ROYAL 🍞 SECRET PAGE.
Sup guys! Here's where we're going to be going over ~secret info~ for the Royal Pain mission.
I was thinking the way we'd run this would be similar to a D&D sort of thing. I give you guys some scenarios. You tell me what your characters would do. If I think it's particularly difficult or risky, we'll do a skill check, but that'll probably be rare (unless you want to TRY for something particularly unlikely and REQUEST a skill check). I'll tell you what information your characters find, and they can relate it to the rest of the game as you wish. Sound good?
FIRST OFF all your guys' names will be absolutely impossible to pronounce for French people... except for you, John Neige. For Daenerys, it might be a good idea to just go as Dany, since the name Danielle exists, though it's very rare at this time in France. Ashitaka... well, people will probably assume Ashitaka is at least partially Chinese, so you can really do whatever. Basically: if you want to come up with names for your personas, lmk! Or if you wanna handwave it, that's cool too!
ALSO for the benefit of transparency, once this mission is over, we'll be making the post public so players can see everything that went down behind the scenes!
I was thinking the way we'd run this would be similar to a D&D sort of thing. I give you guys some scenarios. You tell me what your characters would do. If I think it's particularly difficult or risky, we'll do a skill check, but that'll probably be rare (unless you want to TRY for something particularly unlikely and REQUEST a skill check). I'll tell you what information your characters find, and they can relate it to the rest of the game as you wish. Sound good?
FIRST OFF all your guys' names will be absolutely impossible to pronounce for French people... except for you, John Neige. For Daenerys, it might be a good idea to just go as Dany, since the name Danielle exists, though it's very rare at this time in France. Ashitaka... well, people will probably assume Ashitaka is at least partially Chinese, so you can really do whatever. Basically: if you want to come up with names for your personas, lmk! Or if you wanna handwave it, that's cool too!
ALSO for the benefit of transparency, once this mission is over, we'll be making the post public so players can see everything that went down behind the scenes!

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The Commander answers in turn:
- Yes, it's a living thing; the egg will eventually hatch.
- It took her blood because it was likely thirsty and dying; it shouldn't need more. It changes colors because it's noticing more sustenance nearby.
- It depends on how much of your blood you need. Infants are greedy.
- It will change colors depending on proximity to her body heat. It will be brighter next to her; it has her blood and likes her now.
- It would likely continue to grow, if someone else took it, but what would hatch from it could be beneficial to COST's cause. If broken, it would die. It's unpredictable in the hands of others, and it could become dangerous. It's good Dany found it when she did.
- It will grow incrementally. It's liable to hatch by the end of this month, when it'll be roughly the size of a can of soup (but, you know, spherical). The Commander will just... send her a picture of a fully grown one about to hatch, figuring out reference bases is a pain with interdimensional travel. IT WILL BE BIGGER THAN ITS CURRENT SIZE.
It's not blood magic, though; that much is clear from the Commander's explanation. And if someone notices it's missing, the Commander says, they're very likely a Regency spy. That item is from another planet entirely.
Jeanne-Anne is... a little shocked by this, honestly, but she likes Dany's spirit. And, Jeanne-Anne supposes, whatever they find could likely be sold at a high price... Jeanne-Anne says she'll look for a key. It's got to be on that locksmith, that's why he's always popping in and out, but first they have to find the box. It must be in the king's apartments somewhere, probably his study... And the king is so stupid, the key must be there as well.
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Commander, you didn't tell her what is going to hatch! But now that she knows she's got an egg... gosh, well back into mother-mode she goes. It's almost like having a dragon again. As long as there is no immediate threat if she allows it a little more of her blood, things will be peachy. She'll be sure to protect the egg and keep it hidden from anyone else, especially if it's not a Regency device.
Whatever they find certainly could be sold at a high price, she'll tell Jeanne-Anne. But then there will be some insistence that she not risk herself in getting caught. If Jeanne-Anne distracts the locksmith, Dany could search the king's apartments (but really, she'd have the boys involved since she doesn't trust anyone in this world). If she gets caught, it would be more believable if the queen's chambermaid was found.
(do we have to roll for anything to go that route?)
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The Commander asks that she please not give it any more blood, and pray to whatever gods she holds sacred that it's female. The word she uses to describe the egg (dʒdʒætʃ tʃəw) the BCE has some trouble translating due to a software glitch; it eventually settles on dauphine egg.
Jeanne-Anne supposes that, considering it's Dany's idea, she can manage it, then.
And really, if you guys want to mount a mission to sneak into a part of the castle or whatever, we'll do a simple role to decide success level, and go from there! Nothing too complicated since we already did the Big Roll to get in the palace in the first place. Just let me know your plan; which characters are involved, when are they doing it, etc etc. If you need any more info to make that plan, hmu!
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Also, possibility of a roll for the handwriting analysis? I imagine the trouble would be obtaining other handwriting samples. Kate's willing to help her with that if she can get sample writings to compare the scraps to.
Dany wants to know more about the dauphine egg. What is she carrying with her, and why is a female preferable--because of docility? Furious temper? Will it recognize her after it hatches? (be still her heart, is this a possible and temporary dragon replacement lol)
I'm going to assume that since Dany made mention of her plan with Jeanne-Anne that Ashitaka discovery falls into line with this point! She is aware of the mystery key as well.
Also, wow, wedding in one month!?
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The Commander sighs and tells her the Sargent will be in contact with her over her concerns; he's more knowledgeable on this subject (AKA watch ur inbox bb).
Some people are betrothed from birth, Dany, jeez!
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I haven't spoken to anyone much about tailing those suspicious folks (because I've literally been fail this week, thank you holidays), so I think a list of suspects would be best. I can definitely approach the others in game and/or make a thread re: tailing people for anyone interested :>
(smears self all over inbox <3)
Also about that key Ashi yoinked: Dany is going to throughly shove it into any lock inside Marie's room to see if she has better luck vs the boys and the king's space.
And gosh, she totally gets the betrothal by birth and was ready to marry an Aegon, okay... >8[