[D3, Any Slot After LM, EVENT] Expanding the Tower of London

[Cearnach]

Expanding the Tower of London

For four generations, the White Tower has been the symbol of royal power in the largest city in England. Unfortunately, the growth of the city and its royal administration has meant that auxiliary and even private townspeople-owned buildings are now crowding the keep. As a result, the defensive efficacy of the White Tower has been seriously degraded. The time has come for a re-design of the Tower, and Richard is looking to the great and the good of England to provide the best possible plan.

Any character or group of up to 3 characters may submit a plan for the re-design of the White Tower. You may recruit NPCs for your team as well. Your plan must be contained in a single post and must contain the following elements:

1) A detailed prose description of your design. Drawings or other visual aides are acceptable, but cannot be accepted by themselves; the risk of misinterpretation on the part of your readership is too great.
2) A successful Battle roll to signify the efficacy of your design in case of attack.
3) A successful Stewardship roll to signify the cost-effectiveness of your design.
4) A successful Orate or Courtesy roll to present your design well.

The winner will be decided on Richard's evaluation of the merit of the designs that include all three successful rolls.

Any design that includes three successful rolls earns 15 glory for each contributor.

Any design that includes a successful Orate or Courtesy roll earns and additional 5 glory for each contributor. This bonus comes whether you are successful at all 3 rolls or no. Your friend's clever words dazzle the court and make the design seem greater than it perhaps is in reality, covering up for some shortcomings.

Any character who submits a solo design that includes all three successful rolls earns an additional 5 glory.

The winning design earns an additional 15 glory for each contributor.

Modifiers: Any alterations made to the White Tower itself--that is, the original keep building constructed by William the Conqueror--add a -3 penalty to the Stewardship roll, as the expenses of the design increase significantly. However, a bold redesign of that nature appeals to Richard, and such a project might find more favor than one that leaves the White Tower inviolate.

The private businesses and dwellings that are crowding the keep must be dealt with. Players must have a choice: their design may either offer recompense to the citizens of London who lose their property to the expansion of the Tower or not. If they do offer compensation, they must accept a -3 penalty on the Stewardship roll. If they do not, they must make a Cruelty check. Note that the position taken here will not affect Richard's decision on the merit of the design, but will have repercussions in other events later in the game.

[Geoffrey of Tournemine]

Geoffrey put his experience with renovations to his own chateau and fortification defense into the effort. It was clear that he knew exactly what he was doing. If he were not a Baron Knight he'd likely make a fine engineer and his display of skill would likely lead many to wonder why he had not already taken the cross in support of his cousin.

The plans that he laid out showed a significant improvement to defensibility, with plans for an expanded moat fed by the river, walls that were designed to give archers room to take cover in stacks of three behind parapets, suggestions for simple wood covered awnings to allow easy firing during frequent rains, and what initially looks like a maze of stairs but is actually a cleverly laid trap for anyone trying to make it to the ground from the top of those walls. Those stairs led absolutely nowhere useful and all and true access is controlled by a quick dropping heavy portcullis in each of the corner towers.

The inner area is likewise designed to be a relative maze of buildings that are linked by storm drains that simultaneously empty into the moat and river but double as quick travel points between buildings. There is housing for plenty of troops and servants.

The white tower though, that is the masterpiece of design. It takes prodding and suggestions from his colleagues to ensure it all matches up. It is designed in something of a counter clockwise spiral of squared off hallway that lead to highly defensible rooms that would have very little strategic value for anyone other than a defender. Those rooms would of course be put to use for other purposes outside of times of war. And at the heart of the tower was a chapel with a vault hidden beneath the altar to protect those relics of greatest value to the realm.

There are also suggestions for the inclusion of chains on the Thames river to either side of the tower walls, that would be able to be raised by dropping counterweights from the nearest wall tower as well as an ambitious flood-able escape tunnel under one of the moats.

D3 EA, Tower Expansion, Stewardship, -6 modifiers, +3 assistance, TN 12: 1d20 11
Success

D3 EA, Tower Expansion, Battle, TN 15: 1d20 10
Success

D3 EA, Tower Expansion, Assisted Orate, TN 14: 1d20 16 - Fail

Matilda refines the work Giles had begun into a sterling work of persuasive oratory. It looks like the plan has come together.

Towering Task Orate check+assistance: TN 16: 1d20 2

[Llywelyn mab Iorwerth]

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=226&p=980#p980

[Robert Whitehands]

Additional fluff coming...

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1. Description: Build a new curtain wall north from the middle of the existing city walls for a mile, then running directly east to just beyond where a turn directly south will clear the eastern face of the tower, bringing it within the wall but still able to support defense in some capacity. Taking this wall past the tower to the river provides reasonable space within the new wall for existing structures and additional ones without being so large or complex (or expensive) as may be unsuitable at this time.
2. Battle roll: passed.
3. Courtesy roll: passed.
4. Stewardship roll: passed

[Cearnach]

Richard listens carefully to each presentation. He is quite impressed by the boldness of the design advanced by the Blondeville/d'Aubigny team. It seems ingenious, and quite deadly. He likes deadly.

Their presentation is nearly wiped from his mind, however, when Simon and Andre step up to speak. "Kill zones...I like kill zones." Almost salivating, he is briefly shaken from his reverie on the almost orgiastic display of extreme violence that Simon and Andre have presented and the clever Welshman has designed when William de Longchamp whispers something in his ear.

Richard almost pouts. "Are you sure?"

Longchamp sighs. "Yes, sir."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Very well. I like what I heard today, gentlemen, but it seems like there's been some kind of numbers issue. We're going to have to pass on this, but I want you to understand that I am for sure going to remember your names when it comes time to secure the Vexin against ol' Philip."



The third presentation is taken in good spirit from the de Beaumonts, but it lacks the boldness of refining the main keep into a real instrument of war that the de Blondeville/d'Aubigny plan has. It is a sensible plan, possibly even a great plan, but it does not quite match Richard's ambition. The Blondeville/d'Aubigny is duly accepted, and Longchamp is placed in charge of seeing it happen.

Results


Geoffrey of Tournemine: +15 for 3 successful rolls, +5 for Orate, +15 for victory =35 total Glory
Giles de Braose: +15 for 3 successful rolls, +5 for Orate, +15 for victory =35 total Glory
Matilda d'Aubigny: +15 for 3 successful rolls, +5 for Orate, +15 for victory =35 total Glory

Simon de Montfort: +15 for Critically successful, critically assisted Orate roll (+an experience check for Orate) =15 total Glory
Llywelyn mab Iorwerth: +15 for Critically successful, critically assisted Orate roll =15 total Glory
Andre l'Ecrivain: +15 for Critically Successful, critically assisted Orate roll. =15 total Glory (+an experience check for the Orate assist)

Robert de Beaumont:+15 for 3 successful rolls., +5 for Orate =20 total Glory
Miriam Yarchi: +15 for 3 successful rolls, +5 for Orate =20 total Glory
Margaret de Beaumont: +15 for 3 successful rolls, +5 for Orate =20 total Glory