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Yesterday was a big day for all of you. Graduation day from basic training. You all survived it and some of you even have the scars to prove it. You learned valuable skills and feats that will help you survive in the field.
You have all been assigned to a new squad under the supervision of Sgt. Hulka who you will meet later.
You are assigned to Barrack Hut number 13. You pack up your gear and head there where you meet your new squadmates.
The barrack door swings wide as Matias shoulder it open and lumbers into his new lodgings. He takes in the spartan surroundings with a contented sigh and stomps to a bunk in the back of the room, his spear thumping out a counter rhythm to his steps.
He settles onto the cot with a groan, his body still resenting the punishment of the last few weeks. "Home, sweet home." he mutters and starts shoving his meager possessions into the footlocker.
Closely following the dark-haired man, Garren swings to his left after entering the barracks, dropping his gear at the side of the bunk before flopping onto the cot. A moment later the ranger lets out a mumbled string of curses as he rises back up and tends to his gear, removing and folding his armor and carefully laying out his sword, bow, and arrows. Garren's exhaustion is most clearly seen in his shaking forearms as he unstrings his longbow. "Name's Garren," he says to his new bunkmate as he finishes with his gear and collapses back onto his new best friend.
"Nice Bow Garren, a bit big for me though. I prefer the short bow less cumbersome and easier to conceal. The name's Drekarth, Drekarth Rex." Drekarth extends his hand to Garren.
Drekarth stows his gear and stands by his bunk waiting for instructions.
*Edit Character should be up to date. Had to manually add class bonus to skills, not sure how to adjust in herolab.
Azi enters the bunkhouse, ducking his head to the side as he passes through. He sees three beds taken and three available. He stands there for a moment scanning the room, then realizes he should pick an empty bed. He picks the first bed on the right so he could be the first line of defense if they come under attack.
Looking around, he frowns, ’All those soldiers kept yelling at me. I don’t like marching. Did I make a mistake coming here. Doesn’t feel like family.’ The half-orc thinks to himself as he lays down on his bed face up, axe across his chest, and still wrapped in his armor.
"Well, that's what i get for coming in last," Shane says good naturedly despite his words. He doesn't seem to mind the last bunk. He puts his gear in there promptly , everything in its place, what can be folded neatly so.
But he definitely notices introductions being made. Well, it's not like they were all in the same squads at Bootcamp, but they're a squad now so... he gushes, "Shane, Shane Driscoll," While he doesn't boast he says the last name like he expects it will be recognized. "Whew, Bootcamp was something eh? I think Sgt. Wyxlander didn't like me, not sure why I always tried to be nice and friendly to him, but new location new squad leader here."
Garren stares for a moment at the proffered hand, then takes it. "Out it the wilds, the range is sometimes the only difference between you and a wolf or a bear eating you. Nice to meet you, Drekarth."
When Azi walks through the door, Garren makes a slightly disgusted face that deepens when the half-orc picks the bunk across from him. Finishing with his gear, he stands, utters a short, barking phrase, and flops down on his cot.
"Welcome, I guess."
'Surrounded by humans and orcs. Smells worse than Janderhoff in summer.'
Matias pulls a battered talisman from under his shirt and props it up on the footlocker; the half painted mask of Nethys stares back at him. He retrieves his quarterstaff and sits crossed legged in front of the holy symbol, lost in meditation and occasionally muttering.
"Show me...Let me see...Reveal all..."
Drekarth nods knowingly at Garren's reply and shakes his hand. When Garren speaks Orcish he raises his eyebrow and gives him a sideways glance, but says nothing.
I wonder if he knows this Half-Orc Drekarth thinks to himself as he watches the others enter in behind him.
"Yes, training was difficult. Though we all finished it and I believe I feel refreshed in a way by it. Time for a new beginning."Drekarth responds to Shane as he continues to stand by his bunk.
SO much going on at once, Shane turns "Oh, are we practicing our Orcish? Mine could use some sharpening."
Then he notices Matias praying and his eyebrows shoot up but he's too politie to say more on THAT.
Then Drekath's words carry and he nods "Well, they've certainly improved my reaction time. Though I worried I was going to get sick on that last hike. My legs felt like noodles."
Azi opens an eye when he realizes someone is talking to him, and he quickly opens his other eye and smiles when he hears the word ‘family’. He stands and puts his large, gritty hand over Seamus’s. ”Yes! Family!,” the half-orc says emphatically. ”No hard feelings and no wrong feet,” he says with a toothy grin barely showing the start of adult tusks. ”I am Azi. I came from Sandpoint.”
He nods to Shane when he introduces himself and extends his hand as the human takes a bunk next to him.
Then the man across from him says something he does not understand. Azi turns to look at him and scratches a patchwork of teenage facial hair, confusion clear on his face. Azi then realizes what language was spoken when Shane mentions ‘Orcish’. ”Sorry, I do not speak orc. Me Ma’ and Da’ were like you.”
After the moment it takes Garren's exhaustion-addled wits to process what Azi said, he sits up in his cot. "Don't speak Orcish, huh? That's a surprise. Welcome, I guess." The ranger collapses back into his bedding and begins snoring almost immediately.
He nods to Shane when he introduces himself and extends his hand as the human takes a bunk next to him.
Well, if that hand is extended towards him, Shane is shaking enthusiastically.
Then the man across from him says something he does not understand. Azi turns to look at him and scratches a patchwork of teenage facial hair, confusion clear on his face. Azi then realizes what language was spoken when Shane mentions ‘Orcish’. ”Sorry, I do not speak orc. Me Ma’ and Da’ were like you.”
"Oh! If you ever want to learn, I'd be happy too teach a bit, well, to try. Knowing well isn't always teaching well my mentor used to say. Nice to meet you. I speak some other languages as well."
Driscoll? where have I heard that name?' Watching the last fellow claim the middle bunk, Seamus scratches his head, he waits for the conversation to die down a little. He turns to Azi, "I don't speak orcish either, were we supposed to be able to?"
Shrugging he steps closer to Shane, asking "Shane your name sounds familiar..." his eye's lighting up with recollection. "Oh, are you any relation to Herman Drescklull, runs the Red Turkey Tavern in Vigil?"
"Oh, very much no." His mind buffeted by the very ridiculous image the idea of either of his parents running a tavern conjures, "My father is Shayphus Driscoll, Paladin of Iomedae, you might have heard a toast raised TO Him in a Tavern, he saved more than one village from Orcs or evil cultists. For that matter so did mother, though she's a cleric of the Inheritor and well placed in the church so as to out rank him ecclesiastically . Oh, her name is Sydonia, and she once retrieved the cup of... oh well, I'm sure you know now that you've heard their names. Here in Lastwall they're heroes. Well, they're heroes anywhere but better known here, obvious." He seems sure that most would know, but while proud, his rambling doesn't seem to be putting on airs so much as excitement "Now I have a chance to serve my country as they do and did."
Halfway through his prayers, Matias sighs and gives it up for a loss in the midst of all the "prattle". He turns to peer at Shane and gives a gruff laugh.
"Aye, I heard of ye parents, lad. Met ya da' a time o' two as well. Just mind yer use o' the word 'hero'. One man's hero is another's villain. And don't a man around care about what yer da' did in relation to yer own works. I'd not go bandyin' about their great works a'fore ya got one o' two o' yer own."
Then calling out to Seamus, "Oi, do ye 'ave any spirits worthy of your Lucky God, man? I 'aven't 'ad a drink in weeks."
This talk of 'spirits' has Azi on edge. His sixteen relatively sheltered years has not prepared him for this situation. He lets out a sigh of relief when Seamus mentions he has no spirits. Still he ponders the exchange as he scans the room looking for ghosts.
A few minutes after you all get settled Sgt Hulka arrives. He takes two steps into the room and stops to look at you. All of you jump to attention and stand at the foot of your bunk.
He walks down the center row and looks at each of you in turn. His stare makes you feel as if he is looking directly into your soul.
When he gets to his office door he turns and says, "The top brass as ordered me to look after the lot of you, so that is what I am going to do. I am going to continue your training every day to try and make you the best soldiers that Lastwall has ever had. Given enough time maybe you will last longer than the last group I had. You have the rest of today and tomorrow to yourselves. Don't get into any trouble that causes me to come pick you up from the stockade. You can stop by the quartermaster's office and pick up your wages and your new kits. That is all for now. Are there any questions?"
'Shayphus? hmmm, not Herman huh, Paladin, well I'll be, mom, Sydonia a Cleric, hero's, how nice for them,' Nodding and smiling as the young man goes on about his wonderful parents, Seamus sighs, "So no relationship to Herman. Pity, he had the finest honey ale. Now there's something to toast with. We'll have to head to Vigil and have you try some." The cleric of Cayden makes a rolling motion with his hand, "Once you get the chance to serve, you know, like they do and did and what not."
"Well, Herman sounds like a perfectly nice fellow though I really don't drink much myself." He says
"Aye, I heard of ye parents, lad. Met ya da' a time o' two as well. Just mind yer use o' the word 'hero'. One man's hero is another's villain. And don't a man around care about what yer da' did in relation to yer own works. I'd not go bandyin' about their great works a'fore ya got one o' two o' yer own."
While Shane disagrees that his father is anyone's villain, the man is a hero particularly to his son, he does blush a little, "I don't mean to offend...Hoping to prove my own worth is why I'm here" he seems apologetic if he sounded as if he boasted and mumbles a bit.
The arrival of Sgt Hulka is almost a relief after that
When he gets to his office door he turns and says, "The top brass as ordered me to look after the lot of you, so that is what I am going to do. I am going to continue your training every day to try and make you the best soldiers that Lastwall has ever had. Given enough time maybe you will last longer than the last group I had. You have the rest of today and tomorrow to yourselves. Don't get into any trouble that causes me to come pick you up from the stockade. You can stop by the quartermaster's office and pick up your wages and your new kits. That is all for now. Are there any questions?"
As the man stares into his soul, Shane holds at perfect attention, then when he's asked he says, "Sgt, will I be given extra time to prepare my spells at night so I can practice with them during the day, sgt?"
Azi squirms at the gaze Sgt. Hulka gives him. It reminds him of his time back on the farm when his Ma' would scrutinize him starting dinner before relaying thanks to Erastil. She would make him feel guilty although he was hungry after the long, laborious day in the grain fields and cow pastures.
He shakes his head when the Sgt. asks if there are any questions and stands at attention several moments after Hulka leaves. 'I think I can move now. I just don't want to get yelled at again,' he thinks to himself. 'Sometimes that makes me mad and the Recruitment Officer told me I would have to watch my temper.' Azi looks up at the ceiling, 'I'm trying me' best Ma' and Da'.
Azi eventually grabs his gear and leaves the bunk house to collect his wages and new gear. He heads toward the Quartermaster's Office. Once he's outside, he's gives a big stretch and says to himself, "It feels good to be outside."
With time on his hands, he wanders around looking for anything that looks familiar. If he finds a place to throw axes to relieve his tension, he will do that for awhile.
After climbing back out of bed, thoroughly shocked awake by the appearance of the sergeant, Garren listens to the speech. That doesn't sound like a normal regimen...
"Yes sir. What will this traning regimen consist of, sir?
Looking at Sgt. Hulka, Matias is suddenly aware and slightly ashamed of the flab at his midriff. This is a man to admire, is his first impression of the sarge. After Hulka's speech, This is going to hurt is his second.
"We'll be ready as can be, sir," Matias says. He sounds slightly more proper than the others have heard thus far and the slouch is gone from his shoulders.
Drekarth goes to the quartermaster and collects his kit and decides to collect some in tell from the locals about what happened to Sgt Hulka's previous squad.
After failing to collect any additional information he hits the rack. Sounds like the new few days are going to be rough
After leaving the Quartermaster's office, Azi is stunned with the amount of gold he was given. He has never seen so much in his short life.
'I wish I could find you Ma' and Da'. This would surely pay that mean tax collector,' he thinks to himself.
With the gold protected in his pouch under his armor, Azi wanders through Lastwall looking for a place that will serve him a big meal. "All this soldier stuff has made me hungry," he says to himself.
While on the way, if he notices anybody down on their luck, homeless, or hungry he will give them a gold piece and tell them, "Me Ma' always told me to help folks worst off than me'self. Take care."
Sgt Hulka looks at Shane, "Battle Wizards are given time to prepare spells as long as it does not affect the performance of the unit. You would be as effective as a crossbow with no bolts if we did not give you time to study your arcane arts."
He then smiles at Seamus and replies, "I find that the two are mutually exclusive."
To Garren he says, "Mostly what have already been doing for the last 8 weeks. This will let me know what you are weakest at and help you improve. There may also be some new skills that I can teach you to help you survive your enlistment."
The wizard nods, and later goes to the Quartermaster to get his supplies and kit and also puts them carefully in his foot locker. He realizes with some embarrassment he has no idea what to do with his free time.
So he wanders, deciding to look for a chapel or small Shrine to Iomedae, or maybe someone who just wants to talk I worry I've offended my squad already. Some insecurities do rise a bit. Father is very likable, and his mother so serene. Be nice if I got either of those gifts.
"No alcohol in the barrack. It is a rule." Sgt Hulka says he walks past Seamus towards the door. He stops at the door and reaches over to the chalkboard next to it. In large block letters, he writes RULE #1 NO ALCOHOL IN THE BARRACKS. He then walks out the door.
Matias stares at the board for a moment, then leans over to Seamus and winks. "Don't say anything 'bout outside the barracks."
Matias picks up the essentials from the quartermaster and dumps the lot of it in his footlocker. Then thinking better of it, he takes out the rations. No use letting mediocre food go to waste. Looking over the rest, he starts making a mental list of items to seek out in the local shops.
After a good meal, Azi heads back to the bunkhouse to stow his gear and get some rest.
If Garren is still there ...
Azi nods to Garren, "You don't like orc very much?," Azi asks. He got the unwelcome impression before, but decided not to say anything. "You my brother now, and I am no orc." Azi holds out an arm to clasp.
'Ma always used to tell me that people arn't gonna like me for what I look like, but I can make them like me by how I treat them.' he thinks to himself.
Garren is just finishing a small, cold meal at his bunk when Azi walks into the barracks. At the half-orc's comments, Garren looks up and just stares at him. Huh. Doesn't act like any orc I've ever seen. After a few seconds, the ranger reluctantly gets up to take Azi's proffered hand. "I don't know about brothers, but we are squadmates. If you show me you'll watch my back, you can trust me to watch yours."
After shaking, Garren sits back down on his cot. "As for me not liking orcs, it comes with the territory where I come from. I've seen men and animals like torn apart by rage-driven orcs, and everyone I grew up with had lost friends and family to the monsters. They're a threat to everyone what wants to make an honest living." Garren sighs deeply, seeming to droop in his cot. "I'm going to sleep. Dawn's the only quiet time here, so see you in the morning."
Azi listens to Garren and considers his words. He backs up to his own bunk and sits on the edge as his squadmate drifts off to sleep.
"Brothers", he whispers. "And I got your back."
Sgt Hulka wakes up at dawn by playing Reveille on his bugle.
“I hope all of you got some rest because the next couple of days we are going to put all that training you learned to the test. This squad has been picked for an important mission. We will find and put an end to the source of disturbances around the village of Sanford. We are to meet with the mayor when we get there and find out the details of the disturbances. It is a two-day ride southeast of here. Now get dressed and go get some chow. We will meet at the stables in 2 hours.”
With that said he heads into his office without waiting for questions.
Azi throws himself from his bunk at the sound of the bugle. Groggy from sleep, he looks left, then right preparing to be attacked. Moments pass before he realizes where he is, what time it is, and what is happening. He rubs his eyes and shakes his head and gives short grunts as he get dressed. "Chow time! Let's see what good slop they have today. I sure could go for some biscuits and gravy. Lots of biscuits and gravy. And bacon." Azi is still talking as he leaves for the mess hall. "And sausage, and eggs, and more biscuits and gravy. Did I say bacon?"
Once Azi has headed towards the mess, Garren drops down from the roof of the barracks where he had been meditating, then follows the path of the half-orc to the mess hall.
There, he quickly eats a quick meal, then heads back to the barracks to gather his gear.
Hulka's bugle pulls Matias reluctantly from a dream of grog and girls. He grumbles at the early dawn light, but quickly masters his annoyance at the morning and settles in for his prayers, though Nethys might not have been too impressed with the curses he asked for Hulka.
With his bags already packed for the journey, Matias decides to put off actually loading his horse until after breaking his fast. Cinching his armor tightly enough around his middle so it does not bounce uncomfortably, he leaves the barracks to join his brothers-in-arms at table.
Shane gets up, cleans up and changes after a shave, not that he really has much beyond peach fuzz.
He smiles at Aziz' enthusiasm
and admits "I thought the Sgt played the bugle rather nicely."
While they eat, he wonders aloud, "I wonder what kind of disturbance is going on Sanford? More than one it sounded like but we won't learn till we talk to the mayor. Shame, it would be nice to know what to prepare for."
He bites down on the eggs, a bit peppery for his liking but he doesn't complain.
When you arrive at the stables you find Sgt Hulka already mounted on his horse. He directs you over to a wagon with a pair of draft horses harnessed to it. The wagon is full of supplies. Food, water, tents, and tools can all be seen. There is also a locked box labeled, HULKA. There are also 4 horses that have been saddled and are ready to go.
Azi lets out a loud belch smelling of soured bacon as he approaches the stables. All smiles, he walks up to face the biggest horse and starts scratching the side of its neck. He looks into the horse's eyes, "You gonna hold me little one, or should I put you on my back."
Walking up to the darkest-colored horse, Garren grabs the reins and turns to Sgt. Hulka. "Are we leaving immediately then, sir?"