agony, Orvas."

Orvas nods.

Bobby: "Is this you? Do you know how this feels?"

Orvas: ''"No..." Orvas looks at J'Krin, who is staring back at Orvas. "M-Maybe it's one of the Ordinators, yeah. Plenty o' people who can do it, especially to a high earnin' criminal like yoursel'"''

Bobby leans forward, speaking quieter but through his teeth: "Don't. Fuck. With me Orvas you've never gone out there with ANYONE... The Ordinators, you don't know what they do, they don't know your name for what they know ours for. When it’s time to go NONE of us panic, they’re coming for us for 24 of the day for you, and you’re getting our gold! Why do you want rid of me because you’re jealous of me? My whole life everybody’s been jealous of me. Everybody’s been worried about me my whole life. But you’ve done this to me, you’re trying to kill me.”

Orvas leans back in his chair: "No, no I didn’t do anything, I think you’re paranoid."

''Bobby stands up, pointing at Orvas: "You've done it, no you’ve done it, by the First Wyrm this sound enchantment you’re using I know, I know it..." Bobby leans forward and puts both hands flat on the desk.''

Orvas just shrugs and looks away.

Bobby: ''"Listen, I wanna sit down in that chair and I wanna guide my men. I can’t be unfit! And I don’t wanna get in there, I don’t want somebody," Bobby points at J'Krin "eight foot four, putting her dirty, filthy hands on me. I don’t want somebody, IN A BASE I HELPED BUILD, putting his dirty farm hands on me." He says pointing at Orvas before leaning over the desk again. "And I’m gonna tell you what’s gonna happen. I’m used to getting the handicap cause it’s one of me and however many of your hired jackals in the meetin' room. Now it’s your handicap; we need a leader not a boss. All our ceiling is YOUR greed! Look at us, look at us in the eyes and tell us it gets better for not just YOU.”''

''Orvas looks Bobby in the eyes and doesn’t say a word. Bobby approaches Orvas, and in a blink grabs his axe from the table and cuts his head clean off his shoulders. Bobby kicks Orvas' body from the chair, which subsequently burns up in blue and orange flames, dissolving completely, as Bobby slumps down in the office chair, exhausted. J'Krin is looking at Bobby, who reaches into Orvas' desk and throws a sack of gold onto the table. Bobby says: "Work under me, smuggle for me instead, I don't need a fucking bodyguard." J'Krin shrugs and starts counting the coin, she leaves the room. Bobby takes a scroll from his pocket, starting writing; he addresses the party: "I'm about to give you a list of all the people in that room who didn't vote for me. Give them a chance to be loyal, and if not, kill them." He hands the party a note: "Now leave. And Balz, please, take a seat."''

Purification
''The commotion has attracted the attention of the people in the main area of Ibishammus; they are looking at the party who emerges from the office. J'Krin is there, but she is counting his money and paying no mind. The people on the list are all in Ibishammus, among the staring crowd:'' While Velsa Salaron can be convinced to side with Bobby's takeover. All others will fight the party, and die for Orvas.
 * Velsa Salaron
 * Traldrisa Tervayn
 * Rarvela Teran
 * Llaynasa Othran
 * Relam Arinith

Finishing the quest
The players can return to Bobby in the office: ''"The sounds are gone but the ringing in my ears still remain, I'm exhausted, but thank you." He kicks the safe under the desk open. "I got the safe open from his keys..."''

If the players took the 5000G: "But it looks like you got to it before me, keep the gold."

If the players left the 5000G: "There's an awful lot of gold in here, please, take it, I wouldn't even be here without you."

If the players never got into the safe: "There's an awful lot of gold in here, please, take it, I wouldn't even be here without you. I also found his journal, it looks like a child wrote it, but it's interesting"

Continuing, he points to the silt strider Balz is holding, Balz grins: ''"You can also have Drooler; he's growing fast... So long as you keep him outdoors and let Balz see 'em, I'm happy. I'm also promoting you to Lifetaker, fitting right now, isn't it? You might have noticed, you killed all of our smugglers. While I rest up and take care of the rest of Orvas' loyalists, I want you to take J'Krin on a skooma run. Go to Ebonheart, there's a ship waiting there, J'Krin will know which one it is. Now, I'm going to address my people..." Slowly, Bobby gets up.''

The party can stick about for Bobby speech: ''Walking up to the onlooking crowd, Bobby speaks: "Orvas is dead, I am Kingpin. I kept you all alive because I trust you, the people who lie on the floor right now, I did not. He hoarded wealth, and with a boss being replaced by a leader you will see a lot more of what he withheld. We won't slow down... Every day, we've gotta stay battlin'. Gotta stay fightin', strivin', dreamin'. We were in limbo with Orvas, but now? We have the call to do something deeper. We have the call to make everyone look at everything else happening over here. We have a deeper calling, and it's not everyone that get's that. The money we will make, no-one will have seen anythin' like this happen ever before. These are the games we play, and we are the names they say; we're damn near gonna face the Ordinators and tell them we need a challenge. Here, with me, you will reject tradition and embrace power. I am leaving into my office, if you want to leave, do. We will do this without you. This, is our new dawn..." Bobby walks back into the office, Ibishammus goes quiet.''

Whether the party stick around for the speech or not, they can speak to J'Krin who is in the common area, bagging back up her gold. She stares at the party. When the party introduce what they need to do, she says: ''"Sure I'll meet ya' there. Wait for me on the docks, look out to the water, I swim fast, yeah?" She leaves.''

The party now has completed this quest and has now moved onto quest Sangiin Rawl.