Balthazar stands patiently in place, hoping whatever code phrase the young Novice had uttered would be sufficient to take custody of the writ. The sooner they had that document, the better -- the thought of leaving such sensitive materials in the hands of a random clerk was deeply troubling to him.

No, I intended to give my name. I'll change the post to reflect this.

Balthazar speaks to the clerk: "My name is Balthazar Thorne, and these are Ariel and Estelia. We were to pick up a writ of passage left to us by a Lady Inelia. Your office should have received the document earlier today." He furrows his brow ever so slightly in anticipation -- he is dearly hoping that everything is proceeding as planned.

Balthazar steps forward and addresses the Administratum functionary at the desk. "My associates and I are members of the Adeptus Ministorum, here to meet with a colleague of ours for collaboration on matters of faith. Our colleague is also affiliated with the Ministorum, and she has requested our aid some pressing matters. I know we are to assist her in a search for information but, to be frank, I am not sure what we will be expected to do." Balthazar really has no idea what an Acolyte of the Inquisition will be expected to do here. Raising a mob of torch-wielding Thaurians is one thing, but uncovering corruption in one of the biggest cities in Askellon is another matter entirely.

I didn't have access to a computer this past weekend. I'll get a post in later today.

Balthazar steadfastly ignores the magistrate, instead trying to pass through the checkpoint as instructed.

Hello all, I've tried looking through past threads and FAQ for an answer but am still confused about how Duke functions. I hope you all can shed some light on the situation, and pardon me for the incoming avalanche of questions. What happens if I use Duke to investigate and have an asset in play that boosts my Intellect (for example, Dr. Milan Christopher or Dark Horse)? Does the +1 Intellect not apply to the test because Duke instructs you to "investigate with a base Intellect skill of 4"? Or does the boost still apply in this situation? What happens if you have a Magnifying Glass equipped while investigating with Duke? Does that benefit apply, since it specifically states that it applies while investigating? And finally, what if you have Arcane Studies in play while making the investigation check? Can you spend resources to boost Duke's effective intellect of four, or is that not applicable here? Thanks for the insight!

Also note that most Weakness cards resolve immediately when you draw them. If you were intending to use something like Ashcan Pete's ability to willingly discard them, they will usually have resolved before you get a chance to discard them.

Unless you have a way to mitigate horror like Peter Sylvestre or receive some kind of benefit from taking horror (Agnes), I have found Forbidden Knowledge is not worth including. Emergency Cache gives you almost as many resources in one burst for no sanity cost.

Balthazar tightens his grip on his hammer and does his best to suppress a scowl. These Consortium nobles certainly have a great deal of sway in local matters, enough to trample proper protocol underfoot whenever it suits them. Nevertheless, he does not challenge the noble as he walks towards the admittance gate. He prepares to follow the man through the gate, assuming that their cog still grants them priority admittance even if they have to wait for the nobleman to be processed first.

((Rolling another Charm test, this time spending the bonus Fate point before rolling. Target number 38+20 = 58; rolled a 48 for 2 DoS. Did not recover the Fate with Shrine World ability.)) Sensing the lack of impact from the magnate's words, Balthazar jumps right back in with a counter-argument. "We are indeed offworlders here, which is why I appealed to an independent adjudicator in this situation. Your nebulous decrees of high station might cow most people into agreement, but I am sadly ignorant of your ways and require proof of your authority. Blessed of the Omnissiah, surely you can understand my desire for concrete proof of what this man claims before I adjust my course of action."

((Balthazar will roll his charm test, target number 38. Rolled an 8 for 4 DoS!)) Balthazar addresses the newly arrived Tech-Priest. "Greetings, sir. My companions and I are visiting Port Gyre on time-sensitive business with the Ministorum. We just filled out the proper forms to be granted expedited entry into the main city, and one of the servitors checked our oath-cogs and verified we had the proper cog to proceed. We have done everything according to proper protocol and simply want to proceed through the entrance gates. This man here challenges our right to do this but has not yet presented documents that would support his claim." He indicates the magnate with a nod of his head.

((Balthazar will first make a Charm test, and he will not spend a Fate point before the test. Should I apply a modifier to the roll from the NPC's personality?))

Balthazar raps his servo skull twice with the butt of his hammer, causing the dutiful machine to rise into the air. Without taking his eyes from the nobleman, he speaks through the skull: "Will the nearest Administratum cog-adept please come over here to check our oath-cogs?" He hopes to defuse the situation by bringing in an outside authority figure. Making enemies with the Concilium this early in the investigation seems unwise.

I'll be without internet access for the weekend, but I got a post in.