CHAPTER 1-2
Update time：2011-06-08 12:27 Authors：Thomas Lim
Rufus began speaking all at once, exclaiming and gesturing with great anticipation. “Ten young tacticians have recently formed a gang called the ‘TENBADSIRS’. Each of them claims to have attained mastery over one of the aspects of tactical combat. Teach those uppity bullies a thing or two.” From what the tavern keeper is saying, you gather a lot of which he was babbling were plain exaggerations. Basic spells that can negate the 2nd Circle tactics? Bah. Yet, you observed that Heather and Sunil were listening intently, nodding from time to time and mentally taking notes. Gareth and Flubus on the other hand, were cursory at best, having little interest beyond wanting to know where to find this bunch of imposters.
The problem at hand was clear to you. Yet no one has mentioned it so far. How in Erets are you going to get the required minions to do battle with these ten tacticians? Rufus was still going on about the earth shattering, fire explosive tactics of the enemy, gibberish nonsense when an idea struck you. This is Torpann! The place of brutes and thugs. Most are cutpurses and small-time villains, but the more ‘serious’ ones have organized themselves into Guilds and such – and you could probably hire the dozen minions you require. Best of all, you recalled that five minion sections have recently returned from northern Bretunia after successfully completing a quest for your trainer. You could seek their help for this mission. Your mind began racing. Ten tacticians to defeat… There are five of you. Each can hunt down two each, and your team could complete the task in a couple of days. This could actually work!
An hour later – the five of you stood before your trainer, Master Tactician Skeenkip, and who better than have Heather present your request… Heather coaxed and purred, and teasingly wheedled her way around Skeenkip, whom you can see is fast being persuaded to support your cause. “I see you all are determined to get your commissioning, yes?”. the Master Tactician intoned. All of you nodded in unison. “I could do this for you”, but on one condition.” Skeentip eyed each of you fixedly. You noticed your compatriots stiffened. You have some idea what was coming… “Register and defeat Captain Leofric in the upcoming Tactician Exam within the fortnight ~ and graduate to become a full-fledged Section Tactician by joining our ranks in the Guild.”
You guessed right. The Torpann Guild of Tacticians has lost much of its stature in recent times, owing to the multiple defeats of its tacticians in the battles to keep the Morganic troops at bay. Last Spring, the Guild Master had agreed to align itself to King Constantine in the defence of Torpann against the Morganic army. Constantine had dispatched one hundred sections to defend the city. Over the last six months, more than half of this army had been decimated, along with sixty section tacticians from the guild. The guild is currently under-staffed and qualified Section Tacticians have been difficult to recruit. Your cohort is one of those that have been hastily put together three months ago in an attempt by the guild to bring up the numbers. But everyone knows that it takes at least two years to pass the Section Tactician examinations. To register for the exams under six months? That is a sure-fail scenario.
Gareth was about to protest when Master Tactician Skeentip raised a finger to hush him. “I know what you are thinking”, he began. “But at a time like this, I have struck a deal with Captain Leofric.” Startled – Sunil muttered. “You don’t mean…”. Hush. Flubus grabbed Sunil by the hand. “Let Master Skeentip continue.” Skeentip paced the room discriminately, his favourite teak office situated at the centre of the training grounds, glancing about nervously. “Captain Leofric is a royal examiner from Camelot – and we all know the standards for a Section Tactician is beyond you at this juncture of your training..” He paused, letting the words sink in. It certainly achieved the desired effect. “Nonetheless – we cannot defend Torpann without Section Tacticians leading the minion sections into battle. So, here’s the arrangement – A week ago, Captain Leofric has agreed to give provisional Section Tactician-ship to any tacticians with field experience and can defeat him one in five rounds, instead of the required three. When we heard that the rascals from the North-Western Mercenary-Guild have descended upon Torpann a few days back to taunt us with their renegade TENBADSIRS tactics, we convinced the owners of the Fair to post this challenge. The rest I think you can easily piece together. So…” Gareth interrupted Skeentip. “Master - what I really want to know is how many teams have you sent out against the renegades, and how have they fared?”
An uneasy silence ensued. “So far, no team has managed to win more than four battles, but….” Flubus pronounced, “That’s fine, Sir, we will do it.” All eyes turned to Flubus. “I mean – what choice do we have?” he challenged. You concurred Flubus was right. The issue at hand is really about how quickly we can assemble the minion sections and determining who gets to battle whom. “It’s settled then.” Master Tactician Skeentip swiftly wrapped up the meeting, and having made the necessary arrangements for us to meet our allotted minion sections – declared that we should set off first thing tomorrow, and report back in the evening.
The luck of the draw determined who the opponents were. And as it turns out, you get to duel the ‘Alter’ and the ‘Disallow’ tacticians. Coincidentally, both of them have been sighted at the north-eastern outskirts of Torpann. Hence, if providence favoured you, these two may yet yield to you before evening tomorrow. But first, you need to get acquainted with your minions, and to build rapport before the battle tomorrow. That set, you made your way to the Adventurer’s Lodge expectantly, and as you were talking towards the lodge, Heather stopped you mid-track.
“Mind if I tag along?” Heather inquired slippery. Having known her for three months, you have come to realize when Heather presents a request, it is a demand statement. “Master Skeentip told me my section will not be ready till day-after, so I was wondering if I could accompany you to see how your duels go. Maybe pick up a tip or two from you?” Heather smiled affably. You really did not any excuse to say no to Heather, nor the heart to do so. In any case, it probably is useful for her to observe the duel, as the whole team needs to win in order for the quest to be deemed successful.
Before long, Heather and you stepped into the Adventurer’s Lodge, and you scanned the room excitedly for Darius, Level 1 Master Warrior. “Greetings Tactician!” a voice came from behind you. “I have been expecting you.” You spun around and beheld an impressive character before you. Before long, Darius was introducing the entire section to you – the four different classes and three ranks that make up the classical tactics section. As the leader of this section, Darius explained the strengths and weaknesses of his minions and what, in his experience, are tactics that would go down well with this section.
That done – you headed back to your dwelling, and began formulating a battle strategy for tomorrow. The night seemed to pass by far slowly than normal, but when morning came – strangely, the interest in the TENBADSIRS suddenly waned in Torpann. A bigger news had reached Torpann from Camelot. Prince Uriel had left Castle Camelot unaccompanied, and is now declared missing. Knights have been sent to all the cities, seeking tacticians to look out for the Crown Prince. You could feel the tension in the air, and wondered if by some twist of fate, you might be asked to undertake a quest later that might cross path with the Prince himself. However, the matter on hand is still fighting the duels today, and you must not be distracted. As if on cue, Heather appeared before you. “Heard the news?” she queried, “I think it will be wonderful if we get to seek out the Prince! But looks like you are all set for your duel – and oh? Darius and his minions are here already – so what are we waiting for, let’s go!”
Darius informed you that Flubus, Sunil and Gareth had also set off a while ago with their respective sections. Word has gone out that the renegades will be met with a new team of challengers today, and they have readied themselves accordingly. Making a mental note of the scouts, rangers and warriors in your minion section, and their respective ranks, from novices to adepts, you psyched yourself and your newly assembled minions, you make your way towards the outskirts of Torpann – towards your first duel, Juriele, Renegade Tactician of the ‘Alter’ tactics, with your side-kick Heather, in tow.
It did not take you too long to locate Juriele once you hit the North-Eastern outlands of Torpann. You noticed that Juriele looked relaxed, and was laughing heartily with his minion section a hundred feet away. You slowed your footsteps, and heightened your precautionary instincts. Heather, sensing your change in mental framework, ceased flirting with a particular handsome Red-hooded Ranger Adept, and adopted a well-developed defensive stance.
Heather sized the situation at hand. She smiled. It has often been rumoured that Heather is a walk-over, never serious with her training and more of a vixen than a spellcaster. She knew better. Heather had purposefully built-up this external façade to disarm her opponents. Her deliberate attempts had been successful, and only those who were close to her knew exactly how deadly she can be. “Vixen she is not,” as Gareth had correctly observed. “She’s more like an adder, striking when you least expect it.”
Juriele looked no older than thirty years of age. Stout, and dark-haired, the renegade tactician spotted thick eyebrows and a fairly bushy beard. Looks can be deceiving, Heather knew. His minions were in fact experienced fighters, and Juriele himself is on the verge of acquiring second circle powers. It will be a tough better, concluded Juriele, and she communicated that thought to you with a facial expression you had seen only occasionally – one of dread, but yet of hope.
By now, Heather saw that both Juriele and you have readied your minions and the first round will soon commence. It is interesting to note that the challenge posed by the TENBADSIRS is really a taunt – one engineered by Morgana’s mercenaries to demoralize the Arthurian camp. These tacticians and their sections are battle-hardened fighters, yet they have deliberately limit their powers by constraining what tactics they would use. Juriele for instance, have chosen only to use only ‘Alter’-typed tactics. Within the First Circle tactics, each ‘type’ represents only a limited selection of possible spells. Heather mentally calculated that this means no more than twenty possible spells. Whereas she knew that you have a spellbook selection from more than a hundred spells. Which ones would you use today for this battle?