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Redlun XXXIX
Missiledine: We ready?
Dukejr01: yah
tacit01: yup
Missiledine: when we ended you were encamped around Windhook the night before starting out on the last leg of the campaign... There is to be
a big feast, lots of food, beer etc prior to setting out
Dukejr01: yay!
Missiledine: The leaders will all dine in the Hall, their favorites eat inside, the rank and file in tents and around the bonfires outside
Dukejr01: gosh. that means...... Ollyn, Jacinta and Tassiter.
Dukejr01: and miklas, depending on how many we can take inside
tacit01: sorry - gotta get offline for a minute
Missiledine: there isn't much talk of buisness, its mostly merry making and relaxation before the march. The details are mostly worked out and
anything else will be addressed on the march
Dukejr01: tho I guess miklas is a hauscarl so he would come before J....
Missiledine: ok
Missiledine: there is room for the four of them
Dukejr01: I was just going to say that A doens't talk of the upcoming fight
Dukejr01: okay. good.
tacit01 has left the room.
tacit01 has entered the room.
tacit01: can y'all see me?
Missiledine: not you, but what you write
tacit01: thanks...
Missiledine: any time
Dukejr01: <that is very funny. O Game Master! Ha ha ha!>
Missiledine: in addition to the locals of Windhook, you will notice a lot of Jongeleurs, merchents, prostitutes and such that have shown up to cater
to the soldiers. Clearly word of the operation has spread
Missiledine: :-D
Dukejr01: <am I laying it on too think?>
Missiledine: <Are you that worried?>
Dukejr01: crap. A was hoping that it wouldn't get out. they probably have spies.
Missiledine: Of the leadership group, only Dell looks glum as the evening progresses
Dukejr01: <I meant "thick". worried? no. If I were worried I wouldn't have ribbed you with a silly, farcical suck up>
Dukejr01: Why is he glum?
Missiledine: He watches the performances with a sour face and answers questions in monosyllabels
Missiledine: <lol>
tacit01: <ugh>
Dukejr01: Athamar doesn't party. he is pleasant, but not celebratory.
Missiledine: after the main meal, and as the entertainment gets rolling, Dell will excuse himself and leave the hall
Missiledine: everyone else is watching the troop of scantly clad dancing girls
Dukejr01: Woohoo!
tacit01: almost everyone...
Dukejr01: After the dancing girls, A excuses himself to get some air.
Dukejr01: that is right.... A catches J's eye.
Missiledine: the party starts early, but wraps up a bit before midnight.... Outside you can see that there are similar events going on in the camp
Dukejr01: A wants to know where Dell has gone andwhat could be eating him.
Missiledine: you don't see him when you leave the hall. You will have to ask the servants
tacit01: ,consider J's eye caught> J furrows her brow
Dukejr01: <if the moment has passed then nevermind. A was going to send J to see where Dell was going>
Missiledine: <You should watch, you might learn something!>
Missiledine: <too late>
Dukejr01: <okay>
Missiledine: do you seek him out?
Dukejr01: Sure....
Missiledine: there are many servants passing to and fro in the corridors, one of them may know
Dukejr01: A will ask them, remember A left early
Missiledine: <You stayed for the bikini babes>
Dukejr01: yeah. they danced til midnight?
Missiledine: no, but a few minutes
Dukejr01: okay then
Missiledine: the servant pauses, "My Lord, I believe the Captain went up to the battlements. He took a bottle with him."
Dukejr01: "Thank you."
Dukejr01: Off to the battlements
Missiledine: He will show you the way if you wish
Dukejr01: sure. just point.
Dukejr01: <J can stay with her Beal at the party.... :-)>
Missiledine: you climb the steps, passing a number of people on the way. Reaching the top you find a guard on duty. He is talking to a girl and
doesn't notice you till your on top of him. He snaps to attention. "My Lord!" He salutes
Missiledine: the girl fades back into the shadows
tacit01: <she's a spy - KILL HER!>
Dukejr01: "Carry on. Stay alert there." Athamar chuckles.
Missiledine: <lol>
Dukejr01: he waves vaguely as he passes.
Missiledine: "Sir!"
Missiledine: The roof of the main keep is flat, with a few low structures, pigeon coops etc, the wooden cistern, a watch tower of wood and a
couple ballista. There are a number of people, mostly in groups, standing about talking. You see
Missiledine: Dell sitting on a battlement by himself, drinking something
Dukejr01: Athamar will go stand nearby and lean on the battlement looking out over the land. he doesn't say anything.
Missiledine: below you can see the encampment. Dell is looking West and doesn't notice you at first. When he does he straightens up. "Lord
Athamar."
Dukejr01: "Master Dell"
Missiledine: "The men seem to be enjoying themselves."
Dukejr01: Athamar grunts. "Will be the last time for some." Athamar shakes his head a little.
Missiledine: "Yes, that is why the Baron ordered it." Dell sounds a bit disgusted by it
Missiledine: He stirs himself a bit. "The Duke did not send any troops, but he did send several wagonloads of supplies. If your men are short
food, arrows, bolts, spears etc, we have a goodly stock."
Dukejr01: "I see." Athamar frowns. "The smugglers will no doubt have eyes and ears.
Dukejr01: "Arrows would help, thank you. That is one item we are short."
Missiledine: "Yes." He sounds bitter. "I would have preferred marching directly from Oak Hall."
Dukejr01: "Had I the strength in arms, I would have dealt with them myself. I was not expecting this.... parade."
Missiledine: "Now they are sure to know we are coming. They will probably run, but if they stay it'll be because they feel confident of victory."
Dukejr01: Athamar turns to regard the West. "Their mage will have something cooked up."
Missiledine: "Nor was I." Dell mutters.
Missiledine: "Aye... "
Missiledine: He offers you the bottle he holds
Dukejr01: Athamar accepts, takes a drink.
Missiledine: it is brandy... good grade
Dukejr01: He returns the bottle.
tacit01: <40 weight>
Dukejr01: <wooohoo!>
Dukejr01: "I will leave you to your privacy... good night, Master Dell."
Missiledine: "Perhaps I am too pessimistic. It is a fault of mine." He drinks. "They may not be well organized."
Missiledine: "Good night My Lord."
Dukejr01: Athamar goes to wander the village and camps a bit.
Missiledine: After awhile things start to settle down, those who are so inclined and lucky enough to find a bedwarmer disappear first, the rest warm
themselves with antifreeze before tottering off to bed
Dukejr01: k. Athamar isn't interested, unless its that cute little healer chick.
Missiledine: those unfortunate enough to have pulled guard duty, grumble at their lot and take up their posts
Dukejr01: Poor bastards. :-)
Missiledine: you'll have to go looking for her
Dukejr01: nah. too much complication, and I wanna get this show on the road.
Missiledine: by midnight things have settled down and all is as quiet as it's likely to get
Dukejr01: A turns in about then, he will get up early
Missiledine: okay... J?
tacit01: <sleep good?!> J will talk with Beal until late, I presume, then retire (alone) to rest for tomorrow
Missiledine: <Have you looked at your other IM screen?>
Dukejr01: <lol>
Dukejr01: <I think NOT>
Missiledine: <I agree>
tacit01: <sorry, I have 3 IM's, this chat, and an e-mail going>
Missiledine: <okay, I understand...<sniff> I'm not the most importnt person in your life...<sniff> it's okay...really.>
Missiledine: <He's doing it again...<sniff>... I don't mind being ignored...>
Dukejr01: <Unluckiness disads for J for this session only. ouch>
Missiledine: OKAY... Morning comes
Dukejr01: A is up early. he sees that his men are ready. actually, that is Ollyn's job, but hs is supposed to givethe orders.
Missiledine: The day starts before dawn as the men eat the horses are saddled, harnessed etc
Dukejr01: <Lift tht thing... and the other thing!>
Dukejr01: <"Stop rhyming and I mean it!">
Dukejr01: <"Anyone want a peanut?">
Missiledine: By first light you are marching west...
Dukejr01: <sorry. bad Princess bride flashbacks. I gotta stop freebasing coca cola.>
Missiledine: <Enough Princess Bride! I had that music played during my wedding! I still hear it in my head!>
Dukejr01: <lol. not by your choice?>
Missiledine: <One of Karyn's favorite movies>
Dukejr01: A tells Ollyn that Master Dell mentioned that the Duke had sent supplies. and that we could get extra ammunition.
Missiledine: Ollyn sees to it
tacit01: <ROUSS's - I don't think they exist>
Missiledine: At first you are able to follow tracks made by Windhooks farmers and herders, but by mid morning you are past the settled area and
are cutting across country
Dukejr01: okay. Athamar makes Cont light while we are on the way. so they can be distributed.
Missiledine: The going is slow, the wagons are particularly annoying in that they are constantly getting stuck. Fortuneatly you have plenty of people
to push them out
Missiledine: ok
Dukejr01: A will also use shape earth to smooth out areas where all the wagons will get stuck.
Missiledine: ok
Dukejr01: keep a lookout for that damn bird.
Missiledine: the rangers are spread out as scouts, ahead and on the flanks... A large force of mounted men are in the fore, the infantry follows, then
the wagons, then more horsemen
Dukejr01: A also talks to Ollyn. expressing the opinion that the smugglers will be prepared for us
Missiledine: "Probably, but brigands ain't reknown as mighty fighters. I don't think they'll put up much of a fight against this lot."
Dukejr01: "Maybe they will just skedaddle."
Missiledine: "If they know we are comin, they'll have taken the loot with em, and the slaves."
Dukejr01: Athamar sighs.
Missiledine: "May have buried some of it, what they couldn't take. We'll have to poke about a bit."
Missiledine: <Damn, my dog is barking to go out. BRB!>
Missiledine: ok
tacit01: k
Dukejr01: yo
Missiledine: <I want to get you guys to striking distance, then we'll have to close for the night. I was reminded that I have to take my mother to the
Doctor's office at 8 am tomorrow! Forgot about that!>
Missiledine: <sorry>
Dukejr01: k
tacit01: cool
Missiledine: ok.. back to the march
Dukejr01: A will also want to chat with the other mage, Jules.
Missiledine: Jules is riding in one of the wagons, he doesn't do horses, reading a book
Dukejr01: "Morning, <Master?> Jules."
Missiledine: "My Lord!" He says looking up
Missiledine: <yes>
Dukejr01: "I just wanted to chat with you so we could better coordinate our spellcraft. Though I think we will mostly have different tasks."
Missiledine: "I was just reading about the Thau,atological propertires of Troll's blood."
Dukejr01: <does Athamar know anything about troll blood?>
Missiledine: "Yes, coordination would be good."
Missiledine: <no, its an alchemy thing>
Dukejr01: "Have you been briefed on the plan?"
Missiledine: "Captain Dell has spoken at some length."
Missiledine: "I gather that I am to lob fireballs and such, through any convenient openings."
Dukejr01: Athamar laughs. "Yes. that about covers it."
Missiledine: 'And you are going to endeavour to make more such openings."
Dukejr01: "We are likely to encounter a mage. A man of desert extraction. Do you have any means of dealing with him, aside from lobbing a fireball at him?
Missiledine: "Hmmm, possibly I could Sleep him or Daze him. Though that is sometimes tricky."
Missiledine: "Mages oft times resist such attacks."
Dukejr01: "Aye. so it is. Especially when battle is already joined. No plan survives contact with the enemy...."
Missiledine: Jules nods in agreement, he is obviously anxious to return to his reading
Dukejr01: "Well, I am sure you will make youself useful. Just be sure to keep you head down. Until later, master jules"
Missiledine: "Yes My Lord, thank you."
Dukejr01: Athamar wanders over to his guys.
Missiledine: The column moves on, stopping around mid day to eat and rest the horses
Dukejr01: Are we kicking up a lot of dust?
Missiledine: After an hour for that it is on the way again...
Missiledine: Some, it is a dry area and it is winter so the grass is mostly dead
Missiledine: The afternnon goes on much the same, until, with twilight approacking rapidly, the column halts to camp
Dukejr01: A trots off to the side a small ways, with escort and tries to assess how far away the dust can be seen.
Missiledine: Maybe a mile
Dukejr01: k
Missiledine: Pickets are placed while food is prepared, tents are set up and the animals cared for
Dukejr01: "Am I worrying too much?" Athamar grins at his hauscarls?
Dukejr01: A looks for Tass and makes sure he is okay
Missiledine: The Baron has a short meeting with you and the others on a small knoll to the west of camp.
Dukejr01: k
Missiledine: Tass is with the men, you hear him talking about this girl he was with last night
Dukejr01: A rolls his eyes. I suppose the men are bored with it
Missiledine: The Baron watches Dell with a slightly amused and somewhat sour look. "Captain Dell is a killjoy gentlemen. He'd have preferred that
our boys go to battle without a nice roll in the hay."
Dukejr01: A keeps his mouth firmly closed,
Missiledine: Dell, who is peering werst, just grunts in reply. The Baron says, "Any comments, problems or such?"
Dukejr01: A doesn't have any.
tacit01: mum
Missiledine: No one else seems to either
Missiledine: "Very well then we will continue thus tomorrow. Let's get some food." The meeting ends and you trudge back to camp
Dukejr01: okay
Missiledine: The night will pass without any incidents and you are again on the way before sunup
Dukejr01: k. A makes more Cont lights and uses shape earth.
Missiledine: The country is empty of any large wildlife, it is too strong a party to be approached by predators, and it makes too much noise to see
deer or wild horses
Missiledine: you do see some birds, but none that seem familiar
Dukejr01: can A use the seek earth thing to try detecting silver. I assume we have a shotload with the troops.
Missiledine: yes there is a lot
Dukejr01: no joy.... oh well.
Missiledine: you could exclude the column tho
Dukejr01: A does.
Missiledine: you cast and detect it about a mile ahed, due west
Dukejr01: A will go talk to Dell
Missiledine: He's riding off to the side near the front
Dukejr01: "Master Dell, About ho far ahead are the scouts?"
Dukejr01: <how>
Missiledine: "Anywhere from half a mile to two miles."
Dukejr01: Athamar nods. "They are probably what I detected then."
Missiledine: "There are eight of them out at the moment."
Dukejr01: A rubs his chins trying to think of a way around it.
Missiledine: Yoyu will again stop for mid day meal, then move on
Dukejr01: <chin. singular>
Dukejr01: k
Missiledine: <lol>
Missiledine: That night the Baron will have another brief meeting before supper
Missiledine: Unless there is anything to disscuss..... once again the night will pass quietly
Dukejr01: A will discuss with Beal the possibility of A using seek earth to detect silver, looking for smugglers. he explains that the spell tetects the nearest source
and gives direction and disatnce.
Missiledine: "Going to be tough with all these men." Beal says
Dukejr01: "In this desolate area. it actually has practical applications to find people. I can exclude the column itself since I know there is silver here. the scouts are
what I was picking up this morning."
Missiledine: "Aside from the obvious coins and jewelry, many have weapns and gear with silver chasings, wire and settings."
Dukejr01: <sorry. meant Dell.>
Missiledine: <ok>
Dukejr01: "I can exclude the column since they are close and in my sight. The scouts are the problem."
Missiledine: "Yes, you can't begin to know where they are at any given moment.... Of course..." He thinks. "You do know HOW MANY there are out.
If you detect more then that number..."
Missiledine: "A lot of casting tho."
Missiledine: "You might see if Jules has any ideas."
Dukejr01: "the rub., exactly."
Dukejr01: "A thought. Lets see how cunning he is."
Missiledine: Dell just laughs
Missiledine: Jules is reading by candle light in his tent
Dukejr01: A hands him a cont light. "Ruin your eyes like that."
Missiledine: "Thank you my Lord."
Dukejr01: A waves it away. "It will last a few days...."
Dukejr01: A lays out the problem.
Missiledine: Jules thinks for a minute, "Seperating the scouts from the spies is simple enough. Give each scout an identifying object that is unique
to him. Keep a list. You will know roughly what area each is scouting. If you find an extra
Missiledine: silver source, dtermine which is the scout by seeking his item."
Dukejr01: <would that work without Seeker?>
Missiledine: <only in regards to metal, gems, stones etc>
Dukejr01: <so it would work if it was a unique metal item?>
Missiledine: <It would be hard to organize out on the trail... if the material is unique. For example, one scout has bronze, another has an opal, a
third a piece of gypsum, etc>
Dukejr01: "Hmmmm.... Thank you for your input. Do you have a seeker spell?"
Missiledine: <You need to pick the material with care to avoid accidental duplication amongst the scouts. Of course some things might occur in
nature as well>
Missiledine: "I'm sorry, no."
Dukejr01: "Very good. Good night"
Dukejr01: ..
Missiledine: "Good night, my Lord."
Missiledine: Dell sees you later, "Did Jules have any bright ideas?"
Dukejr01: Do we pull all teh scouts in at night?
Missiledine: yes, to rest and rotate
Missiledine: <I am going to need to close up shortly gents, sorry.>
Dukejr01: "Well, he had a good idea about separating the scouts from the spies, if there are any. but it would be difficult to organize on the fly."
Dukejr01: <okay, now?>
Missiledine: "A good idea? Huh." Dell shakes his head in wonder
Dukejr01: Athamar laughs.
Missiledine: <Give you a chance to come up with something between now and then>
Dukejr01: k. night.
Dukejr01: thanks
Missiledine: good night and thank you!
Dukejr01: see you next tues. I will be gone this weekend
Missiledine: ok, have a good trip
Missiledine: say hi to Joel
Dukejr01: will do
tacit01: g-nite all
Missiledine: night Troy
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