Mister Morgan's page

Hope you are OK. My father in law had covid and it really did a number on him, granted he's in his 70s but I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

It's too bad this didn't work out but real life comes first.

No worries!

Morgan doesn't like horses, and horses don't like Morgan. So on foot which is a disadvantage I suspect.

Morgan nodded but demurred saying, "I want to see them but I fear my Armour is not designed for stealth, I'd probably give the game away crashing thorough the undergrowth. No for now I'll rely on your and your woodsmen's eyes. I need an idea of how many are ahead, around and behind, can you do that?"

Being realistic here, he has quite some penalty on stealth checks. I suppose he could take the armour off, but that defeats the purpose of having it.

Morgan nodded, "Sounds like just the place, you have my thanks. That's where we'll meet their deputation." 'And possibly our deaths, but I don't suppose it would be good for morale to admit that.'

"Do you plane to concede anything?"

Doubts flashed through Morgan's, 'That I'm more scared that I dare admit even to myself. That I'm out of my depth? That anything else I might offer is naught but thin air... That I'd trade my life for them to leave never to return?'

Morgan held the man's gaze as he replied softly, "I plan to offer them safe passage to the Chelaxian boarder if they withdraw promptly..." They both knew what that meant. And other than his body, Morgan had little else to offer in truth. This wasn't his land, he was merely today's custodian.

Speaking up Morgan addressed the small force that was with him, "Right let's do this. Each and every one of you has my thanks for undertaking this task. We must guard ourselves against treachery and hold anything they might say or promise with suspicion. It's possible they may offer free passage for any that leave, this is almost certainly a lie. I've seen them extend this offer before and it almost always ended badly..."

"Are you really looking to fight the Chelish? Like, really fight them?"

Morgan turns to face the man and with a sad smile he told him simply, "Yes I intend to fight and I intend to win. I've seen what the Chelish scum get up to when they sack a town or a fort and I'd sooner die than let that happen here."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (9) + 16 = 25

"This is my land, I was born and raised a stone's throw from this very spot. I don't aim to let the devil-worshipers have an inch of it."

"Good!" replied Morgan, "Iomadae would approve. I know I look like something dragged out of the lowest hell but She is my Patron and I have sworn an oath to defend the land and it's people against the Chelish invaders. We mustn't underestimate the Chelaxian army, they enjoy war and have considerable experience. Still they don't have patriots like yourself, and that's what will count in the end. I want their officer to come to us so we can take their measure, will you help us select the ground? We shouldn't stray too far from the keep."

If possible Morgan will get the man's name.

Morgan listened to Salvor's tale in silence before nodding at the end. It was entirely possible the Chelaxians had brought some horror from the lower planes with them, but that was far from the only possibility. So for now he kept his own council and stated, "We must learn from his mistake and use scouts to prevent an ambush and never let our guard down. If we do encounter something, have no fear, Iomadae will lend your blades her righteous fury."

Ready to move on, I hope we can have scouts in front and behind and in the woods. If there are trails known to the locals so we can avoid likely ambush sites so much the better. Morgan would like to take a quick look at the enemy before parlay.

Morgan felt like he ought to be annoyed but in truth he was glad of the Eagle Knight's presence. "It's hard to say what they intend, without knowing whose leading this little adventure of theirs. But one thing's for sure I don't like meeting them on ground of their choosing."

Giving the Eagle Knight a sidelong glance he nodded his ascent before asking, "Do any of you know the land around here well? Are there any likely ambush spots along the way? Also is there a place we can place our flag where they can see it? I'd to force them to come to us."

As an afterthought he added, "Can anyone fill me in about what happened to your previous commander?"

Morgan is worried about walking into an ambush.

"Ah", remarked Morgan softly, "I wondered if they'd do that." It was almost certainly a trap and part of Morgan felt like rushing into the tower, but for him that wasn't an option. He needed to know who the Chelish had brought with them, that would speak volumes about their intentions.

Turning to the soldiers he'd been labouring alongside he said, "Right lads! Spread the word we've done enough here, time to pack up and head inside the fort."

To any officers he can see he adds, "I'd like five volunteers to come with me, ideally the toughest foot soldiers we have, one of them needs to carry a parlay flag on a polearm with me. I want the woodsmen if possible to shadow us, they're not to engage unless the enemy attack first or the parlay flag is lowered.". NB if there's no cover for them then Morgan would rather the woodmen where on the walls, unless they have good stealth skills.

To Patro he says, "Make sure the people inside the fort know they need to prepare for a possible immediate assault, starting with Rozial. If we have to race back inside I want that gate down the moment we're inside. If she found one I'd like Clara to set up an engine pointing in the direction of the Chelish parlay flag. She knows the score about not firing unless the parlay flag is lowered but remind her just in case..." He gives the lad a friendly clap on the back and a grin.

Then with a heavy heart Morgan got ready to head towards the parlay flag. This was going to be a remarkably dangerous moment, for he would literally be putting his head in the lion's mouth. It was possible the Chelish would do something to dishonour the tradition of Parlay, but for him not to go would be just as bad... So it was time to answer that old question: Do you feel lucky?

I don't know if he's got his harness on yet (armour) but it would be better is he has. His intention is to keep the gate in sight if possible, and to not be lead too far from the walls. If things go poorly he wants an avenue of escape, and the option to bloody the Chelish's noses with siege and archery.

Makes sense.

Probably buried in the second to last post but Morgan obliquely asked Salvor what happened to the previous commander. Did he tell Morgan anything?

Also re the ditches, Morgan wants to place them to cause maximum inconvenience. I'm a little unclear how far the wooden bridge is from the gate. If there's a good gap he'd want at least one there.

Morgan was troubled by Patro's dismissal of the Chellish, as he knew all too well they did employ slaves, but the regulars where battle hardend killers who relished in what they did. It would take far more than a few arrows to see them packing.

Later when Zeb told him about Alison and Haelvor he nodded grimly and said "I'll try and see them later on, but if they've caught something they should be kept away from everyone else for the time being. Disease goes hand in hand with a siege."

Morgan nodded to Clara, "Rozial... Ok then, a days honest work won't hurt him! That frees you up to take charge of any siege weapons we have in storage. I've got a detail looking for oil, lead and so on but there's no guarantee they'll know what to do if they find any siege weapons. I think you'd better go supervise! Assuming you find anything useful we need something set up to deter any advance upon the gates. I'm hoping we can avoid destroying the bridge, I'm hoping to convert it into a proper drawbridge later on."

Zeb's words made Morgan's heart sink, "I see I'm going to have to be, what the word for it? A politician... Well perhaps I need to show I'm not going to ask them to do anything I won't myself. Let's go help dig a ditch and meet some of the rank and file. Before the battle we'll need an assembly where I guess I'm going to have to convince them of how serious this is and that it's in everyone's interest to pull together."

So Morgan's plan is to help with the hard labor and mingle a bit. His appearance is going to make that interesting so having some more familiar faces with him will hopefully help the initial shock. After spending a bit of time with the ditches he'll then go on to help felling the trees etc...

It's got late, will try to get a reply first thing tomorrow. Can't really do it justice now.

Yeah that figures.

"In case you need a runner or anything, sir. I offer my son, Patro. He is a likely lad."

Humbled and suddenly feeling the weight of trust placed in him, it was all Morgan could do to nod. He had mostly managed to compose himself by the time he'd turned to the lad. Putting on his friendliest smile he told the lad, "Nice to meet you Patro, you can call me Morgan. My job is to keep your Dad and everyone else safe and I promise I'm going to try my hardest to do that."

Smiling one more he added, "So you know your letters do you? Very good! I'm going to need people like you to send messages for me, it might sound dull but it could make the difference between life and death. Besides I think you'll find it more interesting than it sounds, many of the officers here probably stated off this way. Anyway come with me, lets take look at this gate..."

Smells like a diplomacy check: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (8) + 16 = 24

Later at the gate Morgan was both pleased and annoyed by what he saw, at least it wasn't all rusted but the lack of maintenance spoke ill of the previous commandeer. The lack of a drawbridge was equally troubling, it was as well he'd ordered the men to dig trenches. If this became a drawn out campaign the lack of a drawbridge would become a liability so he wondered what it would take to improvise something.
Kn:Engineering: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22 Obviously not something that could be done now.

His musings were interrupted by the arrival of Salvor and two of his engineers. A wide grin crept across his features as he looked the pair up and down, "You two look well! You must tell me of the others, were there casualties? As for the situation here I can barely believe it, it must have been fate, my head has scarcely stopped spinning."

His tone darkening he admitted, "I fear we've exchanged one set of troubles for another. It turns out the previous commandeer got himself killed, I still don't know the circumstances of that, perhaps Salvor here can fill us in... Anyway it seems our Chelish have designs on this castle and nobody else was willing to step up to the plate so err I swore an oath in Iomadae's name to protect them all."

He coughed slightly, aware of how crazy that sounded before carrying on smoothly, "No I don't think they're here for us per se, although your skin and mine would make a nice table covering for the Asemodeans. Anyway as far as I'm concerned you and the others are free to leave now if you don't want any part of this with no ill feelings, but being honest it's not exactly safe out there and your help is desperately needed! I mean look at the state of that moat and the grease on this drawbridge, its probably older than your grandparents! If you're up for a challenge, I need that sorted and then perhaps we can see if they have any interesting toys in storage... This place may have been neglected of late but a ton of coin was spent building it and I'm sure they didn't skimp on siege equipment."

The last was said mostly to Clara, who had a thing for making things go boom!

BTW by nasty surprise, Morgan is thinking of filling one of the tranches with something flammable and shooting fire arrows at it when they approach. Of course this relies upon having something suitable in stock.

Morgan nodded at Hendrik's words, well he knew how others judged him but he was heartened by Iomadae's support. She taught that is was what was in a man's or a woman's heart that really mattered.

"Do you want us to use fire? We might be able to burn some of the brush and trees. Might be some old alchemists fire in one of the storage lockers."

Morgan blinked, "Yes let's get that brush cleared, but I don't want a forest fire! As for alchemist's fire, see if we keep that in reserve. Make sure that the clearing party is back within these walls in an hour and a half."

That reminded him of a horrible possibility, "I'll need somebody reliable with a pair of runners to keep watch on the Cheliax forces from our best vantage point. I want updates on their progress and our men inside the walls well before they arrive."

"You want to try and hold the ground beyond the wall? You can't be serious, we have nowhere near the men required. What good will the trenches do?"

Morgan sighed, "I have no intention of holding the ground outside today, although I wouldn't mind leaving them a nasty surprise depending on what the inventory of the stores finds." Answering both Weslen's question and the Eagle Knights he explained, "If by some miracle they don't invest us, I'll be the first to cheer but my duty as a commander is to prepare for the worst. I fully expect they'll invest us and bring siege engines to bear on our weak points, most likely the door but possibly the walls and towers. If they can get a ram up close no door will last an hour. If they can't due to the moat and drawbridge there are specialised catapults and ballista they can try. By the way a moat is no sure defence, it can be filled in, or bridged with a special sort of pontoon."

Morgan studied the knight before adding "At best the ditches will irritate the enemy's engineers, delaying them for an hour or two. The real reason I gave that order is because it gave the men something constructive to do other than dwell upon the approaching battle. There's nothing worse for morale that boredom."

Yes tower first then the gate. If possible Morgan will take 10 on any Kn:Engineering rolls necessary to perform the inspection.

Glad to hear you got back safely, get some rest :)

Have a good trip!

After he had been deputised Morgan suddenly felt dizzy, he was was now responsible for the lives of over one hundred men against what knew full well to be appalling odds. He took a moment to compose himself which he covered by observing at the approaching army. Turning to face the men he said, "Right now only you and my engineers know me, I aim to address the company before the Chelish arrive but we have several tasks that simply can not wait and I'll need each of you to lead groups for me."

Turning to Salvor Morgan said "I'd like you to fetch Croaker and Fred if they survived, and send a detail to escort the rest of the engineers to me. Then I'm going to need you to take a dozen of the strongest men and those woodsman and go out there and cut down the trees there and there." Morgan pointed to the trees that where too close to the walls, "Croaker and Fred have done this before many times, tell them I need those trees down, they'll know what to do. Take axes, ropes and saws if you have them. I want it done in half an hour."

Morgan considered for a moment and addressed the Eagle Knight, "I'd like you to take fifty men with picks and spades and dig five parallel trenches at lest a foot deep and two yards apart starting about ten yards in front of the gate. At some point tomorrow they're going to try and bring a ram up, we need to delay them."

Focusing on the group rather than Salvor in particular Morgan said, "Next if we have any, we need ballistas, scorpions and so on set up. Assuming we do, my engineers can deal with that task but I'd like to make their day. Do we have the supplies to melt lead and boil oil? Or more to the point do we have alchemist fire or black powder?"

His eyes flick among the group as he asks, "I want a volunteer to take half a dozen men and get those wells covered, use the proper lids if we have them. If not use anything to hand, planks and a tarp, whatever. But if you have to improvise let me know."

Morgan considers the coming fight and tells them, "I don't know how your commander would have done it, but for the defence we need to divide our forces. Every archer on the walls. A group of ten of the most seasoned foot to defend the gate. The remaining foot evenly divided into two teams: One to counter ladders; one in reserve ready for breaches or emergencies. My engineers, assuming they're in a fit state will man any siege weapons."

Gathering every eye, Morgan tells them, "Do what I ask and I promise you we will survive the initial engagement and bloody their noses. Assaulting a properly defended castle will give them a 10:1 attrition ratio. While you are busy I'm going to take a look at that subsiding tower and the main gate and figure out what if anything needs to be done and then help out with the digging. Any questions? But make it quick - time is of the essence."

Right, maybe that is enough time to fell the closest trees.

"You were in the Chelish army and worshiped Iomadae ? The Infernals really are slipping then."

Morgan shrugged, "For all their power, the Chelish commandeers lack imagination. Of course I was tested when I was a child, the internals presence made my skin crawl and I still have nightmares about it. They saw what they wanted to in me and never thought that things might change."

"Also, about your friends. Most are below, in the other cells." The man holds up a hand, "Not mistreated, but we couldn't let a band of Chelish agents roam about at large. At least, under normal circumstances..."

Mogran nodded, he could have hoped for little more in truth.

"You would swear an oath, to Iomadae if asked, to this effect? To guard this castle against any foes, to be steadfast and true to us, and to risk even your life is needed?"

There were times for flowery speeches and there were times for the simple unvarnished truth and this was defiantly the time for the latter. Wondering if they truly knew what they where asking of him, Morgan sank to one knee. Voice thick with suppressed emotion he replied simply, [b]"Yes, in Iomadae's name I do so swear."['/b]

If there wasn't a fight incoming, I'd be tempted to show off and summon the halo.

GM do we have a feeling for how long it will take for the vanguard to arrive? Felling trees in the kill zone would normally be my first priority but it feels like that might take too much time.

Morgan remains a stoic silence during this exchange, with a feeling of dread creeping up on him. Clearly the castle has been long neglected leading to the current parlous state with the fate of all hung on a knife-edge.

Morgan regards the Eagle Knight with a poker facer as he replied, "They call me Mister Morgan and it's true I know many of the Chelish and on an individual level like and respect some of them. They however are not my allies, the only reason I'm still breathing is they never bothered to look beyond my skin to see what lies beneath. You see my engineers are my family and I have sworn an oath to Iomadae the Inheritor to protect them and others unable protect themselves."

He glances round the group before adding, "No offence but that seems to include all of you. Loosing a commander is bad enough but this fort has been seriously neglected: trees have been allowed to grow in what should be the killing ground; the moat hasn't been dredged in years; the yard is a fire hazard choked with weeds; that tower to the east is subsiding and may collapse under fire; the wells are uncovered - the gods only know what's fallen in, and that's before the Chelish start flinging corpses and worse at us. I could go on... To answer your question, would I defend this castle? It will not be easy, my appearance and circumstances do not inspire confidence and even if I was the best commander in the world there will be casualties. Still to fight in defence of your homes and your freedom is the very essence of makes you Andorann is it not?"

Morgan pauses trying to look each man in the eye as he let this sink on. before adding, "Will I fight for you? Yes with every last breath in my body. Will I lead you? I wouldn't wish to presume, but if there truly is no other then I will do what must be done."

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (14) + 16 = 30
'Not my best speech.' thought Morgan, 'But perhaps it's good enough.'

Morgan glanced at the assembled company wondering what they where thinking, especially the one who didn't want to lead.
Sense Motive: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 17

Seems like a solid start to me.

Morgan blinks, savoring the sensation of daylight on his hellishly red skin. Shaking his head slightly he favours the man with a sad smile, "Trouble and no mistake. Best start heating the oil and sighting in the heavy weapons, the Chelish regulars wouldn't be this side of the mountains unless they meant business. By the inheritor I do hope the garrison here is at full strength because you're soon going to need every man..."

Morgan broke contact with the eagle knight's piercing green eyes as he gave the terrain and the castle a professional once over.
Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22
Prof: Siege Engineer: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

Returning to face the knight he asked, "I assume you know that of course which leads to the question why am I here and not in chains? Mind you as interesting as that is, the one thing I really want to know is what happened to the others who surrendered with me? I trust they have been treated well?"

Diplomacy to put this the right way: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (4) + 16 = 20

Many questions but let's see how this plays out.

How about this?

I'll get something sorted.

I think it would be good to get the game play thread up and running.

The Paksenarrion trilogy is well worth reading, one of the best paladins in fiction. Michael Carpenter is also pretty good too from Dresden but he doesn't get a whole lot of screen time.

Another thought re monsters, most of the real monsters, the ones that get under your skin are (demi-)human. Because there's always that niggling thought that I could could have done *that* (whatever that is).

I made a profile.

So I take it the area is hilly/mountainous? That could be useful! Any forests?

* Nail down the circumstances of Morgan's capture by the Andorrans
Yes he would have actively been looking for a patrol to surrender to. Perhaps a squad of Chelaxians gave chase once they realized what was going down and there was a battle which the Andorrans won when they strayed over the border. Naturally there were casualties.

* Any direct requests?
Magic is obviously a thing in Golorion, but I think this would be more interesting/gritty if we play it down a little. Its there but not stealing the limelight.

I think the loneliness of command should be a big theme. Morgan is going to feel responsible when anyone dies, and they will.

Iomadae often comes across as rather unsympathetic, if we could downplay that I think that would be great. I like her paladin code btw.

Much of my inspiration for his character is based on Paksenarrion with a touch of Kaladin. I think many of the themes in Elizabeth's Moon's books are very appropriate and would be cool to see.

* Anything topic/themes I should avoid? Stuff you don't like or are uncomfortable with?
Ultimately I think Morgan is a bit of a tragic figure. I can't imagine him getting into a romance or anything like that. I suspect he'll likely ultimately die trying to save someone and regard the sacrifice as an exchange well made if it works.

* Also, do you have a favorite few monsters in the bestiary?
Undead are always favorites, especially ones who where on your side until recently! Given we're fighting Chelaxians I think Devils are in order.