PARAMO RICONQUISTA: JAUNT INFO

[powersthatbe]

Paramo Riconquista
a return to the world of pirates, mermaids, and ninjas
July 19 - August 27

The Festa Di Riconquista, held every six years, is when the aggressive island duchy of Paramo celebrates its history of naval victories - battles are re-enacted on old, mothballed ships, which are sunk in glorious fireworks displays, and jingoistic military pomp and patriotism rule the day. But we’re not concerned with the celebrations of Paramoese civilians - and our only worry about the Navy is that they might catch on to what’s happening under their nose.

Separately, two groups have come to Puerta Lagunuesta, where the Festa is held. The first group, the Crownbreakers, a coalition of pirates, mermaids, and refugees from En Zhenming, are using the Festa for cover. The re-enacted sea-battles sink ships above Thalassian waters - and so it’s possible to send the rebel mermaids still living in Thalassia arms shipments, messages, even, perhaps, magical assistance in the form of a dragon scroll - if they can load them aboard the ships to be sunk, and be sure they survive the sinking.

The second group, the Xunhuo Guwei, are to all appearances fireworks merchants from En Zhenming, here to sell colorful pyrotechnics to the Paramoese. In fact, their mission is to mine the channel south of Lagunuesta, and damage the Paramoese fleet, triggering a war between En Zhenming and Paramo. The Truenamed Emperor knows that in any such war, there is only one place that Paramoese troops could safely land and gain a foothold - the Bando. And the Paramoese are infamously ignorant about what distinguishes one group of Zhenmingren from another.

However, the opening stages of each of these plans are disrupted by the ignorance of the smugglers each group has employed to bring in their contraband. With four weeks to go before the naval re-enactments finish, the smugglers hand off the shipment of salt-blessed blades and spears and deep sea charges to the Xunhuo Guwei, and deliver the shipment of limpet mines and reefblasters to the Crownbreaker crew.

Now, under cover of the festivities, the Xunhuo Guwei and the Crownbreakers must find one another and evade detection by the Paramoese in a war of assassins, sabotage, and misdirection. The fates of three Empires hinge on the actions of four dozen spies and thieves…

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Comments

[fearinahandfulof]

What kind of information would Infiltrator Knowledge impart?

On another note, how prevalent are spirits and magic in Paramo, outside of salt gifts and such? Are elementalism, illusionary magic, and/or summoning commonly known of?

[powersthatare]

Is your investigator human-shaped or mermaid-shaped?

SO. In Paramo itself, "salt gifts" are the usual expression of these things. On the mainland, there are elemental spirits, though they are not dragon-shaped and not worshipped, and there are independent magical traditions that function differently than illusionary magic and summoning (the elementalism is mostly the same).

BUT in Paramoese religion, such things are considered witchcraft, and so those gifts are all but unheard of in Puerta Lagunuesta.

[fearinahandfulof]

She is currently human-shaped, so I'm guessing that's the side that applies.

How well-known would those magical traditions be outside of Paramo? Not how to use them, but just the fact that they exist.

[powersthatare]

It would be known they exist!

She'd know the history of the Festa di Riconquesta; that Paramo rules the coast in all but name and its trade agreements dictate terms to the other nearby duchies; that control of the strait is vital to the Paramoese power over their home continent, that local religion believes all non-"salt gift" magic to be witchcraft and inherently evil.

[fearinahandfulof]

Would other Infiltrators from outside of Paramo know that the Paramoese consider non-"salt gift" magic evil?

And on an unrelated note, summoners can only channel spirits, right? They can't deploy them like Raidou does his demons, unless they're Masshu-level?

[powersthatare]

Correct.

[fearinahandfulof]

To both of those?

[powersthatare]

Yes.

[fearinahandfulof]

Thanks.

[powersthatare]

I should note that there's no Paramoese Inquisition; 'evil witches' are mistrusted & not included in religious practice or promoted or ennobled, but they're not imprisoned or hunted down, either, unless they commit an actual crime (but they're often the first to be fingered as suspects).

[powersthatare]

Most Paramoese consider gunpowder magical and produced by evil Zhenmingese witches, but they still fire cannons and buy firecrackers.

[fearinahandfulof]

Good to know.

On a lighter note, would Infiltrator Knowledge help explain the pun in the Hora Ultima's name, or why people keep making the evil eye gesture at it?

[powersthatare]

Yes! The pun is "Finest Hour" / "Final Hour", and the latter, directly referencing dying, is considered bad luck for a ship.

Referencing killing is good luck for a naval vessel, but not dying.