Persuade Virginia

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ID: 240399

Spoiler warning! This page contains details about Fallen London Actions.

From: Debating Matters of Business with the Board

Once a Mayor. Always a Deviless.

Game Instructions: She is ripe for bribery. Other branches in this storylet may help to persuade her.

Unlocked with Board Member: Virginia

Locked with Virginia's Vote

Challenge information

Broad, Persuasive 100

• 69 - very chancy (41%)
• 85 - chancy (51%)
• 102 - modest (61%)
• 119 - very modest (71%)
• 135 - low-risk (81%)
• 152 - straightforward (91%)
• 167 - straightforward (100%)
  

Base difficulty is probably 100, increased by 40 points per Board Against Infernal Interests, and 20 points per Board against Own Financial Interests, Board against the Interests of Society, Board against the Constables and Board against the Bazaar. Every point of Corruption of the Board reduces the base difficulty by 40 points.

Success

She is convinced!

Virginia always holds your eye a long time before she agrees to anything. But you've brought her around this time.

Description summary:
The text varies with the Question before the Board. The text above is the generic result; questions with more specific results are listed below.

[Find the rest of the story at https://www.fallenlondon.com]

Question	Success Description
4	"That territory is dangerous, but so are the alternatives," says Virginia. It does not sound as though the wellbeing of the workers concerns her terribly much.
13	"Oh, my distinguished predecessor served the city well […] But she hasn't kept up with the changes the rest of us have brought in. […] we could find more inspired advice elsewhere." Is she annoyed that she hasn't been able to acquire Jenny's soul?
28	"We can let him go if we must," says Virginia, with a malicious smile. "But I have so been enjoying his travelogues. He's very troubled by them, for someone who never got very far into Hell."
29	"Oh, well," says Virginia with a shrug. "He's an interesting case, of course, but someone's already had his soul off him. There's not much more I can do with him. Send him on his way, if you like."
100, 105, 120 - 170	Virginia frowns at the plans, then sighs. "It is affordable," she says. "A reasonable allocation of resources. I would have hoped for something more striking – a building with teeth and thorns – but it seems that is not to be."
115	Virginia is enthusiastic about the plans. "Of course, it merely imitates the style of Hell," she says wryly. "But better to imitate greatness than achieve mediocrity."
181 - 186	"Don't know that I will want to visit," says Virginia. "But if this will complete our railway, I vote aye."
205	Virginia consents to the plan, in the voice of one who has sat through far too many meetings during her term as Mayor.
400	Virginia grudgingly agrees, even though the payment is not to be made in either souls or Nevercold Brass.
510	"An entirely wise and reasonable solution," says Virginia. "I would be happy to help make the appropriate arrangements."
600 - 620	Virginia smiles darkly. "Certainly," she says. "The next Lord Mayor will have trouble living up to my legacy regardless of who it is, but let us embrace the contrast."
700, 720	"This castle," says Virginia, "would not qualify for an outhouse in Hell. Elect someone or do not, but let us move on to more interesting subjects."
710	"He'll cause an interesting disturbance," says Virginia. "September it is."
800	"He sounds tedious," says Virginia. "Have him if you like, as long as you don't bring him to board meetings."
850	"A chilling selection," says Virginia, looking amused in a very ominous way. "By all means, do bring him in."
905	"Oh yes, why not," Virginia says chuckling. "I'm sure she'll do a wonderful job. I look forward to her Rubbery hymnbook with interest." The Dean sets her jaw and glares at her notes.
910	"Oh no what will do without the Bishop how shall we cope I cannot imagine," Virginia drawls. "Oh well. I'm sure we shall manage somehow. On you go."
940	Virginia nods. "Why, I could hardly oppose engaging in such charity."
941	Virginia nods. "Why, I could hardly oppose engaging in such charity."
1000, 1020, 1030	Virginia looks relaxed. "Arrangements such as this one are common. If London is inexperienced with them, Hell is not."
1100, 1110	Virginia grins. "Oh yes. Let's give that wretched place a real London hello."

Other Votes	Second paragraph of Success Description
The Bishop of Saint Fiacre's	"Even the Devil can quote Scripture," remarks the Bishop of Saint Fiacre's, in a low voice.
The Bishop of Southwark	The Bishop of Southwark launches out of his chair and paces back and forth at the end of the room, scowling. Virginia opposing him is bad enough. Virginia agreeing with him is apparently intolerable.

• Persuasive is increasing…
• You've lost 1 x Uncommitted Board Members
•  Virginia has agreed to vote on your side. (Sets Virginia's Vote to 1 - Virginia has committed to vote on your side)

Redirects to: Debating Matters of Business with the Board

Failure

Unconvinced

[See table below]

Question	Failure Description
1 - 3	Virginia remarks that she's rarely impressed by London cartography.
7, 9	Virginia peruses the maps with a closed mouth and raised eyebrows. London cartography doesn't impress her.
4	Loss of too many workers might cause delays and extra costs," she remarks. "I wonder whether a safer direction might be found?"
5	"Those hills are not so unoccupied as they appear," she says. "And it will require a lot of explosives to make them suitable for track laying."
10 - 14, 16 - 18, 20 - 24, 26, 30, 31	"By all means, let's get rid of someone […] The Board is overcrowded. But I would prefer to start elsewhere." It isn't clear whether she has someone in mind, but everyone else assumes she means them, and the next five minutes get rather heated.
19	"Southwark is a blowhard and an enemy of Hell," […] "But he has elevated his hatred to a performance art. I've never been able to cause anyone quite so much distress simply by walking into a room. Please don't deprive me of that pleasure. […]
28	"Oh, no, surely not," says Virginia. "One of the few colleagues on the Board with Hell's interests in mind? Even if he does have a very unorthodox interpretation of a few things. But nonetheless. I couldn't let him go."
29	"I'd hate to let him go," says Virginia. "It's true his Soul is already gone, so there's nothing to hope for there. But what a piece of artistry! My fellow Deviless did an astonishing bit of work with him, I will say."
32	Virginia indicates that she has no objection to parting with 'any of our overly liturgical friends'.
33, 35, 37	Virginia looks extremely pained all of the sudden. "I wouldn't," she says. "I really cannot advise that course."
100, 105, 115 - 170	"Well," says Virginia, her brows arched. "I can see without meeting her that the architect has a clear soul." When the rest of the board does not know how to take this apparently devastating remark, Virginia clarifies that it is a Nay vote.
181 - 186	"Perhaps a bit closer to Hell would be best?," asks Virginia. "They are hoping to be independent of London, are they not?"
200	Virginia offers two or three weary sentences about the military imagination of London. "This will offer as much protection as wrapping the train in brown paper," she says. "We should spend our money elsewhere."
205	"Furtive shipping of cargo," she says glumly. "This is not quite the ambition I had for the train."
210	Virginia's mouth crooks. "It's a very London sort of decoration. I don't expect that we'll be able to tempt very many Devils away from the accommodations of the Moloch Line, but if we hope to attract any, […] something a bit smarter?"
220 - 280	Virginia exhales impatiently. "Get other workers. Bring in Clay Men. This is a difficulty that Mr Fires does not face. We cannot afford to face it either."
300	These precepts irritate Virginia. "One needs a slogan for an election," she says. "But no one is voting for the Company."
310 - 320, 340, 932	Virginia scowls and comments that this is the sort of thing she would expect from a set of Londoners.
400	Virginia argues that the company's dividends ought to be paid half in conventional currency and half in Souls. Half an hour is lost discussing the sourcing of the Souls and whether they would require proper licenses or contracts.
500	"The Devils have our own history with Parabola […] I would not rely too heavily on the cooperation anyone who lives in dreams, whether cat or snake or embodied nightmare. If you meet an ambulatory pie in Parabola, you should distrust that as well."
510	"Ordinarily, I would favour this solution […] But I have a few reservations about the particular set of Devils who breed the Hellworms. […] I would want to […] make sure that they did not expect to take advantage of the board in some regard."
520 - 522, 525 - 529	"I would approach this from an entirely different direction," says Virginia drily. "And I think I may claim greater familiarity with this part of the Neath than almost anyone else at this table."
600	Virginia does not think much of this plan. "No candidate meets my standards," she remarks.
620	"F. F. Gebrandt is attempting to manage emotions […] But without the expertise in souls, she can be no more than a charlatan." Someone […] points out that Virginia's soul experiments have not been entirely satisfying. There is a sulphurous silence.
700, 720	"Someone else, please," says Virginia. "I've never met someone with such a... gant-coloured soul."
710	"I have no taste for putting Revolutionaries in power," she says.
800	"I would prefer another proposal," says Virginia. "I don't think he is very sympathetic to Devils."
850	Virginia looks arch but remarks that she knows all about this individual, that he has been the talk of Devilesses for some time, and that she doubts whether he can be trusted. She refuses to answer further questions on the topic.
905, 910	Virginia shakes her head. "We cannot afford to be distracted by such nonsense. A church, I ask you. Why not build a public lavatory or something useful?"
931, 933 - 934	Virginia raises one eyebrow. "Is this really our only alternative? I think not."
940 - 941	Virginia shakes her head. "A waste of money and time, darling."
1000, 1020, 1030	"I have no objection," says Virginia, "to making an arrangement with this power. But I do question whether this is the most advantageous route."
1100, 1110	"Nothing good has ever come from that place […] I happen to rather like our trains. I would not see one sacrificed for a war that does not matter […] No offence. But the only one worth fighting has already been won and you sit among its victors now."

Board Member	Second paragraph of Failure Description
The Wandering Gondolier	The Wandering Gondolier is listening attentively. Virginia notices. "I am not your governess," she says to him. "Fawn too much and you'll curdle your soul."

• Persuasive is increasing…

Redirects to: Debating Matters of Business with the Board