Little Bill

The Redwatch

delicious doublepost

The Redwatch

Part Two is here. If you're accepted, add this to your sheet. Also, while I'm in GM mode and telling people what to do, unhide your sheets in the Characters tab, I changed my mind about the hiders. They're short sheets anyway.

Part Two

Watchers and Watchguards are given 65 points to allocate to their stats, Greenbands are given 60. Each player gets five points to put into their equipment -- each piece of equipment must have one point at minimum, and 5 at most. One point items are somewhat broken, very old, or otherwise crappy items you wouldn't pilfer a dead mouse for, two point items are cheap, old, flimsy, or otherwise unimpressive, three point items are well-made, four point items are very well made, and five point items are masterfully crafted. The higher the number is, the less likely it is to break.

STR: Your character's strength, reflected in rolls for running, jumping, climbing, swimming, attacking, and intimidation.
CON: Your character's constitution, reflected in rolls for resisting poison, withstanding attacks, and surviving natural disasters.
DEX: Your character's dexterity, reflected in rolls for dodging, sneaking, marksmanship, and hand-eye coordination.
CHA: Your character's charisma, reflected in rolls for bluffing, negotiating, lying, seducing, and performing.
INT: Your character's intelligence, reflected in rolls for investigation, alchemy effectiveness, and foraging.
LUC: Your chacter's luck, reflected in encounter rolls.

Equipment: List it, describe it if you want, or don't. Don't forget the points.
Traits: Two positive, two negative, just make four up. Specify what they give buffs or debuffs to. Once they're done I'll PM you telling you if you need revisions, or just tell you what the specific numbers of your debuffs are.
Trade: Nobody has prepared all their life to be a Watcher. What did you do before you joined the Watch?
Friend: An NPC mouse with a high opinion of your character who might help them. Briefly explain their reason, whether or not your mouse is aware.
Enemy: An NPC mouse with a low opinion of your character who might harm them. Briefly explain their reason, whether or not your mouse is aware.
History: Describe your mouse's life up to joining the Redwatch in one paragraph or less, with the brevity of a case worker or military docket.

EDIT: specified there should be four traits, two good and two bad.

The Redwatch

Accepted!

The Redwatch

IC's up! To those of you not on discord, try to pop in every once and again so you can get the scoop on happenings.

The Redwatch

It is a cold, grey day in Redfield. September's end has brought an unseasonably bitter rain, blanketing Gnaw overnight in a thin layer of frost. In the great courtyard of the Redfort, there is little respite to be found from the cold -- As if the fort itself were softly breathing, a low wind whistles from the arrowslits of the courtyard's sole red wall. The "courtyard", despite its leisurely name, was the darkest part of the Redfort, with roots breaking through the stony ceiling and coiling around the meager stalactites that could be seen in the dim light. The only parts of the courtyard that seemed to have been touched by the hands of mice were the floor, which was smoothed and tiled with great grey stones, and the wall containing the Redfort's iron doors, which were the same faded red as the bits of the fort visible from the outside. The steps leading up to it were not stone slabs, but uncarved indentations made by the journeys of thousands of Watchmice through its tunnel entrance.

A congregation of mice gathered at the courtyard, though they were not mice of the Redwatch. They were mice of villages, towns, and families. Today was the day they had been told, either by recruiters, posters, or appointment, that they were to arrive at Redfort's courtyard. Dozens of mice still made their way up the steep cavern by the light of torches on iron holders bolted to the wall, footsteps echoing against the soft rainfall outside the resonant cave. After a few minutes, it seemed even the slowest of stragglers made their way to the courtyard, and the low silence was replaced by hushed murmurs of conversation. The shadows of young mice cast themselves against the flickering orange light on the cave walls, stretching outwards and over the fortress's doors. Suddenly, a loud metal CLANG echoed throughout the cave, followed by the creaking of Redfort's doors beginning to move. Yellow light poured from the fort, blinding the mice for a few moments as Watchmice began to pour out the door in single file, quickly marching to a cadence marked by their collective "hut-hut-hut". Each wore the red armbands of the Redwatch, and each wore a colored cloak over their shoulders, flourishing behind them like the capes of fabled heroes.

As the Watchmice exited the fort, they formed two lines of six, one behind the recruits at the top of the stairs, and one in front of the recruits in front of the doors. The line of mice by the door split into two groups of three as the doors fully opened, forming rows pointed towards the doors, as if to funnel the crowd in. Within seconds, they had wordlessly corralled the recruits into the most efficient mass of wide-eyed, crowded mice possible. From the doors entered an old brown mouse, slowly dragging himself along with a short cane. Mice eagerly looked over him at the inside of the Redfort, though the next room seemed to be as empty as the court, with only banners and a few pacing Watchmice visible. Without clearing his throat or having the recruits stand at attention, the old mouse looked at the crowd and spoke up.

"You pups stand in the hallowed courtyard of the Redfort of Redfield." He began in a hoarse bark of a voice, as if speaking through a mouthful of rusty nails. "For millenia, this courtyard has seen generations of the Redwatch pass through, and generations of those who wish to invade. You walk on the graves of thousands of Gnawers and Gnashers who died in the name of securing Gnaw, whose bones have sank into the earth, who both died a death most foul." He began pacing across the front line of recruits, looking them over with dull grey eyes. His voice shook as he spoke, as if the grave matters he was speaking of were meant to be whispered.

"Know this; the first time you go through these doors will be the last day you wonder how you might die. By conscripting, you solemnly agree to die the bloody death of the thousands of mice before you, just as future recruits will agree to face the same fate as yours." The mouse paused his pacing, looking the mice over once more as his statement sank in. By now, two mice had understood the point of his speech, and began to silently make their way down the steps. A soft chuckle was heard from a small group of mice in the back of the crowd as the mice they had been discussing recruitment with moments ago had turned tail and fled. The old mouse took notice of this immediately, hissing and slamming the end of his cane -- which was either filled with lead or struck against an entirely hollow floor -- with a crack resonating throughout the cave walls like an explosion.

"This is no laughing matter. Those mice know they are not ready to make this commitment, and they are right to leave. They are not cowards. They are wise. Some of you in this crowd will ignore my warning and conscript with doubt yet in your hearts. A doubt that will grow into the fear that leads to a coward's death, dishonoring your ancestors as you are hunted down and killed for desertion. To those who wish to die in a den, this is your final chance to turn back."

Sure enough, more mice did just that, including two of the mice that had jeered the first to leave. In the end, the courtyard of recruits was made up of approximately a dozen or so mice. When the last of the newly-unassured mice had left, the old mouse turned, with a flourish of his dark red cloak.

"Follow me. It is time to take the trials."

---

Missions

Queen Gothun has sent out one hundred and seventeen nests on missions, including the two burrows of Castle Taproot.

Fenn & Cedric - Journey to Redfort and assist Burrow K-14's Nests with the administrating the Greenband trials.
Bring any assigned Greenbands back to Taproot.

Myrtle & Flint - Journey to Stormreach and investigate the badger reports along the Spoorwall. If they are true, kill or otherwise dispose of this badger threat.

Ramekins & Aleria - A caravan of ill mice is being brought to Taproot for treatment. Treat or assist in the treatment of these mice, while maintaining a quarantine.

The Redwatch

@ClocktowerEchos I was talking about his sheet. Of the sentences, four do not contain a direct reference to his past, which makes his sheet require more information. Also, the quote should be a belief.

Mouseguard/Redwall Inspired RP

I lied.

The Redwatch

@ClocktowerEchos That would work, but because his character is very focused on his family, his sheet would need substantial beefing up.

The Redwatch

As Selune mentioned, the Watch would not take kindly to an outward display of allegiance to a group that's not the watch. Joining the Watch is akin to formally cutting ties with your family -- your enemies can't find you, you don't inherit any lands, you nullify any former promises of marriage, and so on. If one guy breaks the uniformity of thousands of mice by wearing tokens of his family, this leads to three things

A) His peers, who are mostly lowborn, assume he thinks he's better than them. They beat him in the barracks with in the middle of the night. Aelfric removes his shield and circlet to stay safe.

B) His superiors, who notice his defiance of the rules, penalize him for disrupting the uniformity of the Redwatch. Aelfric is systematically bullied by superiors until he removes his shield and circlet.

C) The superiors of his superiors notice the Watchmice under their watch have allowed one mouse to flaunt his family's crest, which by extension makes them look bad. Aelfric is told to remove the signs of his home, or go back to it.

If you really wanna do a deposed nobleman, I think you should have Aelfric secretly keep tokens of his family around somehow. Maybe a dead sister's locket or a childhood instrument or something. I'm just spitballing here.

The Redwatch

The issue I have with Aelfric is that his character is very bound to his ties to a family, which is something you give up when you join the Redwatch. I don't think Watch Captains and other higher-ups would appreciate a lone member of the Watch wearing a flag and a crown when he's supposed to be representing the Watch everywhere he goes.