Long Game 65: Dancing through Life

[Coffeecat]

Hmm, hello.

I'm rather new, so if I do something dumb you might want to tell me... or not

“Ah!”

“Such a fine winter day! Don’t you think?”

“The chill invigorates me rather powerfully, look at the blood on my cheeks!”

His remarks were met with dull and silent disapproval, they did fit the day though. Slackers thought Lord, no one should be complaining about the cold inside the fishery, it was hot with the hopes of new students starting the term with joyful excitement. Or so it seemed to him, the forges were stoked with massive stokers and their fires burned in controlled violence.

“So, what do you recommend I do now?” He asked a fellow student dressed in noble garb, “I heard rumors of skin dancers around here. I hope they won’t be trouble.”

“Hmph, they asked for it when they began studying the arcane arts,” she said imitating the sneer that she had most likely seen when her parents knew she wanted to study at The Academy. “I tell you, stay away from naming and the such.”

“Well, maybe I should… Or not, thanks for the idea!”

She turned with a disgusted expression and headed as far away from him as she could.

That was a very good idea indeed, after a term at the fishery he might learn some names, how hard could that be.

That was a good motto. Fight fire with fire.

[xinoehp512]

Greetings, fellow students! Very glad to be finally playing this game.

I have read the rules before, but I only just started my reread, so I'm unfortunately not going to have much to say in this post. What I will say will concern the monetary system, particularly the tuition reductions- which, although they're technically discounts, effectively act as though they're earnings.

Of the methods given, the most effective by far appears to be the 'quality RP'. This can be done multiple times every turn, regardless of the location of the player, and requires no other in-game prerequisites to complete. Therefore, I will attempt to fit as much RP into a single cycle as the limits of my time and my sanity allow.

––-

Maern’s breath condensed in the air as he exhaled, forming clouds of mist that dissipated in the air with every footstep. He pulled his secondhand cloak around him as he swiveled his head around to take in the University as a whole.

He felt a thrill go through him. He’d been longing to come here ever since he was a child. It hadn’t exactly been an impossible dream- his family’s finances might be tight, but they were hardly poor- but he’d sort of expected that something would happen that would stop him from attending.

But nothing had happened. And now, here he was. Ready to learn at one of the most prestigious institutions of learning in the Four Corners. Ready to learn to become an arcanist. He felt a shiver run up his spine in anticipation at the thought.

It would be hard, of course. But he was willing to do whatever it took. Starting with making the best impression on the Masters as he possibly could. (Part of why he’d chosen to lodge at The Windy Tower- proximity to the University grounds would make things much easier.)

He smiled. Cold it might be; he hardly felt it. Cold was hardly going to stop him now.

––– 

I might as well get the drabs for game related discussion as well, so here’s a few final comments.

 I realize that this is a game that has been played before, and that the player list of this game includes some who have taken part in those past games. To those players, I beg forgiveness for my ignorance- I unfortunately don’t really have time to reread the past games, and so my reasoning may be deeply flawed in ways that may seem obvious to you.

Finally, a question. Is anyone else staying at The Windy Tower and- if you are- do you feel like doing some coordinated RP with me?

[Straw]

Last game I posted quite a few graphs. I had tons of fun doing it, so I think I'll continue doing it this game. Hopefully, someone will get some use out of them.

First of all, here's a pie chart of the player classes:

Also, while some things have changed since LG33, here's a graph of how players spent EP on term one month one last game:

So essentially, you probably don't want to go into archives if you care about being elevated.

Since the starting funds and stipend are inconveniently split into talents, jots, and drabs, I converted them into drabs below. Hopefully this should make comparison a bit easier. I'll also probably make a graph about this at some point.

Vintish Noblemen start with two thousand (2000) drabs, and receive three thousand (3000) drabs as a stipend each term.

Aturan Noblemen start with one thousand three hundred thirty-four (1334) drabs, and receive two thousand (2000) drabs as a stipend each term.

Yllish Commoners start with seven hundred forty-nine (749) drabs, and receive one thousand one hundred twenty-three (1123) drabs as a stipend each term.

Cealdish Commoners start with six hundred fifty-eight (658) drabs, and receive nine hundred eighty-seven (987) drabs as a stipend each term.

Edema Ruh start with three hundred four (304) drabs, and receive five hundred sixty-seven (567) drabs as a stipend each term.

Looking at this, you can see that Edema Ruh have it very rough. They start with less than half the amount that Cealdish Commoners get, and only get slightly more than half as a stipend. My advice to all Ruh is to try for pipes ASAP and if you don't get pipes, just drop out of university. Also, please don't vote for people who are Edema Ruh unless you're very suspicious of them, since they need all they money they can get.

I believe that is my 200 required words, so goodbye for now!

[Burnt Spaghetti]

Bryn pulled her jacket tighter around her, cursing the cold weather. It was a nice jacket, with long sleeves getting wider at the wrists, its collar flipped to stand upright. It had a strip of dark blue embroidery  running down the length of the front openings and across the hem. Its fastenings were carved wooden toggles that only went down to the waist, allowing the rest of the jacket to flow open for the rest of the length of it. Given her otherwise plain clothing, it was a very nice jacket, seeming to have originally been tailored for someone specifically. Not for her though. Begs the question as to where she got it of course. Her answer tends to change whenever asked. It was either a hand-me-down from a cousin, the prize from a bet gone in her favour, a forgotten order she took home with a discount from a part time job as a seamstress, a gift from a suitor, maybe all of the above! In any case, as nice a jacket as it was, it still wasn’t quite enough to stop the chill getting through.   I’m gonna need to pick up something warmer if the weather continues like this… At least it wasn’t too bad inside. The walk to the classroom had her worried that her ink pots would freeze over though. They hadn’t, and her books had also survived the walk from her accommodation. That was good. She didn’t want to start off her studies having to re-purchase the already entirely too costly textbooks because of an old satchel letting all the moisture in. And she didn’t know any classmates well enough yet to feel comfortable asking to share books at all yet. Speaking of, she needed to choose what classes she really wanted to commit to, all things considered...Maybe she could just focus on all and see what sticks?  She really oughta decide on a long term goal though. Studying was expensive so she really shouldn’t spend more time than needed here… especially if there’s threats around. Perhaps she was better off staying as an assistant to the tailor. At least the people bothering her there were probably not fae. But that's not an option anymore so whelp, here we go, off to classes to get my mind bored out of existence. With a sigh, she adjusted the strap of her bag across her shoulder and trudged down the corridors to find the room she was meant to be having a class in shortly.

[TheMightyLopen]

Here we go! Excited for whatever happens! Considering I played the first and helped GM the second iteration of this game, I feel like I should be a Master rules expert, but I'm finding I actually don't remember how quite a few things work precisely...but that's part of the fun IMO!  Good luck to everyone!

First thought goes to paying tuition, which for me, should be fairly simple.  However, I agree with Straw that it is very harmful to Edema to be voted on at this stage, so vote carefully! If I'm reading the rules correctly, there's 45 DP(from Masters) to be spread out on whoever has votes on them, and 2 votes counts as 1 DP. So unless we're really trying to roleblock/expel someone, it's best to get a decent spread of votes. Anywhere from 10-15 players with votes on them should make the chances fairly low anyone gets punished, unless someone has a bunch of votes.

In terms of fields of study, honestly, I'd say just go for whatever sounds fun! I do remember Archives being very popular in the first game as well, so that might be tough to get into.

Other advice - Put your actions in early! You can always change it later if you want! It's especially important to remember lodging orders, although it looks like being on the streets is slightly less dangerous now if you don't have a lot of money, which is a cool little balance change. One thing to help Edema is to put Black market contracts out for doing something simple, and then they can get an easy Talent or two like that. As far as actions go this Month, looks like we're limited to: EP spending, voting, and choosing to go to Imre. Next Month will be the time to put in Lodging. Although...GM's, can you put in Lodging orders for the next Term in the first Month of that Term? Or do you have to send the orders in during the second Month?

I think that's it for now. If anyone wants to PM me, feel free! I like to get a couple good connections going early as it helps me get a better feel for what's going on behind the scenes.

[Elkanah]

Kendel trudged out into the snow . The frost was biting and the sky overcast. He wished for nothing more than to see the sun. His pack was full of papers that were meant for notes. To be fair, he had covered them in notes- except the note he had written were musical ones.The wind picked up a little forcing Kendel to seek shelter against the onslaught by pulling collar of his coat over his head. As much as it hurt to have to spend two and a half talents on this coat, It was absolutely necessary.

He needed a break. A break from school. A break from the storm. A break from this life. On a whim, he ducked into the windy towers. True to their name they didn't do much to stop the draft, but at least there was a roof that kept the snow out. Plus there was a piano in here that was mostly in tune. He'd been asked to leave before for playing at four a m, but he needed a bright spot today. 

He sat at the piano and began to sing

Blow high, blow low, let tempest tear

The mainmast by the board

My heart (with thoughts on thee, my dear

And love well stored)

Shall brave all danger, Scorn all fear 

The roaring winds, The raging sea

With hopes on shore to be once more

Safe moored with thee.

Lost in the music, he didn't notice the people coming down into the lobby from their rooms to listen. When he completed his song, he looked up from the piano and realized he'd been noticed (You tend to do that when you're singing loudly.)

"Oops, sorry everyone." Kendel said and stuffed the music back in his bag.

I didn't write this song so it's not in RP Black and I'm not submitting it as RP. I made sure to get enough words for the tuition requirement without it. Also, I would love to interact with some of your characters. Let me know where I need to be in order to be a part of your stories and I will make it happen in a post or two if it takes some set up for why Kendel is headed there.

 

[StrikerEZ]

Whelp, I was hoping to be at least a commoner, but I can work with this. Just have to figure out how to cover my tuition, then I'm all set. I'll probably be going to try for my Talent Pipes as soon as I can, after a couple turns of practicing or so. I was hoping to try and get elevated in a certain field sooner rather than later, but it wouldn't be super helpful to try and stay in the University since I can't even afford it anyway right now. Hence, this post. I need to get as many tuition reductions as I possibly can. Anyone wanna help me come up with some ideas of what to RP so I can get those sweet, sweet tuition reductions?

Anyway, I do think it is imperative that, unless you really, really suspect someone of being a Skindancer, you shouldn't vote on any Edema Ruh. It's already hard enough as is for us to afford going to this school, we don't need tuition inflation on top of that to hinder us. I know you guys like to lynch me on C1/C2, but maybe you could hold off from doing that just this once?

Also, I've already hit the 200 word limit, but I would just like to say that I am so excited to play this game. I know nothing about the world and I am going to mess things up so bad because there's no way I can remember all the rules. But, it is going to be so much fun.

[DeTess]

16 minutes ago, StrikerEZ said:

Anyway, I do think it is imperative that, unless you really, really suspect someone of being a Skindancer, you shouldn't vote on any Edema Ruh. It's already hard enough as is for us to afford going to this school, we don't need tuition inflation on top of that to hinder us. I know you guys like to lynch me on C1/C2, but maybe you could hold off from doing that just this once?

I mean, if you can't afford tuition anyway, why not allow yourself to get expelled C1. That way, you won't have to worry about tuition at all 

If you're looking for RP, thinking about why your character would currently be attending the university would always be a good start. Especially given that attending the university is rather tricky for Edema Ruh with their low income.

Edited April 30, 2020 by DeTess

[StrikerEZ]

12 minutes ago, DeTess said:

I mean, if you can't afford tuition anyway, why not allow yourself to get expelled C1. That way, you won't have to worry about tuition at all 

If you're looking for RP, thinking about why your character would currently be attending the university would always be a good start. Especially given that attending the university is rather tricky for Edema Ruh with their low income.

Hmmm. I guess I could just not go to university, but I would very much like to have access to some of the fields.

You see, your advice is pretty good. It'd just be more helpful if I actually understood anything about the world.

[Elkanah]

Do we know how good of a performance we need in order to get the talent pipes. It occurs to me that although trying for the talent pipes gets us a one talent discount on school for the following term, it also costs us one talent this turn so we end up spending it anyway. It is nice that it is almost free to try for the pipes though and I do appreciate that. You just have to go back to school the next semester regardless of whether you succeeded or not and I don't think that's too much to ask given you really have to go out of your way to stay in Imre two turns in an row.

Is anyone who has played the previous games willing to tell me how likely it is to get the pipes? I can't find it in the rules. All I was told is that it is not likely because it would devalue them if everyone just got them. Also you gain a boost of one half of a point to your base stat every time you practice. Is that calculable? If we are using a D20 to decide this as is the pattern for other elements of the game, I'm guessing we need to get our base stat plus our performance score to add up to 20 or higher. That seems reasonably doable, but not in any way easy. I'd then assume we are innately given ability on a scale from one to ten. One being the sound of nails on a chalk board and ten the ability to make angels swoon. Edema Ruh get an innate bonus in singing, but even with a base score of ten, you have a fifty-fifty chance of failing to earn the pipes. The low end might even be a five out of twenty so even the plebiest of us has a one in four shot of achieving the pipes, but then again it may be lower.

@TheMightyLopen can you tell me if I'm on or near the right track on this one?

42 minutes ago, StrikerEZ said:

I know you guys like to lynch me on C1/C2, but maybe you could hold off from doing that just this once?

I guess maybe this once  

Elandera It's nothing personal, I just need the money more than you do right now. If you gain another vote or two I'll find someone else to leach off of.

Edit: @Elandera

Edited April 30, 2020 by Elkanah
make the vote pokey

[xinoehp512]

1 hour ago, Elkanah said:

Kendel trudged out into the snow . The frost was biting and the sky overcast. He wished for nothing more than to see the sun. His pack was full of papers that were meant for notes. To be fair, he had covered them in notes- except the note he had written were musical ones.The wind picked up a little forcing Kendel to seek shelter against the onslaught by pulling collar of his coat over his head. As much as it hurt to have to spend two and a half talents on this coat, It was absolutely necessary.

He needed a break. A break from school. A break from the storm. A break from this life. On a whim, he ducked into the windy towers. True to their name they didn't do much to stop the draft, but at least there was a roof that kept the snow out. Plus there was a piano in here that was mostly in tune. He'd been asked to leave before for playing at four a m, but he needed a bright spot today. 

He sat at the piano and began to sing

Blow high, blow low, let tempest tear

The mainmast by the board

My heart (with thoughts on thee, my dear

And love well stored)

Shall brave all danger, Scorn all fear 

The roaring winds, The raging sea

With hopes on shore to be once more

Safe moored with thee.

Lost in the music, he didn't notice the people coming down into the lobby from their rooms to listen. When he completed his song, he looked up from the piano and realized he'd been noticed (You tend to do that when you're singing loudly.)

"Oops, sorry everyone." Kendel said and stuffed the music back in his bag.

I didn't write this song so it's not in RP Black and I'm not submitting it as RP. I made sure to get enough words for the tuition requirement without it. Also, I would love to interact with some of your characters. Let me know where I need to be in order to be a part of your stories and I will make it happen in a post or two if it takes some set up for why Kendel is headed there.

 

Let’s see… thought Maern. Nine fields of study- Linguistics, Arithmetics, Rhetoric & Logic, Archives, Sympathy, Physicking, Alchemy, Artificery, and Naming. Which to focus on…?
He tapped his pencil as he considered. He liked literature and language- perhaps Linguistics, Rhetoric, or Archives? Arithmetics and Physicking he wasn’t particularly interested in, although he supposed that they would probably be useful. Both Alchemy and Artificing would give him skills that he could potentially use to earn a little extra cash. And Naming… Naming was simply  fascinating.

He sighed. Oh well- he had plenty of time to decide. In the meantime, he had basic school to study for.

Music began to play in the background, and he hummed along absentmindedly to it as he worked. He liked music. It helped him concentrate- exactly what he needed during a long study session like this one. He played the piano a little bit himself - had even worked a few coins off it on occasion-, but he hadn't had much chance to practice for a long time. Certainly not since he began studying at the University. He admired anyone with the dedication to pursue a musical instrument long enough to truly master it, especially if they were a fellow student. 

Suddenly he realized the music had stopped. He looked up from his papers. "No need to apologize!" he said quickly. "Here..." He fumbled in his pockets and came out with a couple of drabs, which he tossed over. He flashed a smile. "Music helps me focus," he explained.

@Elkanah

Edited April 30, 2020 by xinoehp512

[DeTess]

7 minutes ago, StrikerEZ said:

You see, your advice is pretty good. It'd just be more helpful if I actually understood anything about the world.

Ah, with that I can't be too helpful. I've read the first book, but stopped halfway through the second as it was just too slow for my tastes.

However, in general the world is a fairly typical high fantasy not-england (minus the various fantasy-races, as its generally just humans), with as main points of interest the magic-as-science approach and the old-school fey (IE: not the sparkly happy ones, but the ones that'll, at best, kill you if you accidentally stray into their domain and break one of their rules). The university itself is neutral ground, dedicated fully to developing the sciences.

I mean, its a lot more complicated than that, obviously, and I'm sure someone else can give a far more involved explanation, but this should cover the basics.

[Kynedath]

Hey y'all! Checking in, getting that tuition decrease. I'll be galavanting around doing my own thing for the most part. So yeah. Howdy!

[Elkanah]

Kendel threw the bag onto his back and was ready to make a hasty retreat before someone complained about him. He could barely afford school as it was and there was a rumor that if you had complaints filed against you, they charged you more! What kind of school would do that?! 

"Sorry" Kendel said mostly to himself, but hoping it would appease anyone he had disturbed with his song.

He turned to go when someone quickly said "No need to apologize. Here." The guy threw him a couple of drabs. He almost fumbled them. For practicing instruments all his life, his reflexes still weren't great. But at least he didn't drop them. That would have been too much right now. 

The guy flashed a smile. "Music helps me focus." He explained.

Kendel looked at the drabs in his hand. He wanted to return them. He was only messing around on the piano after all. It was a release from the pressures all around him... but every drab counted with tuition coming up. And housing has to be paid on top of that. 

Finally he decided.

He smiled back "What would you like to hear?" He asked the student, whose name he realized he didn't know. That last one was free, but if Kendel could provide a service, maybe it would at least get him a discount on housing.

@xinoehp512

[Furamirionind]

Lyoan turned her back as her troupe left her. They didn't understand her desire - no, need - to attend the University, but she did. They offered what support they could. A couple talents, a lute and her wits were all she had left. Especially after those disappointing admissions she went through. Sure, she had been told that a 2 talent 6 jot 3 drab tuition was impressive, but it didn't feel that way when, at this rate, she wouldn't be able to pay for tuition next term without living on the streets.

She shuddered, for the first time realizing how cold it was. Hearing music coming out of a nearby building, she took off in that direction. She heard a musician playing a piano that sounded a bit off. But they moved around it quite well. Changing the chords to not hit the keys that sounded dull. It was quite impressive work. She looked around, she didn't belong here. This place was far above what she could afford... But maybe she could stay a little longer and listen.

She closed her eyes, and started her studies.

Edit: Lol, I'm a couple words short of 200, but I have class now xD

Edited April 30, 2020 by Furamirionind

[Guest Coda]

I'm really excited for this. I've read the books, though I wasn't around for previous Kingkiller SE games. The spreadsheets are incredible. I'm going to re-read the rules a few times and come back with some analysis. Until then, enjoy some RP.

Catalan walked idly through the courtyard, contemplating his education. There were nine fields of study, of which he was interested in Alchemy, Sympathy, and Naming. The other fields seemed so ordinary. Why would he learn how to heal people when he could learn how to craft strange and esoteric objects that behaved in ways that made sense in a sideways logic? Why would he study in the Archives, the greatest library that had ever existed in human history, when he could learn to move things with only his will and a binding? Why would he learn the art of arguing and reasoning when he could learn to call the wind? And besides, he had come to the University to learn the Arcane Arts. If he had wanted to learn

But he was still undecided on what to study. This would take a great deal of thought, and some re-reading of what each field of study offered. Naming seemed the most versatile, but there was the high risk of going mad. That would bring great shame upon his family, and he might even get recalled to his homeland. How horrible! To be forced to return in shame without an education...

He shuddered at the thought, but continued contemplating his options. Sympathy could protect him from the Fae interlopers that were rumored to be inhabiting students, and it could even hurt others, if he so chose. Of course, malfeasance was greatly illegal, so he would avoid it if at all possible. Alchemy would allow the creation of wondrous artifacts. 

He bit his lip and sighed. He still couldn't decide.

[Zillah]

Oh man, trying to figure out all of these complex and intertwined dynamics is so much fun, and also a tad stressful. I can not believe how many players we have, I am definitely not used to this! In regards to the Edema Ruh, I don't agree with not voting on them specifically because they are lacking in funds, I think we could be giving the skin dancers an advantage should any of their members be in that category. I do get that they have quite a disadvantage, but I do not think they should get a ton of special immunity in that you need to be more certain of your suspicion to vote on them. (sorry guys!). That being said, I do agree with not voting on them just to vote on someone. 

@Lumgolhasn't checked in, and they are richer than me so. . . Lumgol

                                                                                                       

Edited April 30, 2020 by Zillah

[StrikerEZ]

Ryykal Ladzo hated the snow. It got all over his clothes and in his shoes, and he couldn't afford anything much warmer than the thick wool shirt and the cheap coat he'd...found near his parents' house. He'd have to find a way to dry it all again so he could wear it the next day. Studying was going to be impossible if he had to keep cleaning all of his clothes over and over again. He could barely afford to go to the University as it was, so having many pairs of clothes wasn't super feasible for him.

As he was trudging his way through the snow-covered paths through the University, he heard some piano music coming from a nearby building. The poor piano was severely out of tune, but whoever was playing it was pretty good. Already, his fingers itched to feel the delicate keys of a well-used piano again. His family had saved up as much money as they possibly could to pay for him to receive piano lessons as a child. They were surprised by his natural affinity to the instrument, and even more so by his ability to pick up other instruments as well. Practicing the lute, flute, and other instruments on his own had been hard, but it was the best he was able to do since his parents couldn't afford lessons with multiple teachers.

Ryykal had gotten lost in his thoughts and hadn't even realized he'd gone on a detour towards that building. I can take a quick stop to listen for a bit, he thought to himself. Maybe even play for a bit....

[TheMightyLopen]

1 hour ago, Elkanah said:

Do we know how good of a performance we need in order to get the talent pipes. It occurs to me that although trying for the talent pipes gets us a one talent discount on school for the following term, it also costs us one talent this turn so we end up spending it anyway. It is nice that it is almost free to try for the pipes though and I do appreciate that. You just have to go back to school the next semester regardless of whether you succeeded or not and I don't think that's too much to ask given you really have to go out of your way to stay in Imre two turns in an row.

Is anyone who has played the previous games willing to tell me how likely it is to get the pipes? I can't find it in the rules. All I was told is that it is not likely because it would devalue them if everyone just got them. Also you gain a boost of one half of a point to your base stat every time you practice. Is that calculable? If we are using a D20 to decide this as is the pattern for other elements of the game, I'm guessing we need to get our base stat plus our performance score to add up to 20 or higher. That seems reasonably doable, but not in any way easy. I'd then assume we are innately given ability on a scale from one to ten. One being the sound of nails on a chalk board and ten the ability to make angels swoon. Edema Ruh get an innate bonus in singing, but even with a base score of ten, you have a fifty-fifty chance of failing to earn the pipes. The low end might even be a five out of twenty so even the plebiest of us has a one in four shot of achieving the pipes, but then again it may be lower.

@TheMightyLopen can you tell me if I'm on or near the right track on this one?

I guess maybe this once  

Elandera It's nothing personal, I just need the money more than you do right now. If you gain another vote or two I'll find someone else to leach off of.

Edit: @Elandera

Hmmm, I can't exactly remember, but I think it was actually possible that some players have no chance at all of getting pipes. Not sure that's true though, sorry. It has been a while, and there was so much to keep track of...

[Zillah]

@Elbereth @little wilson I am looking at tuition reductions, and the numbers in the summary don't match the numbers in the full rules document. Which set should be used?

                                                                                                       

[Devotary of Spontaneity]

Nobody would ever be able to identify the cause or the culprit of the explosion that had set the church on fire, but Vol had been blamed anyway. Not that anyone would dare accuse a noble of malfeasance, and Vol's family would take no responsibility either formally or informally, but a proclivity for alchemy had always been looked down upon, and an unnatural fire was the perfect excuse to kick a troublesome child out of the house. One month of lodgings and money sufficient to pay for a term at the University had been supplied, and a generous stipend had been set up, but that just meant 'Don't come back, unless we need you to demonstrate that the Masters have beaten you into shape'. Vol didn't care. Money would be appreciated of course, but becoming a skilled alchemist would mean finally gaining the ability to eliminate the influence of parents and family. Selling alchemical items would hopefully render a stipend unnecessary, and the first carriage that tried to bring Vol home would be bone tarred long before leaving University grounds. Even with the apparent dangers of the University, it could only be more accepting than 'home' would ever be. Soon, this place would be home.

So far as I can tell, having extra votes on you matters a lot less than how many people have votes. I assume, and somebody who's played this game before can confirm, that random distribution is by vote count, so if player A has two votes and player B has one vote, player A gets one discipline point plus an average of 30 DP from the Masters for automatic expulsion, while player B gets the other 15 DP from Masters for a 65% of expulsion.

[Straw]

Since Karnage is a noble, I'll put a complaint on them for now.

As promised, here is my money graph. 

Some thoughts on tuition reductions:

First of all, there are a few basic activity checks that most players will probably meet. If you post once, send a PM, file a complaint, and impress a master, your tuition will already be down to eight talents and one jot! Other than these basic checks, there are also reductions that are basically compensation for spending money and participation awards. I doubt that most of the compensation reductions will end up helping out most players. After all, if you have enough spare money to buy items, tuition is probably not an issue for you. The one reduction that is helpful to Edema Ruh is the talent pipe reduction. The rewards for quality RP and discussion are probably going to be very important to the poorer classes, as they are usually the only way for Ruh to get their tuition to be affordable. Unfortunately for people like me who don't love RP, RP is worth 10x as much as game discussion. The only advice I can really offer with this is that it is probably smart to wait until you have 200 words before posting. Also, if you have over 200 words, consider saving the extra content for your next post.

Here are my thoughts on the Vintish nobles (I'll talk about the other social classes later):

Vintish noblemen have a massive stipend, and should be able to easily afford tuition even with their 33% tuition inflation. They really don't have to bother with getting tuition reductions, but it's still beneficial for them. Vintish noblemen do have the issue of housing, as they are usually forced to spend a minimum of nine talents on lodging. Something interesting that I just realized is that most Vintish noblemen will be unable to stay at the Gray Man, and are therefore unable to just sit in Imre all the time. I'd estimate that most Vintish Noblemen will end up having a net gain of a few talents per term. Most Vintish noblemen will probably be saving up money to buy items from Imre, as they do have quite a bit of cash to throw around.

Edited April 30, 2020 by Straw

[Karnage]

Lasko Vietch looked up at the great gate, all he had to do was enter and he would begin his studies in one of the most magnificent Universities in all the world. He looked around the courtyard, with the snow everywhere there was a surprisingly good amount of students out there. Nobody he knew was here, but that was to be expected he was from a little known part of his family's house. Both of his parents had come here to school, not being able to bear the strain of their studies they both ended up in the Crockery. Once they had gotten out they were both retrieved and brought back to their families, eventually, they saw each other again, that was the beginning of their story. They were both humiliated.

I cannot afford to be sent to the Crockery. Both of his parents had been studying in Naming. 

Perhaps I will stay away from that one, on second thought I will definitely stay away from that one. He hated math, absolutely despised it but perhaps Arithmetics would provide a stable way to build off his part of the family's reputation, and it might help him keep his finances in order.

Hearing music inside, it reminded him that it was cold outside, and he needed to find a way to get friends. Would music help? He didn’t have any musical talent worth anything, but maybe those people playing music would be nice. Musically talented people tend to be friendly, right? Well, it would be worth a shot. He then trudged through the snow, through the gate and into the corridors of the magnificent University. 

I don’t want to trouble the commoners so I think that I might put a vote on Hemalurgic Headshot, not out of bad blood. I just want to spread the Votes around. Also if anyone wants to PM me that would be great, not entirely sure what goes on in A SE PM so it will be fun to figure it out.

 

Edited April 30, 2020 by Karnage

[xinoehp512]

2 hours ago, Elkanah said:

Kendel threw the bag onto his back and was ready to make a hasty retreat before someone complained about him. He could barely afford school as it was and there was a rumor that if you had complaints filed against you, they charged you more! What kind of school would do that?! 

"Sorry" Kendel said mostly to himself, but hoping it would appease anyone he had disturbed with his song.

He turned to go when someone quickly said "No need to apologize. Here." The guy threw him a couple of drabs. He almost fumbled them. For practicing instruments all his life, his reflexes still weren't great. But at least he didn't drop them. That would have been too much right now. 

The guy flashed a smile. "Music helps me focus." He explained.

Kendel looked at the drabs in his hand. He wanted to return them. He was only messing around on the piano after all. It was a release from the pressures all around him... but every drab counted with tuition coming up. And housing has to be paid on top of that. 

Finally he decided.

He smiled back "What would you like to hear?" He asked the student, whose name he realized he didn't know. That last one was free, but if Kendel could provide a service, maybe it would at least get him a discount on housing.

@xinoehp512

The man snatched the drabs out of midair, nearly dropping them by mistake. He stared at them for a moment, as if uncertain as what to do with them- although Maern could tell that he needed them very badly indeed. He looked like an Edema Ruh- unless he was some sort of secret genius, Maern was willing to bet that he would be scraping to make tuition at all. Maern might not be in the same situation, but he could sympathize. And, unlike the Edema Ruh, he had a few drabs to spare. A good tune was easily worth that, in his opinion- making it easier to concentrate would make his studying more focused and effective, which in turn would cause him to do better in his classes, which would make it more likely for him to impress a Master and get elevated into the Arcanum.

At last the man looked up and returned his smile, and Maern breathed an internal sigh of relief. "What would you like to hear?" he asked?

Maern shrugged. "I'm not particularly choosy. Do you have a favorite?" He hesitated for a moment, suddenly realizing that he had no idea what the other students' name was. "I'm Maern, by the way," he offered, hoping to receive a response in kind.

@Elkanah

--------

I must say, the differentiation between turn and term is not easy on the brain. I can hardly remember which is what is which anymore...! Although I also must say that I sincerely hope that I will get better at keeping things in order as the game goes along.

Usually I post a pretty straightforwards analysis of the rules in the first cycle, composed of my basic thoughts on the individual parts and pieces. That's hardly going to work for this game, so I'm going to have to adjust my tactics if I want to gain profit for my expounding of the game mechanics.

I'm not a Edema Ruh, so I'm not scrambling for money, but I'm not exactly rolling in it either. If the tuition decrease for filing a complaint really has jumped from .3 talents to .5 talents, then it's even more important that I get my votes out. I'll start off with a vote on Green Rover, because 1. They're a Noble; 2.They haven't checked in yet; and 3.Everyone seems to be going from the top of the list, so I'm working my way upwards from the bottom instead.

It is important to note, however, that several of the nobles may very well be staying at the Golden Pony, meaning that spreading the votes out on only them isn't really going to work. If any Nobles would like to admit to having a vote cancellation available, feel free to my extra vote to keep things balanced.

 

Edited April 30, 2020 by xinoehp512

[Hemalurgic Headshot]

A man stood in the street. Rather ordinary by general standards, though a more thorough appraisal would note the fine weave of his clothes, his refined posture, and the soft skin of hands unaccustomed to manual labor. This man was well off, indeed, though it wasn't glaring. And he was standing in the street.

Standing in the street is not a great thing to do because of traffic, so the man wandered off to the curb and leaned against a wall. Though he was doing his best to appear in control of his situation, as he knew he should, he had absolutely no idea what exactly he was doing here. Judging by the plentiful notes crammed into his pockets, he was prone to amnesia. He pulled out one of these notes now and examined it. It was crumpled and folded from his pocket, but it read go to university. The man looked down the street, where the University rose in the distance, old buildings distinct from the city, bastions of knowledge, and his destination.

The man looked down at his feet, and a thought wormed its way through his head: How will I get in? Do I tell them my name? This thought sparked the startling revelation that he did not in fact know his own name. He frantically dug through his pockets in a blizzard of paper scraps, searching for a hint of his name. Finally, he found something that solved both of his immediate problems: an acceptance letter. Brilliant! He thought as he scanned the document.

Onur Setyn

That was his name. Onur Setyn. Yes, him. A smile split Onur's face. A clue! A relic of his identity, now revealed. He clutched the letter in his hand and strode off towards the University to continue his future.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I will withhold any true analysis until I can confidently say I understand what is going on. Until then, I will make use of Straw's marvelous graphs.

Karnage, this complaint is not out of any ill will or retaliation. It is simply because all of the bold text in your post hurts my eyes.