StarDestroyer.Net BBS

and please don't do anything (else?) stupid!

If you really want, I'm sure I can come up with something to top this....

OOC - at 270 exams I'm assuming that is lecture hall & not class size. What subject (field) are you grading. Just curios as a fellow engineer who's been thru the UK system, not the USA. When I went thru everybody was too scared to argue their marks as it tended to result in a remark that lowered your final score (examiners were more prone to find mistakes that you had made then they had the second time round).

"I bore Sir Oliver no malice until he insinuated that I acted as part of a conspiracy when I consider sneaking around like a thief to be disgraceful. I will accept an apology from Sir Oliver in lieu of fighting, however. Should he do so, I will bear no more ill will towards him and we shall go our separate ways. If he is unwilling to apologize, then may the best man win."

Now I'm really torn. One part of me wants the fight to be called off, but another wants me to should from the walls "Two men enter, one man leaves". I still have confidence that Sir Alfred can take him.

'Fine words, but they do not square with the presence in your company of your followers.' Sir Oliver answers. 'I would have sought you out to spar with you in any case, and expect nothing less than for you to side with your kinsman; it was not an insinuation, it was a jest- that may have miscarried.

What I cannot reconcile and will have justice for is your man at arms, mocking all the things I and now you claim to stand for. Disown him, and we may go our separate ways.'

(OOC: Bust a deal, face the wheel!

It's a very good thing you didn't, because Alfred would have disowned you right there and then for messing things up for him further.)

He mutters, "Damn it, William." Composing himself again, he says, "And if I make him apologize for making fools of us and keep a tighter leash on him instead? He has been of some use to me so far and I would prefer to not lose him."

OOC

Just on a slight technical note, you are aware that William is not a man at arms, or in any bodies employment? Are you offering a job?

The treasurer glares at him, which seems to tip the balance in his mind- on one hand feudal loyalty, and the fact that he needs the money, on the other hand...

He decides that he prefers not being told what to do. Doesn't quite raise two fingers at the treasurer, but scowls back at the old man and says to Alfred 'I'm willing to accept that, but I think it will be hard work for you holding him to it.'

"Very well." He gives a bow and calls William forward to apologize.

OOC MK I:

Kaelan wrote:OOC - at 270 exams I'm assuming that is lecture hall & not class size. What subject (field) are you grading. Just curios as a fellow engineer who's been thru the UK system, not the USA. When I went thru everybody was too scared to argue their marks as it tended to result in a remark that lowered your final score (examiners were more prone to find mistakes that you had made then they had the second time round).

It's actually less than 270, I was assuming people hadn't already deserted the other professor's class en masse, which they had.

Probably more like 200 now. I'm grading one problem on each exam for two professors who gave identical exams simultaneously. I routinely let people argue their marks if they find me to complain, it usually works out all right; on this exam there was one problem that accidentally asked the opposite of what the professor intended and I had to spend half an hour convincing him of it. Sigh.

Currently taking a short sanity break from the foolish answers.

"I bore Sir Oliver no malice until he insinuated that I acted as part of a conspiracy when I consider sneaking around like a thief to be disgraceful. I will accept an apology from Sir Oliver in lieu of fighting, however. Should he do so, I will bear no more ill will towards him and we shall go our separate ways. If he is unwilling to apologize, then may the best man win."

Now I'm really torn. One part of me wants the fight to be called off, but another wants me to should from the walls "Two men enter, one man leaves". I still have confidence that Sir Alfred can take him.

I don't. He's on horse, with a lance that has a bomb on it, wearing magic armor and a professionally enchanted sword. The only thing Alfred has that he doesn't is hand grenades, and they're not very good hand grenades either.



IC:

Kaelan wrote:OOC

Just on a slight technical note, you are aware that William is not a man at arms, or in any bodies employment? Are you offering a job?

Larric's voice, rapidly hissing to William if William hesitates to step forward:

If he denied that you were working for him, Sir Oliver would be free to carve you like a roast for your insolence- and he'd do exactly that.

He's saving your damned life, Will! Quit trying to play the court jester, or Sir Alfred will have to beat you into a pulp for it next time. And honestly, I just might help him.



OOC MK II:

Seriously, Kaelan, I think you'd better accept that your character can really apologize for his conduct, no sneering and joking at a man of superior rank. Or he can die- and that Sir Alfred will probably be held responsible for putting William down like a rabid dog if he doesn't apologize. Your choice.

That would be why the challenge was 'here and now' and not 'after you put on all your expensive armour'. Tempting as it would be to inform our dear knight where to go William will acquiesce for party unity. To Larric (quietly) "you're the courtier, how do you word this in their language. Last time I addressed a member of our nobility I was robbing him."

Alfred looks at William in anticipation and with a look that says "if you do not hurry up and apologize, I will go over there and personally crush you like a bug."

(OOC: Seriously, though, I really would prefer to not be on the end of that pointy lance. I'm not very certain my idea of throwing the grenade at his horse, charging in, sliding to avoid the lance, and swiping at the horse's legs will do that well, and not just because the horse may land on Alfred, leaving him a very vulnerable target. It is a very risky plan that involves trying to force Sir Oliver to fight unarmed against an opponent with probably superior physical strength and unarmed combat skill and I'm not very certain I could pull it off.)

OOC:

He wouldn't be fighting unarmed. He has a sword too.

IC:

Larric would laugh or gape at the sheer staggering absurdity of being called a courtier- he's a peasant shopkeeper, all he really is is polite, but he stifles it.

"Hm. Try "I'm sorry, sir, I was terribly insulting and I know it was far out of my place, I don't know what came over me," and go on from there. A lot. Better talk fast, or the knights up here might just push you off the wall to say your sorries up close and personal."

(OOC: The plan also involved trying to grab his weapons and fling them away from him, another reason why I didn't think I could pull it off. That or trying to get him in a full nelson before he could get his sword and smashing his face into the floor and I don't think I would be able to reach him before he can draw his sword or throwing axes.)

OOC:

You'd still have your sledgehammer and grenades, would you not? It would seem more prudent to continue the battle with those, at least to me, than to attempt to wrest a sword from a man's hands while he's trying to kill me with it.

But then, what do I know of such things?

(OOC: Yes, which is why it was a bad plan, even if it would be funny if I managed to pull it off. Well, at least the part about trying to grab his weapons from him. Taking out the horse is probably not a bad idea.)

Hmm, an official sounding apology. I’m guessing the usual civilised option of just going out and getting plastered together is not going to work, seeing how barbaric our higher ups are (given that they’re prone to kill each other over indirect slights).
Here goes.

“Sir Knights, I am sorry that you felt that the words of a mere commoner such as myself were worth engaging in mortal combat. I apologise to the court and those present that my actions have resulted in a situation where one of our own would be killed, depriving us of yet another skilled knight in these troubled times. I have spent too long on the field of battle, and have brought back mannerism and speech that should have be left there. I promise to restrict my speech in future, and only speak to my highers when spoken to, as all men-at arms do.”

The apology is more directed to Alfred for putting him in this situation.

OOC
In the words of Mark Twain
“All you need is ignorance and confidence and the success is sure.”

My proposed plan of attack would be as follows:
Alfred takes down the Horse, using the grenades to throw off the aim of the lance and not to take out Oliver. If Oliver is wearing a full helm his vision is going to be restricted before the detonations go off. Once past the point you either take out the horse’s legs or head depending upon opportunity.

As the horse goes down Mr Snuggles engages Oliver. As a wolf he will close the gap faster than Oliver could extract himself, regain his footing and free his sword. Mr Snuggles doesn’t have to go in for the kill, only grapple and slaver over Olivers helm & face.

Whilst this is going on Alfred moves into position over Oliver, Maul raised for a killing blow. He then ‘calls off’ Mr Snuggles and offers Oliver the chance to yield.

ECR & All:
Any chance we could do a 'theoretical' run of the fight (assuming the apology is accepted). After all the work everybody has put in over the last few days it would be nice to see how it would have played out.

Actually, Oliver has something similar in mind anyway.

Thinks it over for a moment, realises how sarcastic William is still being, decides not to be an arse about it, says 'More from the heart and less from the liver- but apology accepted. Actually, Sir Alfred, as we're here anyway, and have attracted considerable attention, shall we try a simple passage at arms, without the thaumaturgy? Just to touch- just to see what would have happened?'

He's prepared to douse the flames on the sword, leave the lance behind and take a blunt tourney one, leave the enchanted throwing axe- just to spar and to see how it would have gone, without actually trying for blood.

"Aye. It would be a shame to have spent all this time preparing to have it wasted." He starts delicately removing his hand grenades and taps the hammer against a wall to try to discharge it. He tells Mr. Snuggles to stay.

Ghetto edit: He gives a death glare to William for putting him in this situation in the first place.

(OOC: Well, worsening it at least.)

Larric looks at Sir Alfred trying to knock the plasma-hammer enchantment off on the wall. He turns to Verone, scratching his head.

"I can't decide whether to hope it makes a mark on the wall, on account of that means I did a good job, or whether I hope it doesn't leave a mark, on account of then they'll probably go and make me pay for it."

Right, into the arena then.

First thing- oh, yes, a mark on the wall. Tapping the hammer against the nearby wall of the keep to discharge it has interesting consequences. I was trying to find the specific quote but I think Larric's intent was to put as much power into it as he reasonably could; and he succeeded, a litle better than he realised apparently.

There's a brilliant flash, a peal of thunder- enormously loud- Alfred ends up bowled over, on his backside and looking up at a torso sized crater smashed in the wall of the keep, and fragments of partially fused and splintered stonework. Andrea and Tamarin both look at Larric, and the Treasurer looks about to have a fit. He is eighty after all...but one of his sons calms him down.

The hammer has molten spots on it where the runes were painted on the head and burnt themselves off, it's discharged and probably fit to use, but there are more people running to the scene now, wondering what the hell that was; including the acting head of the guild, who will be looking closely at Larric.

(This might be a good moment for Rohal actually not to be there. It's highly likely that one of them can tell.)

Oliver's comment is 'I am obviously more imposing than I thought. Are you still fit, no ill effects?'

Dazed and stunned, but otherwise no.

Right then, hand and a half and shield against hammer. Horse is waiting outside, being held by the groom- you're both on foot. Only obstacle is the fragments of wall, about which the treasurer is now slightly foaming at the mouth and chanting a mantra of 'Stonemasons' fees, repair costs' over and over again. He is slightly faster than Alfred, not as much raw physical strength but faster on his feet; moves forward, but not recklessly, holds his attack to wait and see.

OOC:

And yeah, "dog runs off after explosion" is probably justified.

Hmm. That would have done for the horse, sure enough...

Also, Oh, shit.

IC:

"Oh, shit."

OOO - a bit tied up at the moment. Will post a 'post duel' conversation with Alfred later. Until then william will watch the sparing and then keep his head down.

Getting up, he says to the treasurer in mild embarrassment, "My apologies. It seems it was a bit stronger than I anticipated. I will pay for the damages." He looks rather nervously at the grenades now.

(OOC: See, Kaelan. Now it's my turn again to do something dumb. I really should have asked Larric to try to discharge it somehow. (屮ಠ益ಠ)屮 Brain, Y U NO THINK OF THAT EARLIER?)

Rohal startled by the explosion and smelling all the people running this way, will run to a DIFFERENT part of the woods, away from the hell hound.

Running is a sensible thing to do, and as Rohal leaves the town and heads for a nice, safe, different part of the woods he manages to encounter and cross the trail of the Countess and her pack of hounds- there's more than one, at a tactical guess they're covering her flanks and rear, and she's heading for the Orhan Hills; detouring around Sir Detrick's group who are somewhere not far away, approaching on what passes for the road. Probably only two hours out, arrive some time about an our before dusk.

Going somewhere else, then.


It's actually Alfred's move- Oliver decided to react rather than act, held his action.