DON'T knock. I mean, c'mon. Do you want to pass up the chance to catch him in another awkward situation?

Muschio 2012/09/04(Tue)05:25 No. 451618 ID: 8a01ea
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The battle's concluded. We've won without casualty, thanks largely to Geppa, Dompag, and Arabella. A worthy team, it seems.

The question now is...
"Why were you attacked?"
Commander Coriander Salamander shakes her head.
>"This was a coordinated strike. Sprites don't have the know-how for it, and they wouldn't just storm a fort like this unless someone had paid them in advance."

>"I believe our intelligence-gathering have been found out, and that Tela Cruz may not be kindly receiving our intrusions."

"You think the Czar sent them?"
>"I do."

>>451618
You do realize that no matter how you try to switch up our focus, the collective thoughts in the Orb will inevitably question you about your sudden boobologist interests, right?

Well this voice, for one, will try to stay focused instead of trying to question your titscinations, and instead suggest to ask the Commander about the Czar, especially regarding his possible motivation for staging an attack right now - if his forward intelligence was good, why wait for you to strengthen the garrison?

Also, breasts, boobs, knockers, fun bags, hooters, dirty pillows, milk sacks, ta-ta's, melons, gazungas, flesh pumpkins, sweater meat, nipple backstops, big bobblin' boobly oobly ooblies, two moons and a tractor beam, bosoms, melons, milk factories, busts, funbags, knockers, ballistics, jugs, nipples, jubblies, STONKING GREAT TITS! *shakes fist*

>>451618
Mushcio comment on that tapestry. That's a werid as hell tapestry, or at least the way it was painted makes it weird. Those broad fuzzy black strokes just weird me out and make me suspicious.

even if we didn't defend the tower just closing the door would of defeated them. they had no siege equipment. thus this WAS the scouting force.

If it's actually important to the goings-on, I'd like to know what the boob viewing was all about.

>>451623
That's a good point. Either those three make an insanely good team, or that was not intended to be an effective storming force. It might well have been meant as little more than a warning not to interfere, otherwise why would they waste the chance for an unexpected, full-force assault? I don't think the Czar has the forces to spare on outside issues.

But that's just conjecture. What have we learned from the commander?

If you haven't done so already, the next time you see Geppa you should commend her for her calmness and bravery in the battle. She's come a long way since we first met and it can't have been easy for her, having her efforts recognized would help improve morale and loyalty.

Let's get dangerous, shall we?

The core of your upcoming plan is the Commander's intelligence. Right now, that's a mystery to the orb. Muschio, do you know this intel already? Can you share with the rest of the class, or is this info better kept to yourself?

Also, the Sprite army dead outside the tower is still there, right? They have no armor and weapons you cannot collect for cash in the next town? Gruesome and grave-digging, yes, but also pragmatic.

Finally, can Geppa wield two swords? No, seriously, I am asking you, Geppa, can you dual wield? Cause your second Sprite kill after the first one you landed on had you using one arm to hold your sword, and then you held it with two hands the rest of the battle. Yes, it's a stupid detail, but if you are capable of this, then you should not hold back. Especially if soon to be infiltrating a military locked down city. Agree?

Let's discuss what we know of the Czar, then.

>>451623
Nice Yahtzee there.

Okay, I agree that commendations are in order for Geppa. Not so much for her Bravery, I doubt there is much she actually fears. But totally for her calmness and efficiency. Positive reinforcement and all that.

So what does the Commander know about the Czar and his movements?

Muschio 2012/09/05(Wed)04:20 No. 451907 ID: 6b4185
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As I was explaining to Geppa, the Commander and I were discussing mind-control bras. You may remember them from my first foray here, when the sorcerer Olber, in disguise, enslaved the female occupants with such devices. The Commander and I have held correspondence on the subject since.
Perfectly legitimate, you see.

As for spoils, technically I believe they're claimed to the Commander and her men. Or rather, her women.

"If this force was sent from Tela Cruz, then I need more information. Commander, what have you found about its Czar?"
>"Not enough. Czar Anolei Bomba came to power fairly recently - within the last year - but he's already whipped Tela Cruz into a nearly fanatical military state. And we've yet to get close enough to figure out why. He's either rallying to some cause we've just never seen until now, or more likely, he's trying to build an army. And if he's building an army, he plans conquest."
"A man with ambition is dangerous indeed."
>"I suppose you would know best. Either way, our intelligence on him and his city is limited to some basic numbers, and a few key positions and routes that may help you gain access. Once inside, you'd be on your own."

"One more thing. This force was small. Maybe they didn't anticipate us being here to back you up. Perhaps they did. But even with your core defenses, it wouldn't have stood much chance of success. It wasn't a siege. They were testing your defenses."
>"I quite agree."
Arabella tenses.
>"That means they could be sending more. And soon!"
Coriander nods.

She turns to me.
>"Well, Lord Malto. You have the superior force, and you're mobile. It's your call what to do from here."

Yeah, okay, bras, callback, awesome, look.
We know that you're the one with the body, and therefore by default kindof the one in control of the situation, but you really gotta give us a heads up for stuff like that.
I mean, we're the thought process over here. The semi-conscious realms of possibility. The unwrought force behind that which may be. We need to be here to think about that kindof stuff. To consider all the angles of what we're looking at. All the curves that may come at us, the desires yet unfound, the endless possibilities. Perfectly legitimate, you see.

Muschio, I am slightly offended that you wouldn't think to call us back for that.
I really don't know how you're going to make this up to us.


... Well. What are our options for route and positions?

>>451907
Yes. Perfectly legitimate. Right.
You know, I understand this whole quest for becoming the all-ruling Devil of this land, but being evil does not mean detaching yourself from your, let's say, baser instincts. I mean, if you just felt like kneading some titties, who are we to oppose? But we need to have some sort of understanding here - it's not proper to have your minions constantly barging in on you while you're doing something potentially... untoward. We're really trying to help you! Thus, it might be a good idea to let us know when your proximity to female mammary glands exceeds a certain treshold. That way we can try to direct attention elsewhere, thus avoiding the whole stress of explaining to your force why you were groping someone's funbags.

Just a thought.

But Arabella is right, even if we managed to destroy this... scouting force of sorts completely, without any survivors returning to report, we still have precious little time for maneuvering. Your minions have just proven that they are a very formidable strike force (remember to commend Geppa, she really outdid herself out there!), so a small intrusion force might fare better than a hastily organized rag-tag defensive post at the Tower.

Ask about those potential infiltration routes, then request a change of gear better suited for stealth purposes, like daggers and a different set of clothing for your team.

>>451908

Yeah, we LOVE bras!

Hmmm...Muschio, do you think it would be possible to have our dear allies move in with us at the base? it WOULD be a better defense. Think of it! More minions! And a perfect excuse to expand the base!

>>451910
I have to disagree, here. The tower itself is well-built for being defended, and our allies have already proved themselves capable and willing to help us, and two reasonably well-defended bases means the occupants of either one can evacuate to the other in case of an emergency.

With that said, it's possible we should stay here and shore up the defenses of the tower in case of a larger force arriving soon, giving our allies a better chance to all survive if another force does arrive. It seems likely, if the city is as frenzied as the commander says, that they could easily have a larger force already on the way, without waiting for the initial force to report back.

On the other hand, if they haven't sent anyone yet, now would be a good time to head out and possibly fix our problem before they can send another group.

My votes on the first one; better safe than sorry, and we can't afford to lose our allies.

At the very least, invite Coriander and her allies to join up with us. It's only courteous.

That being said, could they withstand a siege out here? What kind of supplies do they have? If they can't or don't have supplies, you should consider using Geppa and some others as a mobile strike force, harrying their main host if they actually DO have a siege on the way. Guerrilla tactics can bring down a significantly larger force if applied correctly.

Annnnd are your other employees safe at home?

>>451909
He gave up evil. He's more into simply regaining power now. [/nitpick]

>>451936
WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN (that's what you get when reading through the archives then joining an active quest rather than being there at the beginning, sigh)

>>451914
This is a good point, which is why some more intelligence would be great. I suppose there is no problem with turning back and defending this position if we see a massive army approaching, but I would still opt for a small tactical infiltration.

>>451937
Changing my vote for this. Worse possibility is getting stuck in the tower where we couldn't do anything productive. Let's not do that.

Also, Muschio, HONK the Commander's TITS. It's not like she cared too much earlier, right?

Ask the commander if she has anyone suited for a recon mission (I don't think you, Geppa or Dompag would really be all that suitable for it). If we could get some more information (i.e. is an opposing force on the way) it would certainly be helpful.

If there is no one suitable I say we shore up defenses and wait to see what kind of opposing forces appear. Better to be in a secure tower than risk heading to an army that might surround or ambush yourself.

go on the offense, start going TOWARDS the town they came from and ambush the larger force. hit and run for a bit.

Ask for one of the mind control bras, if possible.
If it comes with remote control, even better.

What? You may never know when it comes in handy.

We've got a small army deployed around our base right now. Nothing will get through while the temporary troops are there. We should therefore leave some of our primary warriors to stick around and help guard the tower. Namely, Dompag and Geppa. Now that we've got a working forge, it would be in our best interests to cook up some better equipment for our allies as well. We don't want to risk losing any of them.

Muschio 2012/09/06(Thu)08:13 No. 452166 ID: 6b4185
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"Commander. How do you propose we move forward?"
>"We don't have enough intelligence on the enemy's plans or numbers. There may be another assault on the way, and I couldn't guess when or how many. If they come to strike too soon, or in numbers too great, the tower may fall. But neither do I know how long your window of opportunity into Tela Cruz may be, and the Czar is tightening his grip on the city every day.
>So in the end, Lord Malto, they're your forces. It must be your call."
Arabella huffs.
>"Whatever your decision is , you better be sure you have a damn good reason for it."

>"What's it going to be? Are you staying here on defense, or taking to Tela Cruz for offense?"

>>452166
Perhaps we should go for a solo recon/assassination mission? Because we all know how well that worked last time we tried sneaking about in a hostile town.

no use sitting around waiting to be attacked, i think it's time to take the offense

>>452166
So, we've just received a not very subtle nod that our assistance on defense will be appreciated.

On the other hand, having extra intelligence would REALLY help right now.

You know what? I just had a crazy idea: Leave your minions here to bolster the garrison and scout yourself. After all, you are the ONLY one who was not in plain view during the battle, so you have the best chance to skulk around some.

Of course, this also means that if you manage to get your reproductory organ into a carpenter's holding tool... well, expect more than just a squeeze.

send the scout/stealth manikins to recon while you do some defense.

>>452171
Too far away, not enough time for maneuvering.

Gordian option: Reconnaissance In Force.
Unless Tela Cruz intend to literally destroy the tower itself, attacking with the full force of Muscio's man and the Commanders (wo)men would mean all the Czar could gain would be a pyrrhic victory.

Muschio HAS to leave for Tela Cruz. No choice there. Maybe take either Donpag or Geppa with the promise of girls or bloodshed for whichever one you take with you?

>>452192
Geppa will not leave Dompag period. We could ask I suppose, but it should be obvious what her opinion will be.

If anything, selecting Arabelle could be doable, but I doubt that too - she'd much rather protect the Tower based on her reaction I think.

Remember to ask for some stealth gear and a change of clothing. Your Volto roots will show obviously, but we can still hope to keep a low profile and that the Czar hasn't been made aware of your existence yet.

I'd like to point out that Tela Cruz is a HUMAN city. They are racist fucks, and so I would be surprised if anyone but Muschio were able to get inside it.

It really shouldn't be hard. We can just walk right in, if we're not wearing recognizable clothing, and maybe have our hair dyed or covered, if blue is a recognizable color.

>>452166
Muschio, you should really stop hallucinating that you have both your hands still. Or did you pick up a prosthesis when we weren't looking?

>>452195
Very good points.
I advise that Muschio goes into the city alone and tries not to make much trouble. With any luck, this should result in burning the entire city to the ground again.

>>452242
"I have this excellent plan: some milk for cats, some flammable fluid and a source of fire!" ^^

But seriously, going there alone would be the choice of the moment. anyone has to go there as everything else will result in waiting for uncertain events here for uncertain time. Of course they could already know who Muschio is, but with him the only human, it is more like to go well with him... and when everything goes well... high roller still lives, right?^^ (well, those thieves don't count)

>>452168 >>452170 >>452242
You know what, I'm going to second these fine voices here. Leave Dompag and Geppa here to assist in bolstering defenses, while we go forth incognito to try to gather more information and/or find an opportune opening.
When we're ready to make an overt move, time and circumstances permitting, we'll send word back to Dompag and Geppa through the shards to meet us. And if time and circumstance don't permit, well, we'll just have to wing it.
We probably won't die. Probably!
Better ask Coriander for any supplies she can offer without compromising her defenses before we go.

...well, there is ONE issue I forgot about. Muschio is a glaring beacon of evil. If they have any paladins there, we'll be chased off.

>>452194
You forgot earlier she said that it was okay and that he could look after himself.

I actually vote for Geppa being sent in to spy since she's had actual assassin training. She might be able to poke her nose around without being spotted and Muschio has instantaneous updates on anything important via the orb.

Face it, if we bring an ogre into a city, we can pretty much kiss goodbye any chance of not being spotted. And if the situation on the inside is too hot to handle, it would be easy for Geppa to sneak (or kill) out or to sneak Muschio in.

Also, If team Mint soup got through their mission without incident, Ought we bring Ash to the tower to help bolster defenses? I know she won't arrive for, like, a day or something, but it gives us more flexibility up here. Besides, the vault is safe.

>>452166

Your lair has better defenses AND reinforcements. It would probably be best for everyone to pack up and leave the tower for a while and set up a defense at your place.

Yeah, Muschio alone to Tela Cruz while the other two bolster the defense might be a good idea. But... what's our objective? We can't conquer it by ourselves. There's not a ton else we want to do is there? Assassinating the Czar would be handy, but it's not likely to be easy. It might be better to hold here and break their army against our walls, then march on Tela Cruz in all our strength. But that's what they're planning for, so it would seem an offensive would be better. I can't see us taking the city overtly without a proper army, though. Even if our intent is to seize the Czar's head and proclaim ourselves masters of Tela Cruz in a relatively bloodless coup, we'd want a small army of our own to dissuade whatever force remains in the city from just arresting us, and to stave off rioting. If we could get support from military elements in the city we might not need our own forces, but building that up will take a while unless there's already substantial discontent.

Perhaps the best solution is indeed to leave our forces here with instructions to march on Tela Cruz after smashing their army, while we go to indulge in reconnaissance and intrigue in Tela Cruz in hope of seizing power there.

>>452347
I don't think we're bad off enough to necessitate abandoning this place.

...well, we DO have the princess. We could use her as a bargaining chip somehow...

Arabella saying "damn good reason" has me leaning toward defending the tower with Geppa and Donpag, while Muschio goes solo toward Tela Cruz.

You want a sincere plan what to do NOW? Ask the people at the tower to give Muschio a makeover AND a disguise, like a different set of clothes that can help him fit inside the city. If he is becoming infamous, then the way he looks now could eventually lead to his reveal and capture. The plan here is to find whatever opportunity at Tela Cruz can become your advantage, and claim it, right? Well, to do that, you may have to stay a few days, so you should prepare accordingly so as to not get caught.

I'm asking you to plan ahead like a spy or secret agent here. Gather resources here at the tower, change your look a little bit so paladins and whatever enemies you encounter inside the city do not recognize you until you finish claiming the opportunity, and maybe ask the Commander if they have any magic items that can disguise your alignment so if paladins reside inside the city, they will not recognize you right away.

Now, maybe they know you are coming-hence the attack on the tower. Divide your party, so they can conquer you on two different fronts. BUT, this is only theory, and waiting for confirmation takes too long. All you can do is move forward, and if something happens, you have the orb to contact your allies at the hideout. Seriously, the forge is done, so the creatures can be healed. Most importantly, they can come to either your aid or the aid of the tower.

BUT, that's thinking TOO far ahead. For now, act like 007 and prepare yourself for the long haul.

>>452422
Basically, this. I'd also add that we keep the other groups abreast of the developments and our plans so they know what to be prepared for and keep themselves in situations where they can respond as quickly as possible if they're needed.

Muschio 2012/09/07(Fri)11:06 No. 452440 ID: 233d60
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"Dompag. Geppa. You will stay here."
>"Aye!"
>"You got it, boss."
"As for me, I will proceed to Tela Cruz alone."

That decision is met with silence.

Muschio 2012/09/07(Fri)11:07 No. 452441 ID: 233d60
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"If that force were hired and sent by the Czar, it could be for any number of reasons -- a scouting team, a test, a warning, perhaps even to provoke a counterattack -- but one thing it means for certain is that he is hostile. And if he's reached out to a distant and foreign force like Sprites, he's clearly got dangerous resources at his disposal.
I won't ask you to abandon your tower. Nor would I expect you, my dear allies, to stand alone.
The Czar will be expecting a counterattack perhaps. An army. A brigade. A strike force, maybe.

But he won't be expecting a lone man.
And this may be my only chance."

Muschio 2012/09/07(Fri)11:09 No. 452442 ID: 233d60
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"I have less than an hour to make preparations.
I wouldn't want to be late for my appointment with the Czar."

>>452442
:salute:

Godspeed Muschio. Godspeed.

>>452442

Luck.

Good hunting.