Taming the Taman-Busuk game thread: Outpost 1

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

Gorash

Yeblin quickly find a finish for the music he was playing and put back his Chapak at his belt. "Why he is always ruining the fun?" asks the kender to Gorash, before standing up.

Silence, something happened ... or maybe it is the little trick I did on the merchant...
Says the dwarf and pulls his beard in concern.

 

[Voadam]

Kinan rises and falls to, ready for action and to receive orders.

 

[Eva of Sirrion]

Commander wants to see us, now. You two come along. Deregan points to Tanner and Ulricsohn.

You are marched into the commander's office, a richly-apportioned affair with carpeted floors and full bookshelves and maps lining the walls. A fishtank sits off to the right of the commander's large rosewood desk, and two knights flank the commander at all times. He's talking with the two as you enter, and the commander swings around in his chair and the knights snap to attention as you do so.

Well Sir Deregan, these are the men and women that've been stirring up trouble yes?

Yes sir.

Well let me give you monkeys a little more insight into that little stunt you pulled earlier today. The man you assaulted and humilated without provocation was the head of one of the largest trading costers in Palanthas, one that keeps all three of the outposts well-supplied and stocked. And if we're all very very nice to him in the future, he'll consider not pressin' charges.

Sir my men had probable cause to believe hostilities were about to ensue, and successfully used nonlethal means to defuse the situation. Any charges stemming from this incident...

Are warranted and justified Sir Deregan. They did not have probable cause as you so insist, and use of any force whatever was unnecessary and excessive.

Then the charges should fall unto me sir. I am their commanding officer, and as such, I am ultimately responsible for their conduct.

Very well, Sir Deregan. The commander reaches up and rips the rank insignia off Deregan's tunic. You are hereby reduced in rank from Steward to Officer of the Rose. Furthermore you and each of your men will take 25 gigs for your roles in this incident. Ordinarily a CO acquiring this many gigs would justify me relieving you of command, but I'll forgo that so long as you and your men keep their noses clean, understood?

Yes sir.

Turning his attention to the rest of you, the commander first starts in on Tanner and Ulricsohn. Well well, my two favorite pieces of ogre dung! I can't say I'm suprised at all that you two monkeys were involved in something like this. Let me describe for you newcomers the brand of soldier you're learning the ropes from. He takes two lengthy sheets of paper and begins:

Kenneth Tanner's demerit list reads as follows: 10 gigs reporting late for duty 10 minutes or later, according to the report here Mr. Tanner, much later. 15 gigs gross insubordination, 15 gigs reporting for duty not in proper uniform, 20 gigs raising alert banner without proper authorization and another 15 gigs drunk and disorderly while on duty. Hardly the model soldier for new guards to be emulatin'.

And of course my favorite misguided child Manfred Ulricsohn. 10 gigs drunk and disorderly while off duty, 15 gigs drunk and disorderly while on duty, 15 gigs drunk and disorderly while on duty. Oh look here! 15 gigs drunk and disorderly while on duty. And suprise suprise! 15 gigs drunk and disorderly while on duty! Is anyone else here sensing a pattern in Mr. Ulricsohn's behavior? I hope neither of you two monkeys were seriously considering putting in applications to join the knights, because with this many gigs on your records, it won't happen while I'm in command of this outpost, am I making myself perfectly clear?

Yes sir
Yes sir

I can't hear you two monkeys! Pop off like you got a pair!

Sir yes sir!
Sir yes sir!

Now for Sir Deregan's soldiers, if they can be called that. You see, officer O'Connor, this is the sort of unit that starts incidents like this. If you call these monkeys soldiers I call that a problem! 10 gigs for every man and woman here not in proper uniform. Staring with Myst, Kell and Kinan, he says. You three I'm not suprised seein' on report, given your sketchy heritage all told. What about you two? Elf? Kender? always looking smirky like you're better than everyone? 15 gigs gross insubordination for the two of you. But now the instigator of this whole mess. Reverend Gorash Stonebless. I must say I'm more than a little suprised seeing a preacher starting a mess like this, but it either stops here and now, or it stops with me puttin' my boot in your big ol' rear end! 25 gigs using magic to create a public disturbance, and if I see your name on report for this kind of incident again you shall be forbidden from using magic of any sort save that of healing your comrades. Is that clear???

 

[Velmont]

"That one doesn't know the meaning of fun..." whispers Yeblin to Ulricsohn who is standing next to him.

 

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

Gorash Stonebless

Pulling his beard in furious, the tomato-red faced Gorash keeps his nerves and says with harsh and firm voice
Yes Sir.

 

[Voadam]

The true mission is to uncover the hidden evil here. Kinan hopes the commander turns out to be that evil. It would be nice to snap his neck after his insults about heritage and the dishonor he showed sir Deregan. Kinan's hand tightens briefly, then he regains control of himself for the moment and opens his clenched fist.

"Yes Sir." Kinan says in chorus with at least a few of his fellows to the little man behind the desk. Kinan notes the two knights by the commander's side for later info gathering.

 

[Lot]

Kell slouches as the group continues to be berated by the commander. His face seems relatively impassive, even bored, but his eyes flash with anger a few times as he listens. Kell says nothing, though.

 

[Bloodweaver1]

Myst shows no outside display of emotion throughout the entire rant. She simply stares ahead like any good Kinght of Solmania would, even though she is no Knight. Inside her mind she keeps her emotions in check by drifting of to some other place in some other time. At the end of the winded speech, Myst snaps to attention smartly and falls out of the room with the rest of her unit. After following her Commander and she is sure there voices will not be over heard, she says in a matter-of-fact tone, "Everyone besure to give me you measurements before the night is out. I will be sure to get us the proper uniforms from the seamster come first light."

 

[Voadam]

"Sure thing Myst, though they might need me to be there personally for tailoring. I expect to get a number of 'gigs' for uniform issues before it can be addressed. Tanner, what was that about 'unauthorized' raising of the alert? What is the protocol if there is an attack? Are we supposed to get the commander to sign an authorization order to hand to the bannermen if a dragon attacks? And do those two other knights go along with the commander?"

 

[Eva of Sirrion]

Tanner looks ashamed at Kinan's mentioning of his gaffe. In order to be authorized to raise the alert banner you need to have enemies sighted both on the ground and in the watchtower. I was stationed on the ground and didn't check with the upstairs guy before raising the red flag. Turned out they were friendly even though they had spears charged and at the ready. It shouldn't have happened.

Don't be so hard on yourself mate. You could very well have been right ya?

Deregan approaches, finally finished after the commander had some choice words for him in private. He appears to have caught the tail end of the conversation. I'm suprised you got gigged for that. Did you think about requesting an article 15?

[sblock=Myst and Kinan]You're both familiar with the term Article 15, which allows knights and soldiers to request a court-martial hearing to appeal disciplinary actions taken by a superior.[/sblock]

Yes sir, in fact Ulricsohn and myself have put in 4 such requests between us over some of those charges and not a one of them has apparently been cause for a hearing to be convened.

Well I just called for Article 15 myself but from the sounds of things we may be waiting awhile. Thank you lads, oh and do you happen to have copies of those charges levied against you?

Yes sir
Yes sir

Bring 'em to our quarters when you get some time, we've been assigned to south quadrant, #14. Dismissed.

Turning to the rest of you Deregan speaks. I have more to say on this, but I think the walls in this part of the base may have ears. Let's head to our quarters and take a load off.

Despite your eventful first day you've been assigned decent quarters all told. It's a two room affair, the one with plenty of space, beds already laid out and furnishings for storage and cooking. As you size up the place Deregan tells you what's on his mind. There definitely seems in my mind that something's not right here. Excessive punishments and now Tanner tells us that the due process in appealing such cases has slowed to a halt. It's evidence, but it's not enough; we need more information before we can in a position to take action. More importantly we need to find out just who all may be crooked and who isn't. There's also a large back room with wooden dummies set up. I obtained some training dummies from the carpenter across the way. I don't know about the rest of you, but I plan on picturing the commander's head in my mind and going to town on some of these a little later.