Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

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Urson
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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#281 Post by Urson »

If I'd wanted to join the Army, I'd have done it already. Jake mutters this, angrily. But then a new seep of blood runs from his mangled limb. Dammnit! He hobbles off after the others, resigning himself to becoming a not-so-Wooden Soldier.
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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#282 Post by mjulius »

Brick eyes the axe of his woodsman friend, Langston.
Wha-wha-wha-whoa. Are we actually going to join this army?
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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#283 Post by coil23 »

Horton Portencium, transmigrated quartermaster

Looking around, where did our two warriors go? Did we just split the party? Anyone know anything about this? He has immediate concerns about losing their two toughest warriors. A secondary concern is that his attempt at a joke at the newcomer's expense just fell flat since his reference had no...referee?

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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#284 Post by Stirling »

'Shaggy' Beaker

Leaving Mouse to the administrations of the soldier medics he takes a look around the camp and then offers to help fortify the positions.

"I have this roll of barbed wire, a spool I sort of , well got attached to and brought it along. Mayhap it will come in useful against your rodent foes." Beaker will roll the spool out and with a wire cutter, stick a fence up in any undefended, insecure or weak areas. He will also check out the bas-relief of the bells.

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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#285 Post by ChubbyPixie »

Wikerus winces internally as he gazes at the carved door frame - the details of which so far beyond his capability. The simple shapes, also. When he notices the others moving off together, anxious not to be sepatated so soon from his newfound "friends," he scuttles after, net held up like a ball gown. "Hey-ho, sailors! Wait for me!" he says.

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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#286 Post by Pulpatoon »

After laying Mouse down to rest on an empty cot (knowing that he will not be tended to unless he enlists, but at least he can sleep), the team reluctantly follows along behind the eager Kurt, who rushes off to enlist.

Horton, still hoping someone will share with him the fate of GWAR! and Butchness, leads the party to a central tent, and gets them past the two guards stationed outside.

Within the cangle-lit darkness of the tent, six Toy Soldier Officers lounge around a table. Each officer looks like a standard Toy Soldier, except their shoulders are heaped with thick gold braids, their chest clink and tinkle an overlapping shingle of gaudy medals, and their hats sprout improbable fountains of ostrich plumes.

On the table is a spread-out map. Little wooden game pieces are clustered in once section of the map. A box on the table contains a dozen ivory mice pieces.

The Officers start from their relaxed positions when you enter, and seem even more surprised when they hear why you are there. "Recruits? By Bully, by Jove, By Pea and Penny, we haven't had recruits since— well... not since this campaign started, at any rate. A few hundred years, hrm? Jolly good on you, lads! Flesh, are you? Hrm, rotten, that. Still, can't be helped. And the rats eat flesh, don't they? Could be a liability. Or and advantage. Yes, we could use you for a baiting maneuver, give out boys a chance to press an advantage, eh whot?"

Taking a moment to examine the party, this officer strokes his elaborately curlicued, painted-on beard. "Look a bit rubbish, don't you? Tattered and torn. Scattered and scuffed. Battered, blemished, and busted. That one there's missing parts. Once you sign your papers, report to the Quartermaster for uniforms and then to the Sawbones for repair."

Meanwhile, a second officer has been digging around in a pile of boxes, and emerged with a small pine chest. He pulls out of it several contracts and coins. Another officer brings forth a dusty bottle of ink. Unable to produce a quill, he reluctantly plucks one of his ostrich plumes from his hat and whittles it into a decent nib. "Make your mark and take the coin, and you'll be enlisted as infantry of the Right Royal Army of King Favian the Eighteenth, with all the rights, privileges, duties, burdens, and obeisances thereof. Any questions?"

The Officers huddle around you, watching your reaction with attitudes of what might be eager anticipation.

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Urson
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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#287 Post by Urson »

Jake hobbles forward reluctantly, seeing this as his best chance to be fit again. He signs his name- in big, awkward letters- and takes the offered coin. He looks around, and says, I.. do?
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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#288 Post by Stirling »

'Shaggy' Beaker

'Coughs' slightly at the thought of enlistment, then puffs up his chest.

"Well err, now I err, I sort of have my own uniform already," Beaker brushes his epaulettes and dusts down his velvety cloak and tri-corn hat. "Duke's own 'Messenger Corps and Communication Constabulary'. I laid down some fancy fencing to keep the enemy at bay, they won't break through that without a squeak." nodding triumphantly and then sort of side steps to the shadows and takes a peek over shoulders at the map.

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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#289 Post by GreyWolfVT »

Hans boldly strides forward and signs "It's the one thing I can do of my own want."

Kurt marches over and signs "My father would be proud of this."
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred
"If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling

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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#290 Post by ChubbyPixie »

Wikerus

"Er... well, all right," says Wikerus, having just this moment become aware of where the party was going and what they were up to. Signing up for the armed forces? Not what he was expecting... "Ah... hup, two, three, I guess. Nice map you got there. Not sure I'm qualified, but, well, sign me up!" He takes the proffered pen and signs the document. "When do we start? What was all that about rats?"

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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#291 Post by Pulpatoon »

Stirling wrote:'Shaggy' Beaker ... takes a peek over shoulders at the map.
Shaggy, and anyone else who cares to take a look , sees a checkerboard pattern of blue and white squares forming the Barricaded Hall (with a line of matchsticks spilled across it to represent the piled-up furniture), and the Library/Bivouac. The map looks old and worn, from centuries of little wooden pieces and ivory mice being pushed across its surface. There are sketchier, non-checkerboarded indications of two adjacent rooms: a round room that would correspond with the other side of the closed wooden doors here in the Library; and a square room about the same size as the Barricaded Hall, off the wooden stairs the rats fled up. The round room is labelled "TOWER, DROSSELMEYER." The other room is labelled "HERE BE RATS."

As Jake, Hans, Kurt, and Wikerus sign their enlistment papers, the Officers cheer and clap and pat them roughly on the back. "Good show! Frightfully well done, my dear legume!" The coin you are given is a cut circle of tin with the words "SOLDJER PAY" crudely embossed on it.

When Shaggy announces that he is already spoken for, the Officers look confused. "The Duke's Constabulary, you say? Oh, well then, that's another matter. All servants of the Crown, and collegial as twin berries on the vine, hmm? Which... ah, that is to say, which Duke would that be? Roffenschreifer? Stack? Old Tussey?" These names are all completely unfamiliar.

The Officers turn their attention to Vanis, Langston, Brick, Deet, and Schroff (whom they chide to stand up straight and get his filthy hands off the floor) with expectation.

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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#292 Post by mjulius »

Brick, eyeing the map and it's centuries of long battle lines drawn and redrawn:

Tempting offer Captain Pine but being a specimen of flesh I am incapable of, uh, joining this brave nutcracker army.

He taps his head with his knuckles: I'm what you call, "soft".

However, I sense that recon is what you need. I propose we gather our team, with the support of these fine newly signed soldiers as representatives, and investigate the tower.


Langston edges closer to the nearest soldier and begins to uncomfortably examine him: It's not pine.
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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#293 Post by GreyWolfVT »

Hans informs the soldiers "Kurt's dad is a judge if that matters any and I am employed by him."
“All men did have darkness. Some wore it in the form of horns. Some bore it invisibly as rot in their souls.”
― Paul S. Kemp, Shadowbred
"If good people won’t do the hard things, evil people will always win, because evil people will do anything."
― Paul S. Kemp, Twilight Falling

Algrim Tirion Dwarf - HarnMaser
Dalin Silverhand Dwarf Thief - Barrowmaze
Elwood 'Dug' The Bounty Hunter Dwarf Swashbuckler - Hedge's Adventures in the World of Golarion
Roan Gravelbeard Dwarf Fighter - Hedge's Greyhawk Adventures
Torvik Shadowhood Dwarf Fighter/Thief - Nocturne
DM - GreyWolf's Mystara Adventures - AD&D 2e

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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#294 Post by ChubbyPixie »

Wikerus

"War... what's it good for?" ponders Wickerus out loud as he eyes the map. He picks up one of the mouse figurines and inspects it. "These are the bad guys, right? What's the battle plan? Any surprise secret weapons you want to reveal? Have you considered laying out traps baited with some enticing cheese? Always worked for me. Shall we get after it, then?...er... maybe we should get him a new leg, first..."

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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#295 Post by Wizard Lizard »

Vanis stares intently at the coin, and says "Life is war. Since I've been here, I almost died by getting eviscerated by some kind of alien creature, munched by giant shit-caked babies, crushed by falling curtains and don't forget to mention the frequent risk of death by falling through the sky that characterized our ascension to here. I would take that coin, but I am looking for something here, and my profession is not that of a soldier. I will assist you, because the party must not be split. Ever. But I cannot accept this money. Surely you understand, as you too men of wood have a greater purpose."

He is of course bullshitting them to evade the draft yet again, being a man of fleeting engagements.

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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#296 Post by Pulpatoon »

An Officer snatches the ivory mouse from Wiskerus. "You're enlisted now, soldier! No fraternizing with those of superior rank!"

Checking the signed papers, another Officer reads: "Blume, Wikerus; Morse, Hans; Smithington, Kurt; Speed, Jake. You are to report to the Quartermaster to be outfitted in proper uniform. You are responsible for maintaining your uniform and all other equipment assigned to you. Afterwards, you may report to the Sawbones, as necessary.

"Beaker, Shaggy. You are welcome as an envoy on behalf of Duke... Which Duke was that again? Marl? Cephalothorax? Archambeault? You have a retinue of... ah, one 'Mouse' is it? Not actually related to rats, is it? Not a spy? Keep a close eye on that one, eh whot? Harumpf. As envoy, you will be assigned a tent near the Officer's Quarters, and may avail yourself to Army materials within judgement of the relevant Officer, Quartermaster, or Sawbones.

"The rest of you... well, by Gum and Gumption, I can't say that I care to have a passel of malingerers lounging about the camp, setting a bad example for the new recruits. As you have chosen not to enlist, I invite you to either find gainful employment—I believe the Quartermaster is always hiring latrine diggers or some such—or remove yourselves forthwith."


With that the Officers brusquely push you out of the tent and close up the flap. The two guards outside swivel their blocky heads and give the party a perfunctory salute.

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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#297 Post by mb. »

Deet, quiet and staring through the whole ordeal so far, speaks up, "um, if they've been fighting rats for centuries, they can't rightly win, can they? Even with our help? And I don't want no more rat fighting, nope nope." Schroff barks once, emphatically.

"Um, maybe we should be on about what we came here for? This unending war isn't ours, nope."

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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#298 Post by coil23 »

Before being pushed out of the tent, Horton remarks with casual bluster at no one in particular: well, rats teeth are always growing so they need something like wood to gnaw on. I'd say toy soldiers are at least as appealing as flesh as far as bait goes. Likely some will find out soon. Yes, sir, I reckon education is right around the corner. Once out of the tent he drops the exhausting facade. Fighting the good fight against hubris is never-ending. Perhaps this foray into nutcrackerdom will not be as fruitful as hoped.

Casting an appraising scan across the tent community, he ponders the rejuvenal potential of a mass fire. Hmmm, might be a crackerjack distraction to lure out the rats so the fleshy ones could then go and retrieve the princess. He makes a casual, quiet reference to the idea to the others to gauge interest. He stops short and looks beyond the tents to remember that he would also be endangering all of these lovely books. No, spite must find another path.

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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#299 Post by ChubbyPixie »

Wikerus

Wikerus gazes ruefully at the "coin" in his hand, feeling as if somehow he'd just gotten the short end of the stick. Is this what he'd signed up for? "How're we going to fit in wooden uniforms?" he asks out loud. "Perhaps we get the help we need from the camp surgeon, then go from there. They'll not abandon their posts to track us down should we leave this room, I'll wager. Too straight laced." He makes sure to say this out of ear-shot of any other soldiers...

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Re: Chapter 1: To seek a Great Perhaps

#300 Post by Urson »

Jake grits his teeth and half-asses a salute. He hobbles off toward the Quartermaster, hoping it won't take too long.
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