City Progression: Confrontation

[OkaDoka]

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It all happened very suddenly: and perhaps more quietly than it should have, too. As the tail end of the long caravan of refugees wound its way through the Noble District, past the torch-lit gazes of leering guards and the barred wrought-iron doors of armed compounds, the estate which was their destination had filled to the brim. Courtyards full of tents and bedrooms with five times their usual tenants were an increasingly common sight behind the Rosaria Estate's doors. Despite the landlord's worrying and double-checking of every room, every guest list, both supplies and morale seemed high. For a time, it felt that the tensions might even subside: for to raise hell for so long was politically expensive for the capital's beleaguered Purist forces, and it might be full well true that they had turned tail and given up. The first sign that something was wrong was when the regular supply delivery failed to arrive. Then the mail-runners, not making their regular noon rounds. When a small party of guests stepped outside only for a crossbow bolt with a note attached to its tail to slam into the wood next to their leader's head, the grisly truth became apparent.

"You are surrounded. He whoever comes peacefully will be allowed to surrender. He who does not will not."

They were under siege.

What's happening?
The siege of the Rosaria Estate has begun, described in previous progressions (1, 2). For a period of four days (until Wednesday 16), but longer if interest persists or availability is low, pro-Occult forces and refugees will be beleaguered inside of the Rosaria quarters, with no one able to enter and no one able to leave. There is a vague understanding that a shady coalition of Purist factions is attempting to intimidate them through fear and terror, or to get some kind of concession or kidnap a certain person or steal a certain item, but their ultimate goal remains unclear to those stuck inside.

Mechanics
The siege is a minigame with a single resource, 'Escalation'. Purist factions are behaving very discreetly and quietly because starting a siege in the capital city of the Empire, even with the backing of powerful Dictat politicians and monied interest groups, is a huge no-no. The Occult stuck in the Rosaria Estate want to get the attention of outsiders as much as possible, while those besieging them want no word to get out and the siege to conclude without a hitch. Any events hosted during the siege period will play into Escalation, where Occult Characters want a high Escalation (incentivizing being bold and messy in events), and Purist Characters want a low Escalation (incentivizing being discreet and careful in events).

What can I do? (Pro-Occult)
Hole up in the Rosaria Estate (/tp Rosaria), just through the barricades. Internal RP organization is left up to the players, with the understanding that once a character is in there, they cannot ICly leave until the siege is over. Purist forces are not being compelled to watchdog outside (constant skirmishes are exhausting), but the empty streets should be treated like the forest-line is filled with gunmen, and anyone who tries to leave will get captured, or worse.

What can I do? (Anti-Occult)
Meet Keller at today's event (7 PM EST) for a briefing and decisions as to the first steps on how to progress the siege. The Purists will be holing up in Calvonth Castle (/tp Calvonth), the ruined fortress once used to resist Vampires two years ago, a familiar haunt for many on their side. Unlike the besieged, Purist characters still have free reign of the City, and do not need to stay in Calvonth. That said, organizing group RP in there and going on patrols around the Estate would not be unwelcome. If I see a lot of patrol RP, I will reward it in calculations.

What can I expect?
I will be liberating other Lore Staff to run siege-related events where the outcomes affect Escalation, while running big-picture meta strategizing events myself, kind of mini Progression style for war tables on either side. The event schedule may be inconsistent due to work and other obligations, but we're hopeful to put together enough to make the wait interesting.

What is expected of me?
If you are on the Rosaria side of the palisade, please treat the siege with due fear and anxiety. A large coalition of Purist factions has just played its hand. Its teeth are sunk in and it does not want to leave without drawing blood: just abandoning the siege without smashing a few buildings or killing a few people would be utter humiliation. It's unclear yet what the price of peace will be, and that should be scary. If you are on the Purist side of the palisade, please treat the siege with due trepidation and nervousness. Messing up a political gambit of this scale could be disastrous, and the Purists' untouchable patrons are sure to use their foot soldiers as fall guys if something goes wrong, so that their own reputations are not impacted. Overall, just take it seriously and try not to make to much light of the situation.