>we'll be going in a little different direction with this quest, so if you don't like it, we can get back to the skull-crushing next episode. just let me know.

An aide rushes a packet of orders to you, stamped with the royal seal of Lord General Mondava. He instructs you to burn the orders after reading and to carry out your orders as soon as possible. Opening the packet, you see a map, a written sheet, and a pouch of silver.

"Sergeant Julius, I know that you have waited long for your orders and I am sure that you are anxious to know the details of the attack that stunned us those weeks ago. As you are aware, a new weapon was deployed against us. One of great ferocity and that we do not understand. We have discovered that the Barduvians have access to some sort of paste that when exposed to flame, combusts rapidly and with deadly force. During the attack on Fort Grenwuld, the Barduvians managed to brace several containers of the paste against the wall and subsequently detonate it.

Your mission is to infiltrate Bardu and find the source of this paste. This is a vitally important assignment, and one that we cannot afford to fail. I entrust you to this cause and also send an additional two men with you. They are not experienced, but you will be gone for some time, so I am sure you could use the manpower. Enclosed is 50 silver pieces to help you on your way. Godspeed.

On a personal note, Commander Avale disappeared in the commotion of the attack. He may have been captured or he may have deserted. I thought you should be aware.

-Lord General Mondava"

Gathering your equipment and your squad, you take stock of each:

Equipment:

War Bow
2 dozen Arrows
Hammer
Knife
Padded Jacket
50 copper pieces
Map of the Southern territories

Julius's Dick Kickers:
Brinn- Second in command. Will follow orders to the letter. Not the brightest of the group, but incredibly loyal. Wound gives him trouble.
Flukke- Quiet, small man who is and excellent scout. Not the best fighter, but very resourceful. Seems to be lucky.
Quill- Real name unknown. During down time constantly fills scrolls with incomprehensible scribbles. He's a scrapper, but no one really knows him.
Donald & Flick- Twins. Good fighters in their own right, but don't appear to have much apttitude for anything else. A bit slow.
Smithe- Veteran of one of the old wars. Rarely speaks. Will follow orders, but does so begrudgingly. Incredibly strong.
Pim- New recruit.
Dorn- New recruit.

rolled 20 = 20

Well, it's time to infiltrate Bardu, eh?

Look at the map and try to identify where the best place would be for a manufacturing area for this paste would be, or maybe even a store where they are held. We need a target to go after before we do anything serious.

All are invited to the meeting, but pay attention to Quill and Smithe. Smithe is a veteran and should know more about the Braduvians, and Quill seems intelligent.

Gathering your men around you, you place your map on the ground. Discussing the relevant details with the men who know the area the best, you determine three plans of action.

A) Head to Jurru. It is a large metropolis in the east of Bardu. It's one of the main trading hubs for the nation. If the paste was shipped from somewhere, someone will know of it here.

B) Make way to Dram. It's a shipping city of middling size on the coast. Not many people live there permanently, but it is very wealthy and receives a lot of traffic. If the paste came from outside the country, it probably came from Dram.

C) Scout out Fort Mallz. A fort just across the border in Bardu. The source wouldn't be there, but there may be more. And there may be someone there who knows where it came from. Additionally, Avale may be held there.

What do you decide, /tg/? Roll d100 as always. But there is a twist:

You may divide your squad if you so choose. You would have to designate who to go to each destination, and the difficulty would increase, but you could send people to two or all three locations.

>>18141064

Sorry to waste your efforts, sir. Care to reevaluate your stance?

>>18141128
Well, which of these guys are decent when it comes to social interaction?

rolled 28 = 28

>>18141128

If we have people good with social interaction, A would be perfect. The high turnover rate of travelers means that we wouldn't stand out as not being from around the area and makes it easier to cover our tracks.

Follow the money. Merchants would probably be easier to coax information out of without physical force.

rolled 37 = 37

I vote C. We should scout out the fort since it's right across the border. It would most likely have some of the paste since, well, the fort is right across the border and would have stockpiles of weapons to be used in an offensive. Coincidentally, we could ambush a logistics caravan and either get lucky and find out where the paste came from, or sneak into the fort and find a shipping manifest from the logistic officer's quarters.

I also assume Avale has gone rogue, so he should be captured for information.

>>18141169

Flukke and Brinn are decent talkers. The new guys seem sociable enough, but you don't know how much you can trust them with important tasks.

rolled 51 = 51

>>18141147

It's quite alright. I am resolved not to use that particular low roll and instead relax in the comfort of an accurate prediction.

At the moment, it looks like we are heading to the fort. Are we taking the whole squad or are we splitting things up?

rolled 89 = 89

>>18141306

Taking the whole squad. No need to break the gang up while we are doing so well.

rolled 85 = 85

>>18141306
I think for this first mission we should all go together, besides, it's just right over the border.

Getting your supplies, you and your men begin your march. It takes you several days to get there on foot, but you arrive mid-morning. Stopping on a small cliff, you decide to use the rest of the morning to observe the scene below you.

Fort Mallz is a sprawling complex of wooden fortifications and buildings, with an imposing stone tower in the middle. There are only two main gates, and small towers dot the walls. Assaulting this place with even a thousand men would likely be futile. Using Flukke's excellent eyes, you see there are sentries posted along the wall every 20 meters. Furthermore, you can see armed patrols wandering the grounds. Something is afoot. Covered wagons come and go throughout the day, and companies of men are starting to billet outside the walls, as it appears the inside is completely filled.

How do you wish to procede?

>on a side note, would you like me to keep things really open like this, or would you prefer me to offer you clear options?

rolled 92 = 92

>>18141473
I like how open it is, personally.

As for a course of action. I say we Flukke to try and get on one of those carts and find out what they're carrying. Meanwhile, Donald and Flick should try and find some way around the defenses of the fort, some kind of weak point. Us and the rest of the squad will keep where we are and observe the camp for any sudden change, after all, someone has to be the rescue squad if they catch anyone.

rolled 63 = 63

>>18141473

We should ambush a couple of caravans out of sight of the garrison. It'll help us find out who the main supplier of the garrison is, and maybe even information on the commander of the garrison. We can cross-check information that we gather from each caravan to see if it is legit, and even get supplies/ weapons and armor to help in infiltrating their command centers.

rolled 23 = 23

>>18141561

Like the openness of the quest as well.

Sending Flukke down to the road to the west, you tell him to figure out what the hell is up with the wagons and leave him to his own devices. You tell the twins to keep their distance from the fort, but to make the rounds and find any weaknesses.

Donald and Flick return within a few hours. They say that the security is tight, but there are some weaknesses. First, it is impossible to see the base of the wall from the top. Second, there are furrows in the ground that someone could use at night to sneak up to the walls. However, they would have to move very slowly. Third, there is a stream that runs under the southwestern corner of the fort. It is used to bring fresh water into the camp. You could get in that way, but the water would make your bows unusable. Fourth, they spied a hole in the center tower. It looks like someone could gain access that way, but they would hate you forever for it. It looks like the tower's exit for waste from the latrine.

Flukke returns an hour or so before dusk and says that he managed to sneak a peak at several wagons. It looked like usual stuff, arms and armor, except for a single red wagon that had crates of something. It was heavily guarded, but other than that, he has no idea what it could have been.

>Possible rule change. Tell me what you think. If you want the squad to do multiple actions, you need to roll a d100 for each. I'll still be choosing the post by the highest number I see, but this could lead to better variation. Thoughts? If you get one 90 and three 11's, you're shit out of luck.

>>18141769
I think it's a lot more fair, considering one role for three actions isn't really representative of the difficulty of things.

I think we need to try and hijack one of those carts. How heavy is heavily guarded? 10 men?

rolled 49 = 49

>>18141769
I think we should go for the third option

>>18141833

A regular cart only has 6 men guarding it. They aren't expecting resistance, however you'd have some serious explaining to do at the gates.

>>18141855

You gotta be much more specific than that mate. Who should go, when should they go, what is everyone else doing, etc.

rolled 17 = 17

>>18141889
Everyone go through the creek

rolled 10, 49 = 59

>>18141769
Hmm, let's focus on infiltrating the base for now, we can find out what's in the red carts later.

Let's wait for night fall, and then have us, Flukke, Quill, and Smithe infiltrate the camp to scout the place out, maybe do some sabotage. Meanwhile, Brinn, Donald, Flick, Pim, and Dorn will hang back and do their best to keep an eye on us. Instruct them that if they see anything amiss, they should fire a flaming arrow into the sky.

>>18141926
(Oh god awful rolls.)

rolled 7 = 7

I think we should wait for one of those red carts to go out and follow it on it's path. When it's sufficiently isolated, we should all attack simultaneously and try to take out the guard's quick.

Waiting for nightfall, take half your squad to infiltrate the base, leaving the other half on overwatch. Approaching from the east, you use the furrows to cover your approach. You think you are stealthy. You are not. At all. In fact, the Barduvians know you are there almost immediately. The light glints off your weapons and you are almost unbearably loud.

Luckily for you, your overwatch squad is competent enough to notice the defenders crowding the walls. They signal you before you get too close. The Barduvians fire immediately. Sprinting to safety, Smithe is hit in the calf, but manages to limp away. It's nothing major, but it will slow him down.

You relocate your camp and wait for the clamor to die down. The Barduvians will surely be on an even higher alert and the next day, you see them flattening the furrows in the fields.

Your move, /tg/.

rolled 30, 95, 47, 67 = 239

>>18141561

1st roll: Hijack one of the carts of armor. Have Julius, Brinn, Quill, Donald, Flick, Flukke act as the guards. They are intelligent and can BS, plus are scrappers. Try to interrogate the caravan and see who the commander is.

Sadly, we need to train the recruits to see if they are up to snuff so Smithe is responsible for carrying out raids and training them.

2nd roll: Bullshit your way into the compound using the information above.

3rd roll: Once inside, present yourself to the commander with the information given, orders on a parchment created by quill or parchment that the caravan rider had. Have quill forge a document stating that some supplies need to be sent to another fort in the area, and that the caravan guards need to be sent out immediately to reinforce the position. The supplies needed are at the discretion of the commander (word it in such a way that not sending the best supplies would seriously hamper his career).

4th roll: Gather the supplies, leave the fort. Bullshit, play dumb if you have to.

Btw, why don't you just take the highest average roll?

>>18142091
Well, I like these rolls!

>>18142091

Waiting for other responses but I can answer your question now. I'd prefer to still do the overall highest roll as that would leave me a lot of artistic room to illustrate awesome things and terrible things. I'd rather write about a 90 roll and a 10 roll than two 60 rolls. But if other people want this as well, I'm willing to bend.

rolled 95 = 95

>>18142091
I'm with this guy

rolled 26, 82, 74, 92 = 274

>>18142143

Sorry if I was a little obtuse. What i meant was that you take the total number, lets say 240, and divide it by the number of rolls, let's say 4. Then the average roll would be 60. You can still get a variation of 90/10/90/70, or 10, 30, 100, 100.

The highest average roll was 60, so that post should be used.

rolled 1, 38 = 39

>>18142053
Sorry, I had to step out for a bit. Hopefully it's not too late but actually, the ideas so far a great.

I think we need to:

A. Attempt to secure one of those red carts, and hide it somewhere in the woods. Send Brinn, Flukke, Donald, Flick, and Quill
B. Conduct a raid on one of the armor and weapons carts, to better outfit ourselves. We, Pim, Dorn, and Smithe will conduct this raid.

I hope that we can at least weaken the defenses of this fort for our boys coming in after us. I want us to plant some of the explosives, if we get them, around the base of the walls and detonate them one by one with flaming arrows.

Grumbling something about younglings and the good old days, Smithe descends with the rookies to the road. They wait until they find a wagon not traveling in a caravan and pounce from cover. Pim shows some real talent as a marksman, skewering two guards with arrows before they can even react. Dorn, on the other hand, falters on his way up to the road. When Smithe turns to catch him, he gets a crossbow bolt to the thigh. The rest of the guards are dispatched handily enough, but Smithe is out of this fight and Dorn is rather shaken. Unfortunately, they forgot to leave anyone alive for questioning. No matter.

The rest of your squad, yourself included, take up positions as the wagon's guards. Reaching the gate, Brinn spins a tale of adventure so grand, he confuses the guards into telling your men the guard change schedule and even gives him a map of the complex! You also learn of an offensive that is to take place in three days time.

>1/2

Locating the commander, you give him your fake names and designations. Presenting him with a forged letter requesting a removal of some of the supplies, he doesn't seem happy. While he agrees to let you on your mission, he refuses to let you take away the most important supplies, insisting they are vital for the offensive here. Dismissing you, he sends you on your way.

Getting over to the supply area, you manage to gather a wagon load of armor and another of food supplies. Leaving the fort without incident, you stop to regroup.

You've learned a great deal of valuable information here. You know of an offensive that Lord General Mondava needs to know of. However, unless you send him the information immediately, it will arrive too late. You also have a map of the fort, making an assault by the Oster army infinitely easier. However, you haven't achieved your main goal. Not only do you not know the source of the paste, you haven't heard any word of it. Furthermore, you do have a fairly seriously wounded man on your hands. Also of note, your entire squad now has better armor. You have stolen a load of studded leather armor, increasing your survivability in combat.

What next, /tg/? Risk another incursion into the fort? Send word back to Moldava? Check out one of the other locations? Get creative!

>2/2

>>18142470
I missed you, and looks like it's good that I did.

rolled 77, 55 = 132

>>18142503
I assume the carts have horses?

Let's send Smithe and Dorn back to Maldava with the (I assume now empty) cart of armor. They need to get there as quickly as possible, and instruct Smithe to try and train Dorn along the way. I figure this will let Smithe rest, and will allow Dorn to get better. Tell Smithe to meet us near Jurru in two months time. Tell him to wait in the absolute center of town if he gets there before us, and if he doesn't, that's where we'll wait.

For now though, how about we and the rest of the group head to Dram. We can spend a month and a half gathering information there and then hoof it to Jurru to meat Smithe and Dorn.

rolled 30 = 30

>>18142503
Let's head back to Moldava and drop off our wounded then head out to a different location to see if we can find any of the paste stuff

rolled 35, 50, 43, 92 = 220

It's obvious, isn't it?

(1)Have Smithe report on the information to the general as soon as possible, especially on the status of the fort as soon as possible. Along with Smithe, send One of the twins and Pim with him. Pim is good and Smithe will need help if they get into some trouble.

tell them to wait at the fort until smithe is healed. Make sure Smithe gives a full report. We will rendevous with them soon.

(2)You should have enough supplies to make it look like you are transferring supplies from one fort to another. Go to this other fort and request a meeting with the commander. Say that the Previous commander needs more of the "special paste" to help in an offensive. Tell him to cut you a break as you don't want to travel all the way back the supply lines and miss out on the action.

(3) Bullshit with the commander a little bit and ask about the paste in a circumspect manner. Say you are traveling to a major city soon after returning with the supplies and would be willing to take messages for the commander. This is your 'in' to high command at a major city.

(4) Get some food and banter with the local guards before heading out. Ask them where they are going to be deployed soon. Then leave. Take all the supplies back to the General and hopefully the barrels of the stuff will get you information on how it's made.

Then get smith and the rest after reporting, and go on a crazy adventure in the city.

repasting cause i rolled 3 instead of 4

You decide to send Smithe and Dorn back to Moldava with their instructions. After beating the hell out of Dorn for almost getting him killed, Smithe actually begins to bond with the young recruit, teaching him some of his old tricks. In time, Dorn shows some promise as a guard, dependable in close combat. You learn later that Moldava used the news of the impending attack to strike a crushing blow against the Barduvians, setting their plans back by months, giving you time to continue your investigation.

You manage to get around Dram without attracting too much attention, posing as a group of city guards and using Brinn's ability to spin a tale to keep you out of trouble. The leads there are sparse, but you do overhear something about the paste. Cornering the man in an alleyway, Flick and Donald manage to "convince" him to tell everything he knows. Apparently the two of them make decent interrogators. He doesn't know much, but he says he heard something about a trader in Jurru with a large shipment of the stuff. Armed with this slight bit of information, you make your way to Jurru.

>(1/2)

>(2/2)

When you arrive in the central square of Jurru, it doesn't take you long to spot Smithe. Jurru is an arid city, and most of the men are clean shaven and wearing robes. It's not hard to spot a man with a red beard wearing leather armor. Asking about Dorn, he says that he's out seeing to accommodations for all of you. Presenting Smithe with the tidbit you picked up in Dram, he tells you that the best places to look in the city would probably be the warehouse district, the Great Market, or to ask around in the taverns.

What do?

rolled 51, 14 = 65

To the tavern! Loose lips sink ships, and this is no exception. Plus, our boys could use a drink for all the hard work they've been doing.

Take a look after our boys, see if we can bond with all of them in any meaningful way. Ask smithe how his wounds are holding up, if he needs some medicine for them, etc. You know, making sure your guys are well provided for.

rolled 6 = 6

>>18143017
This, but we need to blend in a little more; see about a clean shave and some loose robes to throw over our armor.

rolled 38 = 38

>>18142968
Lets head down to the docks and check things out

>>18143017
>>18143066
>I decided to take both of these since one was building upon the other.
>>18143300
>I'm forced to ignore this one because this isn't a coastal city. There are no docks.

Heading to the tavern where Dorn has asked about accommodations, you pay the bartender a silver piece each to stay for a week. Considering your lengthy stay in Dram, you are down to less than half your allowance. Hanging around the bar for a few days, you learn who the influential movers and shakers are around town. You don't find out much about each of them, but you do learn the names of three big traders who sound like the man you could be looking for:

Penn: He's been based out of Jurru for decades. Has long-standing ties to the military. Owns several warehouses and has a small army of guards.

Flaaren: A young trader, doesn't have a particular specialization, but everyone knows that he gets plenty of stuff from outside the nation's borders. He's been sending lots of shipments towards the front lately, but that could be coincidence.

Gray: Really recent addition to the city, no one knows his name. Very secretive, he is known by always wearing a gray suit. He only has a single, small warehouse, but it is always locked up tight and has guards around it.

>(1/2)

>(2/2)

You take this time to see to the needs of the men. Everyone seems to be in good health, even Smithe, but you make some sort of faux pas when talking to Quill, making him withdraw further. You've likely ruined your only chance to really bond with him and learn his real name.

While trying to purchase less conspicuous attire, Donald gets into an argument with a merchant. As the guards come over to assist, Flick misconstrues the situation and strikes a guard, thinking he is threatening his brother. The twins are thrown in jail, and are settled with a somewhat lengthy sentence. They will eventually be released, but if you don't rescue them, they won't be able to participate in this mission.

Your move, fellas.

rolled 54 = 54

>>18143450
>You've likely ruined your only chance to really bond with him and learn his real name.
;_;

Get him so drunk her forgets our mistake.

>>18143486
>Get him so drunk her forgets our mistake.
>him so drunk her forgets

Gender issues?

>>18143660
No, my finger slipped from the e while typing, resulting in an additional r.

rolled 98 = 98

>>18143450
Lets see if we can't get them out of prison by talking to the head guard or failing that break them out

>>18143731
>well damn

On hearing the plight of the twins, you sigh and push your mug away.

"Stand back team, I got this shit."

Stopping only to pick up a big hat, giant pantaloons, cape, cane and flour from a vendor, you head straight for the prison. Strolling up to the head guard in your new outfit, you proclaim:

"Hey, motherfucker! A lil' snitch done told me that yo ass be straight triflin'. Now I ain't sure how you do shit round here, but in my hood, we drop fools like you. They be a word for ignant fools like you. Wanna know what it is?"

Nodding stupidly, mesmerized by your display, the guard beckons you to continue. Pouring the flour all over your right hand, you swing a mighty pimp-slap at the guard's face while yelling:

"BEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The concussive force of the slap combined with the stark white handprint brought home by the resounding verbal ass-whooping causes the guard to cower in awe, handing his keys to you in surrender. Doing your pimp-walk right into the holding area, you release the twins and bring them back to the crew. When the rest of the men ask how you did it, you rip off your attire and announce:

"Gator don't play no shit."

Sorry fellas, but I have to end it here. In addition, the girlfriend will be over tomorrow, so no Archer Quest on Wednesday.

I'll pick it up Thursday at 14:00 EST.

Archived here: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/18140760/

Go ahead and roll for what you want to happen at the beginning of the next quest. I might start us off with that.

>>18144009
Smacking those two dumbasses shit for getting arrested

>>18144079

You put roll instead of dice again.

rolled 92 = 92

Damnit

rolled 10 = 10

>>18144096
I know this is my roll
>>18144113