Strategic Planning Against the Guards

Summary

In Session 9, the party convened for an extensive strategic planning session to address the occupation of New Smoke by The Guards, who had seized control approximately three weeks prior. The discussion revealed multiple potential approaches to liberating the town, including exploiting a mysterious "button in the neck" vulnerability possessed by the guards, manufacturing fashionable devices to activate this weakness en masse, exposing an a cappella band within the guard ranks to create internal discord, and freeing the imprisoned Mayor of New Smoke from The Foundry to rally the townspeople. The planning session established the foundational strategies the party would consider for their campaign against the occupying forces.

Details

The planning session began with the party considering various unconventional approaches to weakening The Guards' hold on New Smoke. Abdul proposed a multi-stage strategy: "I do like the idea of sewing discontent to kind of try and make their forces weaker. And then that's when we strike at the button for the leader." This plan referenced a previously discovered vulnerability—a "button in the neck" that the guards apparently possessed, though the exact nature of this weakness remained unclear.

Erin contributed a critical observation about the guards' recruitment timeline: "Also, if they've just been recruiting over the last three weeks, like, people aren't very loyal to them." This insight suggested that the occupation force consisted largely of newly recruited locals who might not be deeply committed to their new allegiance, presenting an opportunity to undermine the guards from within.

Brad suggested an unusual tactic involving information warfare: "We could maybe let the other guards know that these guards are in a band and then wait for them to fight among themselves." The reference to some guards being in an a cappella band implied existing social divisions within the occupation force that could potentially be exploited to create internal conflict.

The conversation took a more direct turn when Dayna proposed: "You know what I was also thinking? Like, why don't we just talk to the mayor?" This straightforward suggestion prompted the GM to reveal crucial information about the political situation in New Smoke. Shawn confirmed: "I believe the mayor has been imprisoned somewhere in the foundry. If you were to release her. Rally around..." This revelation established that The Mayor of New Smoke had been removed from power and imprisoned in The Foundry following what was described as a violent coup.

The planning session revealed several key facts about the occupation: the guards had only controlled the town for three weeks, they had been actively recruiting locals during that time, the legitimate mayor remained imprisoned but could potentially serve as a rallying point for resistance, and the guards themselves possessed both a physical vulnerability and internal social divisions that might be exploited.

Participants

Sucks — participated in the strategic discussion
Cat — contributed to planning the liberation of New Smoke
Safia — involved in evaluating potential approaches
Vasso — part of the planning group
Greta — present during the strategic session
Abdul (player) — proposed the strategy of sowing discord before striking at the guard leader's vulnerability
Erin (player) — identified the weak loyalty among recently recruited guards
Dayna (player) — suggested the direct approach of contacting the imprisoned mayor
Brad (player) — proposed exploiting the a cappella band revelation to create infighting

Consequences

The party established multiple potential approaches to liberating New Smoke, creating a framework for future action against The Guards.
The location of The Mayor of New Smoke's imprisonment was confirmed as The Foundry, identifying a specific objective for a potential rescue mission.
The party learned that the guards' occupation was recent (three weeks), suggesting instability in their control and potentially weak loyalty among recruits.
Internal divisions within The Guards were identified, including the existence of an a cappella band among their ranks that could serve as a source of discord.
The mysterious "button in the neck" vulnerability of the guards was established as a potential tactical advantage, though plans for exploiting it remained under discussion.
The party gained awareness that rallying the townspeople around the imprisoned mayor could provide a path to organized resistance against the occupation.