The Celestial Realm

The usual suspects were gathered around the large table located in the barn's game room. Sarah, sitting with a beer and smoking a Llama; Pendleton, looking like a young woman; Mil chugging his third 'Mountain Spring' soda (all the caffeine and twice the sugar of the competition); and Kocha, sitting cross legged in a stool, rolling dice to test for imperfections.

Ghondish walked in, nodded to the assembled group, and laid out a new, glossy, full color map in the center of the table. “Everyone ready for the big reveal?”

The response of smiles and nods was almost immediate. “Good. As you remember from last week s game, the city of Brownsville had decided to expand by acquiring low income housing. Mil, as a Blue Collar, you have been assisting with the construction project. So let me ask, would you break the NDA, risking that large bonus, to tell people what is going on?”

Mil rolled his eyes, “Oh, hells no! I need that money to expand my house! Even if I do all the labor myself, it's going to cost a small fortune. But, once I do, it will be larg enough to acquire a privacy fence, so I can have barbecues in the back yard without the 'Frost Queen' calling it in.”

“You could just invite her over.” Pendleton suggested.

“That will be the day that I die.” Mil took a calming breath, “If I invite her, then I have to invite her kids. Then her kids will try to set us up. AGAIN. I'm not doing that.”

“Fare enough.” Pendleton cracked a smile, “It was funny though.”

Mil threw an empty can at them.

“Now that that interesting byplay is done, let us continue.” This from Kocha.

“Alright. It is saturday, and the mayor has announced the opening of the 'low rent housing district' to the public.” Ghondish smiled, “Who is watching it on TV, and who is in person?”

Mil laughed. “I'm staying home with a cold beer.”

“I'm in person.” came from Kocha.

“Live, and on scene!” From Pendleton.

“I'm passing out free, cheap beer, to people at the opening.” came from Sarah.

“Okay.” Ghondish raised an eyebrow to Sarah. “Roll persuasion to avoid the ire of the police on duty for the event.”

“Has my reputation with the police changed any?”

“...no...”

Sarah rolled a D20, “I rolled a 3.”

“They smile, wave, and leave you be.”

“You use your Karen Power to help one cop's husband at the Mart-Mart, and you never have problems again.” Sarah smiled, “Of course you still need to donate to the departments 'widows and orphans' fund, but it is well worth the perks.”

“One of the officers, Officery Cherry, does ask if you will be around later, after the current crew is off the clock.”

“I smile at her, and tell her 'But of course! All our officers are welcome. I brought a keg in the minivan, and a case of cups.' Yes, I am planning a block party.” Sarah grinned from ear to ear, while everyone else at the table groaned.

Mil shook his head, “How do you manage this amount of trouble, and not have more problems?”

“Well, I took a single level in 'Politician' to get the 'Law' bonuses. Now that I'm known as a 'Good Actor' in questionable circumstances, I get a lot of leeway.”

“rules lawyer” someone mumbled. Sarah just smiled.

“Moving right along, since the Elpha-Donk party, as well as the Vation, Unist, and Terrian partys, all signed off on the project, they all have speaches.” Everyone shuddered. “And before any of you ask, no, nothing of substance is said. I won't even let you roll. There is nothing.” Ghondish may have given Pendleton a harsh look during that statement.

Mil yawned, “I throw an empty 'at' the TV. I'm not drunk enough to actually hit it. Yet.”

“Okay. The ribbon is cut, and the curtain blocking the view of the street is pulled back!” Ghondish giggled, so did Mil. “And you see a fully populated Bario going about it's business. The street just past the curtain seems to not quite match squarely to the street you are on, and looks to be poorly patched.”

“That was my job.” Mil spoke up, “They airdropped the neighborhood wrong, and all the infrastructure was off bu an inch. Pain in the ass to fix.” He chugged another Mtn. Spring.

The rest of the table sat for a few moments in complete silence, then Pendleton shot out of their seat, “YOU MEAN THEY STOLE A SUBURB FROM ANOTHER CITY AND JUST PLOPPED IT DOWN HERE?!?!?”

“Pretty much.” Mil and Ghondish answered in usison.

Pendleton stood slack jawed, eyes bulging; Kocha placed his elbows on the table, and placed his head in his hands; Sarah started to gently bang her head on the table.

Mil and Ghondish just laughed.

Several minutes of yelling and insults later, the group calmed down.

“So, there is now a significant minority in town, boosting the economy and workforce. Sarah? Your reputation remains intact.” Ghondish said, “A few days have past, and the 'Required' weekly HOA meeting is starting. Those of you with the 'Social Connections' Feat may make an Investigation check, DC 12, to have picked up any rumors or discontent after the unveiling.”

“Shit rolls, even with advantage, I rolled a 2. That gives me an 11.” Pendleton grumbled.

“And...I rolled a pair of 1's. Crap. 11.” Sarah groused.

Ghondish proceeded, “Okay. All of you are blindsided when Mr. Yong the elder, demands an immediate hike in rates to beef up the security of the neighborhood. He wants automated gates, chain link fences on top of the 3' decorative walls, and a gate guard.”

Eyes bulge around the table, then Kocha spoke up. “Wait an us damned minute!”

Mil looks up from the map, “I ask him 'why are you asking for all that?'”

“He responds in his accented, broken common, 'Have you no hear? Immigrants evil! Everyone know! Look at news!' How are you going to respond?”

Sarah looks at Ghondish, and after a long drag on her Llama, asks.“Didn't he fight in the 'Race Riots' twenty years ago?”

“Yup.”

“Then why?” Sarah pressed.

Pendleton slammed a fist on the table. “I remember! He was a part of the 'Pink Skins' Party, before they died out!”

“Wait. The Mad Bombers of Ralph Street?” Mil stared at Pendleton, then switched to glaring at Ghondish. “You mean that one of the colorists is here? In our neighborhood?”

“Well, after the President and Parliament pardoned them, no one thought about it.” Kocha said.

Mil snarled, “Still burns my ass.”

“So, does anyone respond before the motion is seconded?”

Mil beats everyone else in an initiative roll, and goes first, “I start with 'Mr. Yong, you do remember that we are, according to our charter and bylaws, '...An equal opportunity, and open community...' That being the case, we absolutely CAN NOT add the sorts of measures you are demanding!' I would like to roll...a...an...I want to shut him down before this can go to a vote. What do I roll?”

“That would be a DC 25 Intimidation roll, at disadvantage, to get him to drop it.”

“Unless I punch him, and use Strength, I can't make that. And if I do use Strength, my 'Community Ranking' goes down.”

Pendleton raised their eyebrows, “Since when do you even care about your rankings?”

“Since I found out that if it falls much more, I will be forced out! I'm on probation for the next three months.”

“Crap, I forgot.” Pendleton shuddered.

“Yeah. Maybe I can roll Deception to turn the crowd against him for the moment?”

Ghondish shook his head, “I'm sorry, Mil old boy. If you aren't hitting him for an Intimidation roll, you will have to use a Persuasion roll on either him, or the crowd. DC 20 on the crowd, but due to your low standing the roll is at Disadvantage. You have Disadvantage with him, and a DC 30, due to deeply held beliefs.”

“...shit...Okay. I will roll for the crowd.”

Pendleton raised a hand, “I will assist with this by reminding the HOA of his previous participation in the 'Pink Skins' party.”

“Alright. You get to roll strait up. No advantage or disadvantage.”

Mil shook the die. “Please, universe, grant - - -”

“NONE OF THAT!!!” Ghondish yelled.

“SHIT! Sorry. Forgot.”

Mil shook the die, and dropped it in the dice tower. The die rolled and clattered, and bounced around, before coming out the bottom into the tray. “It's a... a 4. For a total of 14. Me Damn it all!”

“You fail to persuade the crowd to shut it down completely. To skip some time, the HOA board has decided to table the motion until next week for 'research purposes'. You all have a week to figure things out. What are 'Y'all' going to do?”

Pendleton and Sarah looked at each other, and smiled in unison. Mil drummed his fingers on the table. Kocha started to whistle a jaunty tune.

Sarah broke eye contact with Pendleton, “What the hells Kocha?”

“I 'fork' his entire lawn. Real silverware and plastic chopsticks. Then I 'flamingo' his roof, and not the classy ones, the nasty paper and stick ones from Dollar Jar. And finally I 'Shrink Wrap' his car.”

The room went deathly silent. The three offenses of death. If you succeeded, the target could be quickly removed. If you failed the unholy trinity, you were both removed from the HOA and the blow back lost you your job.

Kocha cackled.