The Reckoning Of Lesser Men: Last Chance For Submissions (not really, but do it anyways)

Still working on finishing it up. Perhaps tonight, perhaps tomorrow.

Might be interesting to start it on Memorial Day, come to think of it.

Good luck, soldiers.

Also, guys, I'm running this on my own and am not super familiar with either running RP's or stat systems-so, seriously, suggestions and criticisms are always welcome. Also I promise that all the die rolls are legit, any bad luck you guys have is from the Random Number God. He is Evil.

Dragonbud, I know it probably seems like I screwed you over, but you'll have Belroth accompanying you, and he's okay at what he does so Molly will be okay.

Man it sucks to be Molly right now

Nah, she got a kick-ass NPC watching out for her.

Ah, flip, freeform decisions.

Does the helicopter seem to have gone down nearer to the plaza or the strike team? Where, actually, is the strike team in the city (and relative to the hotbox)?

In any case, Belroth probably won't be happy if we risk failing the mission just to save him, even if he is signing our checks. We'll have to find our own way out of Tayibe (or, well, wait for Maria to retrieve us) either way.

There is the issue that our information seems to be worse than our opposition's. But hopefully the deep cover team, having done their job, will mitigate that. (I just hope we don't miss any evidence of... something... at the crash site.)

@Lieo,
Our deep cover angle, I would presume, is that we're too useful (and important, or failing that, loyal) to kill. Have we offered disinformation, perhaps mixed with warnings about actual (staged) events?

Also, I doubt we're getting out alive without established relationships, and I'm not gonna know what those look like without writing out some of what we've been doing the last three weeks. Here goes.

October 26th, 2015
Our first, sweltering day in Tayibe has come to a close. My brother and I have traveled a great distance to offer our aid in this holy war. I am unsurprised that the other women keep to themselves, but it is quite vital that I prove my worth.

As this would consist primarily of my intellect, I fear I will have to rely somewhat upon my brother's skill in translation.

Moreover, as my purity is understandably in question, it is particularly important that I avoid such things as zina. Perhaps it is about time that I sought a husband.

...unless someone has a better travelling-together excuse than 'adopted siblings'. Maybe we can get further this way than by already 'being engaged'!

(Please stop me when I say something ludicrous. Anyhow, which school of Sunni (?) law are we dealing with?)

Question, how would Molly address Belroth? Like would she call him commander or something

JazzTap wrote:

@Lieo,
Our deep cover angle, I would presume, is that we're too useful (and important, or failing that, loyal) to kill. Have we offered disinformation, perhaps mixed with warnings about actual (staged) events?

Also, I doubt we're getting out alive without established relationships, and I'm not gonna know what those look like without writing out some of what we've been doing the last three weeks. Here goes.

October 26th, 2015
Our first, sweltering day in Tayibe has come to a close. My brother and I have traveled a great distance to offer our aid in this holy war. I am unsurprised that the other women keep to themselves, but it is quite vital that I prove my worth.

As this would consist primarily of my intellect, I fear I will have to rely somewhat upon my brother's skill in translation.

Moreover, as my purity is understandably in question, it is particularly important that I avoid such things as zina. Perhaps it is about time that I sought a husband.

...unless someone has a better travelling-together excuse than 'adopted siblings'. Maybe we can get further this way than by already 'being engaged'!

(Please stop me when I say something ludicrous. Anyhow, which school of Sunni (?) law are we dealing with?)

I'd imagine that Baron would've figured a way to mislead Faheem in their conversations. As for established relationships, I'm not sure if I know enough about the inside of this part of al-Qaeda to have important ties, or who I could be tied to. But for the relationship between our own characters, masquerading as a to-be-married couple would undoubtedly be amusing (or maybe already married!). Baron would have a riot playing that card, perhaps even teasing Tanis when they're alone. Or presenting his "sister" as a wife to some lucky man! Given the culture of the region, Baron would probably be able to have some fun with Tanis at her expense. Not that he'd honestly make that transaction. Surely Tanis would be able to work her way out. Playing the already married card might be the safer bet for her.

Given Baron's tattoo, he could play off being part of the Arabian sect and already having ties. Feigning ignorance, and perhaps even outrage, of the Dreadnaughts would be their best bet of staying alive.

Yeah, "Commander Belroth" would be fine, or addressing him as "sir". Belroth is willing to let a bit of professionalism slip in terms of protocols and rituals as long as the Dreadnaughts get results.

As for the helicopter, it's about a half mile north of the plaza. The strike team is currently in the plaza with the rest of the Dreadnaughts.

I'm gonna work on a post now. Shade, pms.

Maxx, I should've clarified, Belroth's comm line is a private one-what he said isn't audible to anyone else in the Dreadnaughts. No one knows his/Molly's status.

Oh, then I have a question. In my post I had Molly try and contact the base before they crashed. Should I take that out?

Oh god dammit shade.

I edited. Sam and Sarge are on their way to the choppa'. Hopefully Sam's leadership check succeeds. If it doesn't it would be funny if some of the NPC names he called out are ones from his old SEAL team, and not the Dreadnaughts.

"Arthur, are you there?"

"Um, Sam, there's no one here named Arthur."

Yeah, I'm assuming she wouldn't carry any comm devices on her person, given that she was planning on being in the aircraft the whole mission and she could just use the helicopter's. Those, however, aren't working too well at the moment.

I have a feeling I'm gonna hear that a LOT before this is over.

The Dreadnaughts' comms should be working though, right?

Also, I'm adding a headset to Ivan's attire so he can hear the comms. He can't use a radio due to his hearing.

Okay. I have my post ready now, but I might let maxx post first to make sure I didn't mess up too much :3

EDIT: oh hey maxx posted

*travels back in time and posts*

Well look at that!

All the regular Dreadnaughts have working communications, hence why you can discuss your plans in the OOC if you needed (Jazz and Patches can discuss their backstories and what they've been doing because they'd obviously know it, but they can't discuss what they're going to do because they're surrounded by men with guns and such). You can also directly ask Maria a question, in the IC or the OOC, and she can provide you with information.

Also, I'm going to be fairly lenient in the first Act while we all get the hang of it, but starting with the second Act I'll probably be less forgiving with stuff. I don't want to kill everyone off too soon.

Ok. Well I'm going to have Ivan stay back and proceed with the mission. I assume Jirina will do the same. I'm thinking Sam, Sarge, Molly, and Belroth could flank the Al Qaeda boys and come around to the other side of the prison. Once there, we kill the terrorists (#teamamericareference) and Ivan blows the door of the prison off so we can get inside (I'm assuming it's heavy and/or locked).

-laughs at Molly's failure to crash a helicopter-

Blowing off the door to the prison could be a bad move. I don't think explosives will be necessary, as the town of Tayibe is too friggin poor to afford much more than a metal cage to keep their prisoners contained within the prison, but given the questionable architecture of Tayibean homes, it might just implode the building and kill ICEMAN.

Yeah, part of me really wanted her to somehow land it perfectly and come out totally unharmed.

Ok then.

Okay, to restate myself more clearly, I say we go fetch ICEMAN. Plaza Dreadnaughts can deal with the helicopter.

After all going through all this trouble, the least we can do is avoid failing the mission. I'll... go negotiate this ICly.

Edit: Regulation check. Maybe it gives a bonus if the target PC agrees, since I clearly can't force them to do anything.

Lieo wrote:

I'd imagine that Baron would've figured a way to mislead Faheem in their conversations. As for established relationships, I'm not sure if I know enough about the inside of this part of al-Qaeda to have important ties, or who I could be tied to. But for the relationship between our own characters, masquerading as a to-be-married couple would undoubtedly be amusing (or maybe already married!). Baron would have a riot playing that card, perhaps even teasing Tanis when they're alone. Or presenting his "sister" as a wife to some lucky man! Given the culture of the region, Baron would probably be able to have some fun with Tanis at her expense. Not that he'd honestly make that transaction. Surely Tanis would be able to work her way out. Playing the already married card might be the safer bet for her.

Given Baron's tattoo, he could play off being part of the Arabian sect and already having ties. Feigning ignorance, and perhaps even outrage, of the Dreadnaughts would be their best bet of staying alive.

But has Baron lead Faheem into believing anything in particular?

The point of getting Tanis married off would be to seduce & collect information from the 'lucky man'! Might incidentally raise Baron's stock, by tying him to a local family.

I may be taking 'we take care of our women' with too few grains of salt, but remain optimistic that she won't end up battered or worse. Or at least, that she won't run into bad situations that she hasn't had to handle before.

I can't say for certain, due to that being - hey - Shade's call, but I want to say that Baron convinced him he was an Al-Qaeda agent, and thus had information on American plans and movements. Of course, it wouldn't hurt (too much) to tell the truth, that this wasn't an American attack. Especially if it helps them keep their cover.

And yes, I agree. Getting Tanis married off to a local sounds better for keeping cover. Finding a way to get out of that would be fun to watch.

Molly: Senpai noticed me

I'm going to keep having Sam mispronounce Jirina's name for the lulz of it.

Bloody hell, this is why I don't make low-INT characters.

For the record, I don't endorse making up survival odds that don't take plot armor into account, either.

What, leaving forever after three weeks doesn't suffice? I assumed we could just break cover as the Dreadnaughts left - negotiate a very small escort, whittle it down to zero, and get on the chopper whatever shows up.

Okay, so we've come as insurgents. Has Tanis got a shot at convincing Faheem that she's Western neither genetically nor in cultural loyalty? Failing that, does he have a lieutenant with any pull?

By 'a local', I of course am thinking 'a(n important) local militant', those being the most useful source of information (not to mention, the only kind present in the current scene).