| Back to actions | Edit |
| Action Id: 4446 | Crisis: | Participants: Mirari, Ravana, Beatrix, Megara, Mailys, Miraya and Miella | |
| Status: Resolved | Submitted: Jan. 14, 2022, 11:58 p.m. | Public: True | GM: Apostate |
|
|
|||
Action by Mirari
Mirari sat with her family at the Corsetina Manor after a great feast, green eyes tracing each and every one of them before she stood up, lips still glistening from the grease of food. There is no better time to talk serious business than when smashed after a feast after all!
"As I am sure you are aware the winds of change are upon us in the Lyceum, my lovelies! You can all tell that some things that didn't make sense before are now out of the way and that there is a sentiment of opportunity in the air."
She wiped her lips with the back of a hand as classy ladies of Arvum won't be caught dead doing and continued.
"You are not wrong but you may not know quite why. Let me explain: for a long, long time the Lyceum was under the thumb of this powerful creature called Malrico. He had his hand in all of the pies of the city-states, from regime change to economics and cults he almost *was* the Lyceum, you could say."
Mirari grins and she waggles her brows. She is about to talk about violence, few things get her going like bloodshed.
"But he is dead and now the Lyceum is ripe for the taking, and I propose we strike first and we strike decisively. 'How?', I hear you ask, and to that question I present you our good old friends in the form of the most traditional nobles of all Arvum."
The Corsetina takes a good taste of her mead and eyes her family with a smile. "Yes, I know. We have had issues with them in the past because we are successful commoners, but they just don't realize we are their best friends right now. They need to be made to see that."
She points at Mailys. "The only thing the traditionalists have more of an issue with right now than former pirates turning into a successful mercantile family is poor, dirty people like us getting ennobled and made into what they are not... and guess who were offered the opportunity to become peers and said 'No thank you'? Me and Mai. We, the Corsetina, who know our place, who have succeeded *as commoners*. Who could be the nobility's best example of how following the traditions can elevate a commoner, instead of keeping them destitute."
She winks at Mailys, "So while Mailys goes after those noble hearts and shows them why they should back us up financially and socially, me and the rest will turn our gazes towards our competition. I will play bodyguard to her and kiss a few babies. All the upstarts and rebels thinking they are going to make way now that Lyceum is up for grabs are going to suffer terrible accidents and be no more. We are going to take over. Malrico was wrong to think he was the Lyceum. The Lyceum is its people, and we are those people. The Lyceum is ours."
Eyes turn to Miraya, Miella and Megara. "I want you to focus on our enemies in Lenosia and Southport. They are the richest cities under what is left of Velenosa. Be quick, be subtle, be smart: we don't need anyone linking us back to these disappearances and deaths."
To Ravana and Beatrix she gives another look, "You will spy on our enemies on the Southern Lyceum, where House Pravus rules. If you find conspirators against Setarco strike them down, as I am sure there are plenty among the Abandoned of Ischia and the syndicates of Caina. You must be more careful there. The Southern Lyceum is the last place our people can be free."
Finally, she smiles at all of them, "Once we are all setup, and our first enemies are out of the way, we set out sights to Setarco City. Our new, old home."
TL;DR: This is going to be a power grab at the vacuum left behind by Malrico's death. The Corsetina are going to position themselves as a traditionalist's wet dream (with Mailys' exceptional diplomatic skills) so to garner their favors and deals, while the rest of the family is going to murderhobo throughout the Lyceum lands (both Velenosa and Pravus dominions) to get rid of key players. This will allow us to get a better Income (so you guys can spend on yourselves) and for the Legend of each of us to increase accordingly. Fame and silver, rock n' roll, baby!
Action by Miraya
Action by Beatrix
Being the White Thorn of Tor, Beatrix has attended many exclusive parties, and thus she feels quite at home among the revelers of lavish feast and festival. She'll travel to Ischia and Caina, mingling and carousing her way into the social circles of the aspiring upper classes, while using this proximity to act as a spy for the Corsetina family. In order to win hearts and loosen tongues, she'll use a little seductive charm: an alluringly mysterious smile here, a well-chosen compliment there, and with luck she'll be able to subtly tease some gossip out of her fellow merrymakers. If she acquires some devotees among their number, that's all the better (and very much deserved, in Bea's humble opinion).
In the event that violence may be required per Mirari's request, Beatrix will act without regret, yet preferably using wiles and subterfuge to nudge events into place. If she needs to manipulate an admirer into killing a target for her, then that's what she'll do, though she'll deny any involvement in the scheme if it comes to light. If she needs to employ her blade to cut down a conspirator, that's fine too, but if she gets caught red-handed she'll portray herself as the innocent party -- a victim of assault, forced to defend her own life.
In short? Be watchful, be fascinating, and do as Mirari has requested.
Action by Miella
With Pleasure.
Miella would do anything for the Corsetina family, expecially Mirari. So, she does as she is instructed and turns her sweetness toward Lenosia and Southport. She seeks out any competition and out right detractors of the Corsetina family and with great care, poisons them all.
Action by Ravana
Ask Ravana, and this isn't her first time slicing her way through the southern seas, she's got this! Of course, as per Mirari's instructions, this is more of a careful intel-gathering operation, so the usual fiery inferno is turned down in favor of a creeping blaze. Starting at the foundations, she'll utilize that famed Lycene charm and Suspire training to hopefully loosen lips that ought to know better. Once she's discovered information of relevance, she'll turn up the manipulation to sow havoc and discord from a distance between those betrayed.
While those involved are dancing the hot-foot without realizing the roof is on fire, pointing their fingers and swords at one another in confusion, is when she'll strike. Playing on paranoias and promising succor, armed with secrets no one should know that open doors previously closed, she'll attempt to quietly do away with those who've both made new enemies (courtesy of her meddling) and proved themselves antithetical to the Corsetina family's aims - all while positioning herself as a dear, conveniently deadly ally to those who may come in handy in the future.
Action by Mailys
"They refuse to accept what we represent: Success, Respect, Influence. We make so-called common blood look very good." Mailys had mentioned at the meeting. She had her notebook, to which she was always formulating connections and tracking information. Nothing escaped a very orderly operation, and she was tenacious about verifying facts. Having returned from Setarco, the surprisingly tan woman was ready to start working down her lists and achieving productivity on her projects. Gatherings were already flooding her calendar. A Prince of Velenosa was meeting privately this afternoon, and an evening with nobles gathering to donate funds for public works the next. Mailys was no Lady; she was more.
The family drives forward on the profits from allowing nobles to hear Mailys' specifically-crafted perspectives, opinions, and future tips for trade deals, and to present herself wherever they would field their small talk complaints. How they do love to register their complaints about the recent events at any given opportunity. Mailys considered every meeting an opportunity to research and untangle the strands that allowed her to be trusted and respected. She would not shy away from any test or any act of manipulation to get the desired outcome. Mirari wanted as many of the noble households to believe the Corsetina family would be furthest from seeking to destabilise regions with bloodshed and conquest. They were happy with their merchant endeavours. Mailys would have to stave off any accusations that might band the Corsetina's targets against them. She would sell the Lyceum empty support, empathy for their struggles with violence, and ensure the timing was perfect for Mirari's plans of territorial power and income. We didn't need marriages, baby announcements, and inheritance crowns to carve a place for ourselves in the world as Peers. The Corsetina Family worked for their rise with gracious manners, flawless smiles, ruthless focus, and merciless calculation.
Action by Megara
Result
It is entirely likely that the Corsetina family is the only one that truly realizes the sheer size of the void left behind from Malrico's departure, and they do everything they can to capitalize upon it. Mirari intelligently divides up the Corsetinas to spread their influence wide, which also results in her getting the clearest picture. It seems that -every- major mercantile force in the Lyceum and beyond was greatly impacted by the Herald of Avarice suddenly vanishing. By Mirari's reckoning, at least 13 different major merchant houses have had either their leader, current owner, or an otherwise senior figure vanish, all suggesting they might have been Malrico under another guise or a pawn directly under his control. Most are in complete chaos, with scores of minor figures all competiting to take control of massive enterprises that had their clear direction suddenly gutted. There's immense strife, and more than a few assassinations poised to happen.
The Corsetinas are extraordinarily talented at exploiting this.
Mailys finds scores of nobles who are looking for worthwhile investments. Many of the traditionalists have been bitterly disappointed in the rise in neo-noble power, and some just privately can't stop talking about once Abandoned barbarians becoming prodigals and then lifted up into the ranks of nobility, which they see as an existential threat. Corsetina alone stands as a pointed example of prominent and successful commoners in Mirari and Mailys Corsetina who were offered the peerage and declined it, knowing their place and positions. As such, these nobles grasping for any way to voice their displeasure at the rise of the commons are quickly diverted by Mailys, who offers them just the right opportunity to invest in Corsetina shipping as a way to thumb their noses at peers who are threatening the very nature of the peerage and commoners who have no respect for the established social order. It even extends far beyond the Lyceum- House Thrax commoners who have outraged the Mourning Isles by abandoning long held traditions are finding their contracts severed and work eschewed by peers in the Isles looking to have shipping to work with. There are hundreds of noble houses in the Compact, and far, far more are deeply traditional than ones that wish to shake up the social order by abolishing thralldom in the Isles or empowering commoners. And due to Mailys and Mirari's direction, near all of them see Corsetina as the people to work with.
Which is not to say that they don't have enemies, of course. One commoner with a hint of Melaeris blood that badly wanted to be ennobled was outranged by Mailys and Mirari's actions, and tried to corner Mailys in an alley to silence her. He never even saw Mirari before she cut his throat.
Miraya, Miella and Megara make for Southport and Lenosia. The Ricceza Shipping Family, missing its longstanding leader who mysteriously vanished, had found itself led by a brutal and violent young man named Gutherio Ricceza, who had already managed to take over the overland caravan company run by the Bravecio family. Gutherio and his entire upper echelon pass from a sudden illness after Miella manages to charm her way into the Ricceza's kitchens one day, with talented poison use that mimics the symptoms of a pox. The 'outbreak of disease' provides a perfect opportunity for Mirary to slip and redirect the Riccezas, and after several potential leaders drawn out to a wilderness meeting all find themselves picked off by Megara's arrows, the Riccezas, Bravecios and a dozen minor holding companies all fall under the Corsetina's sway, either directly or paying up profits. Within several months, Lenosia and Southport commerce traveling in commoner ships fly the flag of the Corsetinas, with few exceptions.
Beatrix and Ravana head to the southern Lyceum, moving between Ischia, Caina, Setarco, Pieros and a dozen minor holdings. It's quite a lot of work, really. Beatrix in Setarco finds no few ambitious merchants in Setarco attempting to use the chaos for their own gain, and particularly ones that are trying to undermine House Pravus in order to try to make gains. Fortunately for Beatrix, the ambitious Lycene attempting to grasp power aren't the types to talk to one another, and in several masterful manipulations, at least four kill one another, and one angry brother seeking vengeance falls to Beatrix's blades himself. It is just a purely happy coincidence that the mercantile affairs of the different merchants find themselves working for the Corsetinas shortly thereafter.
Ravana spreads her influence wide over the southern seas, meeting representatives of the Five Families of the South Seas Company, a union of five different powerful merchant families that have had power and influence in Pravus waters for generations, and together represented the dominant merchant force for commerce in the Lyceum. The Setargazi Family was rumored to have financed some of the forces that tried to lead a coup against Duke Piero Pravus and were responsible for his assassination, but no proof was ever linked that allowed Belladonna to crush them as they deserved, even though they lost dearly with the fall of Nilanza. The De Pravini family once held sway over much of the crime in Setarco, until it was consolidated under Viviana Pravus. The Lenosini were quietly known to employ piracy to prey upon rivals' shipping between Lenosia and Setarco. The Ischini supplied much of the mercenary sellsword companies all throughout the Lyceum, turning extortionary when their fees weren't met, and acting as foot soldiers for the Setargazi. And Uldani were a prodigal group that shamelessly smuggled from the Abandoned, and represented much of the markets going to Sudara's true sworn and other prodigal groups. All five families were utterly ruthless, thought nothing of murdering rivals, and had clawed their way up with deceit and blood. In other words, Ravana feels right at home.
The legendary enforcer of the Setargarzis known as Bruno Setargarzi was feared all throughout the Southern Lyceum, with rumors of numerous rival disappearances, but there had always been an air of deniability about his actions, and despite being a braggart, the man was always close lipped about just what he had done in the past. So it came as a considerable shock to the Five Families when a collection of Bruno Setargarzi's letters came to light, sent to leaders of the other four families by an anonymous individual, that contained correspondence between Bruno and the now missing head of the Setargarzi family- correspondence that detailed all too clearly the different murders he had done, and different potential assassinations in the future. It even had clear cut references to work they did to help set up Duke Piero Pravus for assassination, and -that- correspondence also found its way into Setarco. Even before the outrage has a chance to build fully, other letters come to light of potential moves by the families against the others, attempting to seize power and become dominant. All the families go into outright war.
Bruno Setargarzi is found dead in his bed, with salacious rumors that he clearly slept with whoever killed him. The entire Setargarzi family is arrested by House Pravus shortly thereafter for its complicity in the death of Duke Pravus, with their holdings declared forfeit and turned over to the Corsetina. The Uldani's leadership is massacred by by the Ischini, whose ships are promptly sunk by the Lenosini, whose leaders are murdered by the De Pravini, whose leader known as 'the Bloody Leonardo De Pravini' is found dead in his own bedroom in a pronounced state of undress. It's complete chaos, and the families are in total disarray and desperate, but fortunately a new charming friend suggests that there is a solution to their woes- signing on with the Corsetina family. Most will always be grateful to Ravana Stellaris for her help in their time of need.
It's hard, dangerous work. But Mirari, Megara, Miella, Beatrix, Miraya and Ravana have succeeded far more spectacularly than most would have ever imagined. It's not just a merchant shipping family now. They've begun an empire.