Valeria Asiaticus
I accept no obligations outside the arena. I will fight three bouts as Myrina, no more than one each day. If I am killed or disabled, the contract ends, and my family keeps the advance.
The contract advocate immediately presses the stylus into fresh wax, recording each condition in careful Latin. Beyond the curtain, music and applause continue, indifferent to the negotiation.
The Creditor
Those terms threaten the exhibition’s profit. Three days of uncertainty, with the advance unrecoverable, may leave the organizers paying for an empty spectacle.
the contract advocate
Then they may refuse before announcing her. Until this tablet is sealed, no bill, poster, or public promise binds either side.
A sealed counter-tablet arrives from the organizers by a backstage attendant. The advocate breaks its outer mark, reads, and finds the combat limits accepted without alteration.
the contract advocate
They accept three bouts, one each day, and cancellation after death or disabling injury. They demand one final clarification: who decides whether an injury is disabling?
The advocate turns the counter-tablet toward Valeria, leaving the fresh wax open beside it. The creditor waits tensely, while the theater’s applause rises beyond the curtain.
✓ Quest Accepted
Establish who decides whether an injury is disabling
“"Any injury which results in a verso pollice or prevents me from standing or from holding a weapon may be considered disabling. Otherwise, the fight continues."”
SUCCESS (Superb Reasoning, rolled -1)
Valeria Asiaticus
Any injury that earns a verso pollice, prevents me from standing, or prevents me from holding a weapon is disabling. Otherwise, the fight continues.
The contract advocate repeats the terms in formal Latin, carving each condition into the open wax: the crowd’s verdict, loss of stance, or loss of weapon control ends the exhibition.
the contract advocate
That is precise enough to enforce. A raised thumb may end the bout, but no sponsor may declare you disabled merely to protect a wager.
The Creditor
You would leave the decision to the crowd? A hostile audience could demand blood, while a friendly one could end a profitable contest too soon.
the contract advocate
The terms are accepted. The organizers may count spectacle, but they may not purchase your continued movement after you can no longer stand or wield a weapon.
He presses the stylus into the final clause, then turns the tablet toward the creditor. The creditor studies the wording, jaw tight, and adds his seal beside it.
the contract advocate
The condition is recorded and binding. Three bouts, one each day, under Myrina, with the advance remaining yours if injury ends the contract.
Quest Complete
Secure an exhibition contract that preserves Valeria’s independence
Attribute Upgrade: Reasoning Superb→Legendary
Quest Complete
Establish who decides whether an injury is disabling