Quest Bulla Felix 1

A burly character with bare arms and leather guards on his massive wrists leads you through the forest to where Bulla Felix is holding court. Your heart is beating in your throat. //You// may know you're on their side, but you're working for the emperor. One glance at the wrong person and they may think you're here to spy on them. A thin, older man with a long nose, wax tablet in hand, hikes his toga further up his shoulder and leans in to whisper in Bulla Felix's ear. The brigand leader trains his piercing gaze on you. 'So, you want to work for both me and the emperor. You think you can fool Septimius Severus? And how do I know you won't tell him where I am the moment we set you free?' He gestures at the men and women surrounding him. 'Slaves and robbers they may be, but they know who they serve. They will not be tricked. You work for the emperor, so who do you serve?' --- [[Let me prove my worth to you, sir.|Quest]] (set: $questObjective1 to 0) (set: $questObjective2 to 0) (set: $failedObjective to 0)

Bulla Felix's eyes trail over the circle of men in front of him. The differences between them are stark, but they are united in loyalty to their leader. Next to Bulla, the togaed gent is obviously from the patrician class. He himself is unfamiliar to you, but you'd recognise the arrogant stance anywhere. Yet, he seems to be on the same level as that little man over there, whose ragged tunic bears the stains of his tanner's trade. You try not to look down on him but make a mental note not to stand downwind of him. Bulla shrugs. 'I trust my people. You'll have to convince them.' With that, he leaves you to the mercy of the group. One man, also in a worker's tunic but one of much better quality, stands as soon as Bulla has turned his back. 'What would you do if you met the emperor?' --- [[[I see Septimius Severus every day. Isn't that the point of a spy? He's not a bad man, but why should he have all the money and power?|Objective1]] ]\ [[[Every time he commands me to do something, I want to throw it in his face. Who does he think he is?|Objective2]] ]\

The soft-spoken man leans back. 'That could indeed be very useful.' He reaches down for a leather wine pouch. 'Have a drink with us. We live humbly around here, but I'm sure you've had //posca// before.' He twists the stopper from the bag and hands it to you. The sour-smelling liquid makes your stomach turn. Watered-down vinegar is not your idea of a friendly gesture. --- [[Thank you. I hope I've convinced you of my good intentions.|Objective 1Cb]] [[No, thank you. I appreciate the gesture, but I just ate.|Objective 1Ca]]

The gentleman claps you on the shoulder and laughs. 'That's what I like to hear! Come join us at the table. There are some excellent cold meats.' Relieved that you have been accepted, you join the others at the rough, wooden table. Yet, there is one more thing niggling at your conscience. --- [[I'm sorry, but I don't eat meat. According to Plato, abstaining from meat makes one more peaceable.|Objective 1Fb]] [[Is this another test? It's not poisoned, is it?|Objective 1Fa]]

Before anyone can answer, a pretty young woman catches your eye. She smiles at you and you incline your head. A suave gentleman in an expensive tunic follows your gaze and pulls up one corner of his mouth. 'What if I told you she is the daughter of Bulla Felix?' The woman slows her steps, glances at the gentleman and then at you. Clearly, this is some kind of test. --- [[I'd say she deserves better than to live in a forest.|Objective 2Ca]] [[Women don't mean much to me.|Objective 2Cb]]

Before anyone can answer, a young man joins the circle. A well-groomed man in a tunic with intricate embroidery nods a greeting and explains to you, 'He's the son of senator Publius Civilis.' You, however, instantly recognise a member of the Praetorian Guard. Why is he pretending to be the son of a senator? --- [[No, he's not! He's Naso, Septimius Severus's most trusted bodyguard!|Objective 2Fb]] [[No, he's not! I think Naso here has some explaining to do.|Objective 2Fa]]

The man nods and sits back down. On the other side of the circle, a man clears his throat. An intriguing silence falls over the group. Who is this man? You haven't seen him in the palace. But though he only wears a tunic, presumably to fit in with the others, from the way he holds his arm, he's clearly used to wearing a toga. 'You know we're all about the... redistribution of wealth. What could you do for us?' The way he looks at you, you wonder if it's a trick question. What's he really after? --- [[[After years of service, I know exactly who has what and who doesn't deserve what they have. The undeserving never even acknowledge my existence, so they discuss where they're going and when, right in front of me.|Objective1C]] ]\ [[[I may be invisible to some, but my hearing is excellent. I can tell you who to put pressure on at what time if the desired effect is to... redistribute the power as well.|Objective1F]] ]\

The worker smiles broadly. 'Hear, hear! So how can you help us find a better use for his money and power?' Emboldened by this reaction, you take a step further. --- [[[I think I can... relieve the emperor of some of that superfluous wealth without him noticing.|Objective2C]] ]\ [[[There are certain members of the Emperor's household he leans on for most of his power. If I let you in, and you were to take them out...|Objective2F]] ]\

The woman laughs, shimmies up to you and plants herself on your lap. 'Oh? Will you take me away from it all?' The rest of the party forgotten, you and the woman start jokingly making plans, until the booming voice of Bulla Felix makes it painfully clear that the woman is, in fact, his daughter. You decide to make a run for it. Well, maybe you didn't make it into the gang, but at least the woman is right there with you. [[Try again?|Intro]]

Everyone stares at you. The man next to you tries to scoot away discreetly but as he's the only one moving, it's quite noticeable. You try to save the situation. 'I only meant, there are more important matters at hand.' The woman plants her hands on her hips and glares at you, but some of the men now nod. They may not yet be convinced, but you've passed the first hurdle. [[Try again?|Intro]]

You wait for Naso to tell you why he's not who he says he is. But the Praetorian Guard rips open his coat, whips out a hidden sword, and plunges it into your chest. The last thing you see is him fighting his way to freedom. Then everything goes black. [[Try again?|Intro]]

They took your sword when you were led to Bulla Felix, but you're sure this man will have smuggled one in. He's a trained fighter and won't hesitate to kill when backed into a corner. You jump up, rip open the man's coat and kill him with his own sword before he can use it against you. Mouth agape, the gentleman stares at you. 'What did you do?!' 'He was a traitor. A spy!' The man throws his hand in the air. 'That may well be, but Bulla Felix is vehemently against killing!' Your protests that the guard would have killed you if you hadn't taken action fall on deaf ears, and you are turned away. [[Try again?|Intro]]

That was a mistake. A cloud passes over the gentleman's face, but those with less self-control are already standing, fists balled. You decide it's time to leave. [[Try again?|Intro]]

After you've bravely taken a swig of watery vinegar, the others smile approvingly. 'All right, that's enough!' the workman declares, as he produces an amphora of //passum//, a sweet and expensive wine. 'We may live humbly, but we're not stupid. That cart you were driving is ours now.' The amphora is passed round and followed by another. By the time Bulla Felix finds and reprimands his men, you are barely conscious. [[Try again?|Intro]]

The face of the man next to you contorts with rage. 'How dare you! We invite you to our table, and this is how you treat us?' You hold up your hands to appease him, mumbling that it was only a joke, but the punch still cracks your nose. Holding a cloth to your face, you leave, wondering where you went wrong. [[Try again?|Intro]]

Everyone stares at you. 'Who's Plato?' the tanner asks. The workman shrugs while he pushes a bowl of nuts and berries towards you. 'More for us.' The gentleman swallows a slice of venison and smiles. 'We'll know who to ask if ever we want peace.' [[Try again?|Intro]]