To Fete a Souffet

Iqtadar Sesel has spent not a little time in the past year attempting to rub elbows with the movers and shakers of Cothon-Gadeed (specifically Souffet Khusra), especially through the channels of his in-law family, the al Rashids. Though Khusra is now departing office, Sesel’s hobnobbing has not gone unnoticed—and was noticed not in a bad way at all, given the services and heroics Sesel has performed on behalf of the Dual-Cities, especially within the Spire of the Attines and the sea caves of the Ocean’s Throat.

Between his fame and his relationship with Khusra, therefore, it only makes sense that Sesel is already well in view of the incoming Souffets, and so as they enter office, Sesel receives a free single “tick” of “relationship clock” for each, putting Sesel and them at an acquaintance level of relationship.

Advancing the relationship with the one of the most powerful officers of the Ten Cities’ League is no simple thing as can be accomplished with normal relationship-cultivation rules. Rather, something more extensive must be developed to represent the attempt to impress and/or influence the cities’ rulers (whether by flattery, good/shared taste, speaking common sense to cut through flattery, &c), in following with Ben's sketch of a custom clock for pursuing a relationship with the Chatelaine.

As noted earlier in this chronicle, the new Souffets are Bazyadis al Othmani and Urodas al Arasquiy.

(take note that the relationship with each Souffet is tracked separately—one could be cozy with Bayzadis and unknown to Urodas, for instance)

Tick 1 – Standing out from the Crowd

(already achieved for Sesel at this point)

You have already done deeds or feted the notice of a predecessor such that you stand out amongst the crowd of courtiers, flatterers, and hangers-on that constitute the courts of the Souffets of Cothon and Gadeed.

Requirement (for others interested): To roll to see if you even rise to the Souffets’ attention, you must do something grandiose on behalf of the Dual-Cities, for instance, leading an expedition to destroy a major enemy of the city, or putting on an immensely lavish public liturgy, or personally paying for the maintenance of a number of soldiers for the walls, or some such ostentatious display.

Tick 2 – A Constant Presence

You may have been noticed, but in the hubbub of the court it takes more than that to be selected as a favorite of a Souffet. So many people are clamoring for their attention all the time; and so many courtiers become disenchanted with the constant coming- and going of the courts so that they disappear or pursue less lofty personages. But you have remained constant, a face that the Souffet can pick out of the crowd and who may yet serve as trustworthy.

Requirement: to roll for this level, you must spend one downtime out of each of six months attending the court of the Souffet. After the sixth such month, you can begin rolling (once per month) to attempt to advance the relationship by spending a downtime at court.

• You are recognized as a regular at court. Your name is known to the Bani (for good or ill)
• When interacting with lower level functionaries or officers, you may attempt to overawe them by name-dropping other courtiers

Tick 3 – Proving Yourself Useful

Be it a grand deed in service of the Dual-Cities, or simply passing on a choice and unique piece of gossip in the midst of the chatter at court, you have shown yourself personally useful to one of the Souffets. They may seek you out specifically for certain tasks, be they official or discrete (depending on your proclivities).

Requirement: to roll for this level of relationship, you must have performed some deed either publicly in service to Cothon or Gadeed, or privately for one of the Souffets directly.

• Having noted your usefulness, the Souffet will occasionally offer specific missions to fulfil their own goals, to be suitably rewarded
• Others in court will recognize your new relationship with the Souffet; though at least one will certainly become a Rival, there will no doubt be some potential Ally hoping to sway the Souffet to their cause by association with you

Tick 4 – Friend of the Cities

"Friend" is not always a word denoting a mere social nicety. "Friend" can also be a title ascribed to someone of high esteem to a king, Souffet, or other such office. It denotes a certain amount of trust, as well as responsibilities to those who bestow the title. Through your deeds and attentiveness, you have now been selected to be awarded this title, "Friend of the City" by the Souffet you have aided.

Requirement: You may roll once per month for this advancement by spending a downtime at court.

• A Friend of the City receives a special ring with the seal of Gadeed. They are technically an officer in the court of the Souffet, though their duties and responsibilities are extraordinary--subject to the whim of the Souffet. This office is re-invested or rescinded at the time of the Lunar New Year.
• Friends have some access to the city treasury and armory. They can take out a loan of up to 10,000 dinars (repayable at 1%) without oversight, or take higher loans with approval. This is intended to assist them in performing duties assigned by the Souffets, and misuse of this privilege is a major crime.
• Beyond the ability to take out such loans, Friends of the City receive a minor stipend of 1d6x100 dinars monthly to be spent as they see fit (the amount is rolled once, and is fixed to that character, barring future changes at investiture feasts or so forth)
• A Friend must attend court at least once every three months (by spending a downtime). They may hear juicy gossip or partake in serious decisions while present.

Tick 5 –  A Trusted Confidant

Though Friends are presumed to be trusted, only certain among them are really trusted with a Souffet's worries or considerations. Having proved yourself, you are now among this "elite"--and not only are you willing to listen to the Souffet's concerns, but they are also willing to hear your mind on things of import to the city, and to the league at large. Nay, they seek your opinion out!

Requirement: You must prove that you understand what must be kept in confidence, versus what, though told in confidence, is actually meant to be noised about. This will be enacted in a series of rumors provided by the referee to the player-character. What they do with the rumors will be up to the character, and determine whether they can become trusted confidants. A roll will still be required.

• You have the Souffet's highest trust. If you have the will and can put forth persuasive arguments, you can affect the policy of Cothon-Gadeed and the Ten Cities in general.
• Pursuant to that, you will have access to information about the broader circumstances facing Cothon-Gadeed and the League.
• You will receive a personal gift from the Souffet, of uncertain but definitely high value, as a sign of their esteem. This will be publicly done, and the demonstration of that gift can be quite persuasive to those who respect the authority of the Souffets
• As a confidant of the court, you must attend court once every month while you are in the city (certain missions, quests, &c. might reasonably take one away from the city, perhaps for some time, and in such a case this requirement is relaxed). These downtimes can be combined with other downtimes (e.g. cultivating relationships with other courtiers, or building institution through connections, or intel-gathering, &c.) though such combinations must be credibly explained.

Complications

1. You have aroused the envy of the court. You gain an additional Rival who will snipe at you with evil gossip at every chance they get (they increase the difficulty of subsequent rolls to cultivate a relationship by imposing a -1 penalty on the 2d6 roll).
2. The Souffet has decided that you are the right person for a mission as a special envoy to a difficult group. This may be something as exotic as dealing with the Attine Klackons, to something as prosaic (and frustrating) as listening to the complaints of the Guild of Longshoremen. You must complete this mission in a reasonable timeframe or suffer the reduction of one level of relationship.
3. Your presentation at court is unacceptable, be it your manners or your wardrobe. You are requested by the Souffet to attend etiquette lessons, purchase a new wardrobe, or otherwise better yourself for presence in the court by spending 4d6x100 dinars and 1d3 downtime actions.
4. The attention bestowed upon you by the Souffet has brought you also to the attention of a third party who now sees you as an avenue into the Souffet's good graces, thence to advance their own interests. They might attempt to blackmail you, bribe you, or otherwise attempt to ensure their own interests.
5. The Souffet invites you to a private liturgy of the cult they personally follow. This may be as innocuous as the sacrifice of a hma and subsequent feast, or some secretive rite of a mystery cult involving strange rites. You will be sworn to secrecy regardless, but the particulars of the liturgy may be beyond the pale of what you can accept.
6. A Rival at court has noticed you in particular and now blackballs you among the Bani and Guilds of Cothon-Gadeed as much as they can. Any attempts to further "build an institution" incur an additional cost of 2d10x100 dinars in red-tape and bureaucratic fees until the situation is somehow rectified.
7. Being known as a favorite of (or even one noticed by) a Souffet can entail unfortunate attention. In this case, a humble petitioner has latched onto you as the means of getting their case heard by one of the two chief judges of Cothon-Gadeed. However mundane the request may be, this individual will hound you until some decision is made--and perhaps even after, when seeking an appeal.
8. Reroll on the table above, or a some other circumstance has arisen in which the Referee will take a personal hand to develop.