Okay. Get it right, Baron, or we'll have two dead patrol mice to carry back. Hoo, Hoo. Hoot hoot Hoooooo. Comon, sucker, luck THIS way...
The raven looks around sharply from its preening, and doesn't notice as Ingrid snatches the mailbag and steals back down to her injured tenderpaw. They untie the rope and climb back down with their prize!
The patrol makes its way back to the path. The time they had planned to spend resting was dashed by the pursuit of the raven, and they will have to plod through the night. Gilpledge can't be far, anyways, and there are surely warm beds and friendly mice there to welcome them.
"How is your ankle Robin?"
Dain seems proud of his team, having recovered the mail, and in way to finish the mission.
Robin favors one leg as she makes her way across the branch and down the rope. "Rrgh. Took a nasty fall on that branch there. I think something's broken," she mutters, avoiding putting any weight on it.
"Splint me up, I can keep going," she says, seating herself on a nearby rock and holding her foot out to Ingrid hopefully.
A temporary splint is fashioned for Robin, and the patrol continues its journey. The sun is just starting to rise when they see the remote settlement of Gilpledge.
Nestled in the cracks of an old landslide, Gilpledge is right along the border of the Mouse Territories. During the Winter War of 1149, neighboring settlements like Woodruff's Grove and Walnutpeck were conquered by the weasels, and Gilpledge contains many refugees from Walnutpeck in particular.
The leader of Gilpledge, a plump old barkeep named Gale, gratefully accepts the patrol's delivery, and promises them all free meals and rooms at her inn.
It is on their way back from the center of town that they are accosted by a gray-furred mouse. The tools of a carpenter jangle at his belt. "Excuse me, Guards. I must speak with you!"
"Good day, What can we help you with?"
"I am Martin the Carpenter," the mouse says. "An' I come from Walnutpeck. I need your help."
The carpenter goes on to explain his problem as he takes the patrol back to his home. They see multiple carvings of tremendous quality decorating the tidy building. "You see," he says, "my daughter recently got engaged. It's a good match—a politician's daughter from Ironwood, very ambitious, very fortuitous." He picks up a carving of a porcupine and examines it sadly. "I've a very special wedding present in mind for them. Sad thing is...well..."
The oldfur carpenter walks over to a small backpack resting by the door. "I'd want t'include in her dowry a family heirloom that was lost when Walnutpeck fell. I'm goin' out there now. You lot being guardsmice, I figured ye might be willin' to help."
The mice know of the fate of Walnutpeck. When the weasels of Darkheather invaded, seeking to enslave the Mouse Territories like living larders, several settlements were lost before the Territories were able to repel them.
Now, the region is empty. But beneath, the tunnels of Darkheather linger. That way is weasel territory, and it is no place for any guard or common mouse.
Map of the Mouse Territories.
Earlier, outdated map in non-cursive (note that it still shows Walnutpeck as being intact).
Dain removes his glasses, and massage his temples.
"No. And you should not go there either. I think your daughter will prefer to have his father attending the ceremony, alive, than a heirloom."
"I can handle myself," the oldfur says, bristling. "I know the land like the back of my hand. Prob'ly better than any of ye young folk."
"Correction. You knew the land. Now is weasel's land."
Just as weapons exist in fights, "weapons of wit" exist for arguments. In an argument conflict, though, these are often much more intangible. They include:
Intimidation or Deception: +1s (one success) to a successful Feint or Maneuver (meaning, if you already succeed on the roll, this lets you succeed by that much more).
Evidence: +1s to a successful Attack. If you have pre-established evidence to support your side, you can display it and explain it on your Attack action to gain the benefit. Again, it only benefits you if you already succeeded.
Roleplay: Once per conflict, you can add +1D to a single roll. The team as a whole only gets to use this for one action.
Promises: +1D to Defend. If you make promises to the other side, you can gain this benefit. The promises aren't binding, unless they come back to haunt you in the compromise.
Repeating Yourself: Repeating old points gives you a -1D penalty to any action.
Defend
Maneuver
Tell us why you REALLY want to go to Darkheather, old man. I know it is not to imperil your daughter's-father-self just for an heirloom.
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"This heirloom," Martin says, bowing his head, "was carved by my grandmother. She taught my mother her trade, an' she taught me in my own turn. I've always meant to pass the chair on t' my own child."
Dain seems unimpressed.
"Baron, please explain Martin why he shouldn't kill himself trying to get whatever item from weasel's lands."
It's because weasels don't care about heirlooms. See this scar here? Baron shows the old mouse the royal gash upon his left flank. That's what happened to me the last time I went in to weasel country. Come now, old Mouse, be reasonable!
"It's true, the whole territory is infested."
Martin shakes his head, seeming to have assured himself further. "I just need your help getting to Walnutpeck. I know exactly where the chair is. It'll be quick and simple."
"What if it isn't? Have you seriously considered the consequences of what you're endeavoring? Chances are that it's already been turned to kindling right now. Your time is better spent here, with your daughter, forging new traditions."
Baron whispers to Dain: If this doesn't work, you want I should punchum in the mouth?
Martin flinches, looking unsure.
Dain, deadly serious, looks at Baron with a stern eye.
Dain takes his spectacles off, and looks at Martin in the eye.
"Walnutpeck is gone. Lost. But your life, and the life of your family endures. You have a new home now. It is time to let go, and make a new living, new heirlooms, here and now."
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Dain's measured and calm response seems to affect Martin greatly, and all-but dissolves a point he was about to make. "But...I always promised her this chair," he manages. He himself seems to realize how weak this sounds, and the master carpenter grimaces.
Attack
Defend
"Listen, Martin," the young mouse starts, having been quiet throughout this conversation so far.
"I understand your desire to keep your initial promise, and provide your initial gift. But you have to understand that for the two lucky mice that are getting married, your safety is far more important than any heirloom. Weasels are dangerous. I think your daughter would rather have no gift at all than to risk losing her father over an old chair, no matter the sentimental value."
Baron gasps sarcastically and covers his mouth with his paw: Perhaps, dear Robin, the good mouse here does not know what weasels do to mice whom they catch in their lands?
And Dain helps too...
"Is not pretty..."
"Listen, Martin," the young mouse starts, having been quiet throughout this conversation so far.
"I understand your desire to keep your initial promise, and provide your initial gift. But you have to understand that for the two lucky mice that are getting married, your safety is far more important than any heirloom. Weasels are dangerous. I think your daughter would rather have no gift at all than to risk losing her father over an old chair, no matter the sentimental value."
Martin snorts. "I didn't know you guardmice were so afraid of the weasels."
"You four should be ashamed of yourselves," the carpenter snaps, fists clenching. "Well, cower here, if you like! If you won't help me, I'll just go alone."
Here now good Sir, let calmer heads prevail. I understand your desire to keep your promises. I myself try never to break a promise. Perhapse you will go in to weasel country on your own. Or perhapse we will accompany you to protect you. But in either case, can't we talk about it over a drink? Frothy ale sounds so good about now, no?
Martin arches an eyebrow. "Now you start showing some manners."
"Yes, but make no mistake the guard does not make a policy of unnecessary risks. How much blood would you asked shed on your behalf?"
"Well..." Martin seems to consider it. "Maybe there're benefits that outweigh the risks. There were supplies in Walnutpeck that was abandoned when the town was conquered. Maybe they're still there. Ye must admit, it'd be a feather in your caps."
In truth, Martin doubts that anything remains, but it's certainly possible. The maneuver gains him some ground, as the patrol struggles to immediately disprove his compelling claim.
Feint
Feint