Swamped

You don't really know what your interrogator is after. But you have a feeling it's a bad idea to give him more information than you need to.

"That is my full name!" you shout. "Just Marshall!"

He holds his blade up very close to your face.

"I think you're lying," he says. "But let's take you at your word for now. If you don't have a family name, then tell me this - what was your father's name?"

"Henry!" you blurt out. Technically, you're not lying.

He seems taken aback. He clearly wasn't expecting that answer. He seems to be rethinking his line of questioning.

But he doesn't get much of a chance, as somebody flings the door open.

"Razor!" the new arrival shouts. "The hell are you doing? Who said that you could question the prisoners?"

"I'm taking initiative, Claws," Razor replies calmly, lowering his blade. "I believe this Bogknight has important information..."

"That's their newest recruit, moron." Razor seems taken aback at the insult. "Newmucks don't get told anything."

"Don't you think it odd, then, that this particular cadet came all the way to our base?"

"Don't change the subject. You know damn well what Rider's going to do to you when he finds out you 'took initiative' again. Assuming, of course, you don't give me an excuse to tear you to bits first."

"I should think Rider will have his hands full tonight."

"That's the other reason I came here. We're thinking about cancelling that order. Which means we gotta have a meeting, and you gotta be there for it. So quit wasting time with a prisoner who doesn't know a goddamn thing, and haul your butt over to the command center."

Razor seems annoyed, but he maintains his composure somehow.

"Fine. But could you at least knock next time?"

Claws gives him a glare that indicates the answer is no. They walk out, but you hear Claws calling to a guard.

"Hey, Crook. Take the prisoner back to the cells, okay? And next time, check with me before letting Razor do an interrogation on his own."

"Sir!"

Crook soon comes in, undoing your shackles and grabbing you by the arm.

"Don't try anything funny," he says. "I'm in enough trouble as it is."

Will you go along quietly, or do you have something else in mind?

Ask crook if he knows how to play swamprats

If you find a good opportunity it wouldnt be the worst idea to break free and go on a run through the base. What are they gonna do? Lock you up twice?

After Razor's interrogation, you really aren't in much of a mood to cooperate. You have a hard time believing he'll obey the orders to stay away.

You're not going back to your cell, at least until Rider's back. You're not sure how that meeting will go, but you can worry about that when it happens.

For now, you need to get out of Crook's custody. And the way to start is by distracting him.

"You ever play cards, Crook?" you ask.

He gives you a glare.

"You could say that. You could say I played a little too much, even. Certainly more than enough for a lifetime, so I'm not interested in whatever you were about to suggest."

"It wouldn't be for money," you say. You're not sure where you're going with this just yet, but you need to hold some kind of conversation.

"What for, then? You beat me at cards, I let you escape? Ha, that's a good one. I take my job seriously, newmuck, and even if I didn't, there's at least eight people who'd yell at me for letting a prisoner go like that."

"No, I meant, just for fun. I figured it would be easier to play with someone who can sit next to the bars than with someone in another cell, that's all."

"Good luck with that. Cards have sent many a poor soul here. Even if nothing is at stake, it's an unpleasant reminder of the lives we left behind."

This diversion isn't working too well so far, and he's taking you closer to the cells with every step. Perhaps you need to try a different approach.

See if you can make him feel self conscious, walking down this hallway alone with him holding your arm IS pretty intimate.

But if that doesnt work, can you just headbut him or trip him? Maybe fall right in front of his legs to trip him and roll so that his grip on your arm pulls him foward, then scramble up to your feet and take off.

Ask what he thinks of Mud Viper. We caught her for a bit, you know. She's one tough lady.

You decide that a change of subject is in order.

"So, uh, what do you think of Mudviper? We caught her back at base, and I heard some rumors. She seemed tough."

He stops for a moment. Seems he wasn't expecting the question.

"You caught her? How? She's just about the best we've got. Smart, too. Only reason she's not on the command council is that Mantis wants an odd number to avoid ties, and there's no one else who comes close. How the hell did you catch her?"

"We were lucky, I suppose," you say. "I was able to catch her squad by surprise while they were already in a fight. And they were outnumbered to begin with."

"You... no way, I can't believe it. A newmuck ambushed Mudviper? Come on." Then he pauses. "Wait, is... is that how you lost your arm?"

You shake your head.

"That was the rain."

His mouth hangs open, though you note his grip hasn't loosened.

"You mean, you survived..."

"Right out the base door. They pulled me in before things could get any worse."

He's getting a thoughtful look in his eyes. It suddenly strikes you - he said he was here due to gambling debts. As a gambler, he's probably got a lot of superstitions.

And now here you're telling him that you survived a rainspawn attack, and managed to surprise one of the Marshguards' best soldiers. He's probably thinking of you as some kind of lucky charm now.

Unfortunately, this realization has only strengthened his grip. You try intentionally falling in hopes of pulling him down, but he's quick to lift you up again. It seems you may have caused yourself a new problem.

What are you going to do now?

Play up your lucky charm schtick, make up some other lies about how youve always been lucky despite your lack of skill strength and intelligence

"Any chance you could show me around the base? I mean, we're still on the way to the cells."

You decide that you might as well work with what you've got going on.

"It's funny how often things seem to go my way," you say, as if you're talking to yourself more than him. "I mean, it's not that I don't get into trouble - I ended up here, after all - but even when that happens, it usually turns out better than expected. Why, one time I was in a carriage and we were held up by highwaymen. But when they got to me, one of them dropped the loot they'd already taken on his foot. Then he let out a loud shriek, which startled the horses. They ran over another of the robbers, and the third was flung from the carriage as it started moving. The driver calmed the horses down, and we were able to get everything back."

Crook starts looking very thoughtful.

"Didn't go so well for those highwaymen, by the sounds of it."

It didn't, by your telling, did it? That suggests a useful theme to go with in your other stories.

"Guess not. At the time I was just relieved, but when I thought about it later, I realized that sort of thing had happened before. Once, there was this crooked merchant who thought I'd be an easy mark - and really, I was. Was all set to buy a ring from him for my sweetheart at the time. But just as I was handing over the money, he tripped and the ring shattered, and that's when I realized it was just colored glass."

He's loosening his grip. You've probably got him thinking that the way to use your luck is to be nice to you, not rough. But he's still probably not going to let you go. So you decide to see how much you've convinced him.

"But I don't know. Maybe that was all just a coincidence. Not much use reflecting on it now."

"No," Crook mutters. "Not much use, really."

"I have to say, though, I'm really curious about this place. There's a lot I don't even know about my home base, and I just can't help but wonder how your fortress is different."

"Too bad. Got to get you back to the cells," Crook growls.

"Fair enough... but maybe there's something you could show me on the way? No need for a big detour, just give me a taste of it."

Crook seems to be weighing his options. You've clearly got him wanting to find out if your supposed "luck" will rub off on him, but he also obviously doesn't want to get in trouble with his superiors.

"Well..." he mutters after a while. "I guess there is one place we could take a quick look at. But that's all!"

"All right. What is it?"

The famous marshguard petting zoo

They certainly don't do fenguin races at the petting zoo no sir they do not.

"You'll see when we get there."

Crook leads you through a few hallways, then takes you into a doorway when no one else is around. Inside are dozens of pens filled with various swamp animals. They make you nervous, but none of them seem at all aggressive.

"Rider's got a way with animals," Crook explains. "It's not just his mount; he takes care of all sorts of creatures. And they're docile. Here, take a look."

Crook leads you over to a pen with several crocodiles in it, and pats one on the head. It makes a strange noise, but one that sounds satisfied; it's like it's trying to purr.

"No idea how he does it. Or why, either. All I know is, he gets mad if anyone suggests using them for battle." Crook shrugs. "He's a hard man to understand, really."

You can't help but wonder if Dean knows about this place.

"Anyhow! That's all we got time for. If we dawdle too much longer, I'll probably get my head chewed off by either Razor or Claws. So from here on out, it's straight back to the cells. You got that?"

Well, if you're going to do something to escape, now would seem to be the time.

Take your chances with the crocodiles and make a break for it!

Wait, why are we trying to escape again? Crook's been pretty nice. You've got to see something that maybe your dad's been up to. And even though you're separated from your bogknight buddies you'd still be within shouting distance. Escaping is just going to cause trouble for you and the people who, up to this point have been relatively nice to you. Not to mention the consequences it might have for Mary and the gang. And what do you expect to do? Sightsee the marshguard base some more until you're captured? Your dad is the freaking Rider (probably)! You are not going to stay in that cell very long. He's been trying to get a hold of your since you first got to this swamp. There isn't any need to cause a ruckus or bad blood between you and the marshguards, especially if its just to get a look around a base you'll probably get to see more of anyway.

Don't risk it with the crocodiles, as docile as they may seem, you only have one hand left.

Thank Crook and head back to the cells with him. Maybe later you can make some good fortune come his way.

Don't bother running. The last time the Guards actually hurt a captive was when they fed Lisa bad stew on accident that one time. The crocodiles, on the other hand...

Eh, this is probably more than you would have seen if you had escaped early anyway. And you spooked him. Stay on their good side for the moment.

Though if someone is holding you by the arm like that in the future (standing next to you, facing the same way, holding the upper arm), you can break their grip by swinging that arm forward, up, around behind, down, and then forward and up again, aiming for the elbow area. This is a surprise and leverage escape, with emphasis on surprise. It may break their elbow in addition to their grip.

You decide to just go along quietly.

You were thinking of escaping, but it's clear now that Crook is more or less on your side. Your main worry is getting interrogated by someone like Razor again; maybe you can convince Crook it'll be worth his while to stall if that happens. Or at least give you a heads-up on if you need to be worried.

Crook takes you back to the cells, where everyone else is sitting around. You notice that Ringer is still on duty.

"Ringer. You're relieved. I'm taking over here."

Ringer rings their bell once in acknowledgement and walks off. Crook shoves you into a cell. At least it's more comfortable than the interrogation room.

"Right. All of you sit tight here until the next interrogation. Whenever that is."

You notice Walter scribbling something on a small sheet. When Crook's head is turned, he crumples it up tightly and tosses it into your cell.

Carefully, you unfold it. It seems to be a rough sketch of a technique for escaping from an arm hold. Walter gives you a quick smile as you crumple it back up. Might be useful, but you're not likely to get a chance to practice safely.

In fact, there's not a lot you can do right now except wait. Hopefully, once Rider gets back, you'll find out just what it is he wants with you. You can't help but be curious.

You're now someone with a bit more freedom to move around. Who would that be?

You're Commander Ash, and if things keep playing out this way, Captain Long won't be getting his post back for some time.

Alternatively, you're Private Burgundy, and you cannot believe this bullshit.

You're Commander Ash, and if things keep playing out this way, Captain Long won't be getting his post back for some time.

Just as you planned....

You're Commander Ash, and if things keep playing out this way, Captain Long won't be getting his post back for some time.

Just as you planned....

Seconded/thirded.

Youve just gotten word of marshguards around the base. You dont have comcrete evidence but your gut is telling you this is a big attack. The other bogknights have been known to call you paranoid, but you wouldnt have been promoted so quickly if your gut instincts weren't right so often.

You're Sergeant Ash. Captain Long has temporarily entrusted you with command, and he picked a hell of a time to do it. You've got vague reports of a large attack force, lead by the Rider, and confirmed reports of at least one Marshguard near the base.

On top of that, one of your prisoners has escaped. It doesn't strike you as a coincidence that it's the prisoner who asked to speak with Captain Long directly. But that's a matter you'll have to deal with after the current crisis.

Right now, you're trying to come up with a plan to take out the Rider.

With his fearsome reputation, his mere presence on the battlefield hurts your side's morale. If he were defeated, though, not only would that offer a confidence boost to the Bogknights, but the Marshguards would be terrified. Many of them would retreat immediately.

There are just two problems - first, the Rider is one of the most skilled warriors in the whole swamp. Second, your temporary authority has its limits, and one of those limits is that you aren't allowed to order a kill unilaterally.

You're willing to risk a demotion for this, of course. It's what Captain Burgundy would have done. But you'd be a fool to pass up a perfectly good plan to incapacitate the Rider if you could devise one.

There's another reason a non-lethal approach would be helpful - you might be able to convince Captain Long to take part. Concerned as you are about his behavior, there's no one else on base who could stand up to the Rider like he can. But if you told him to kill the Rider, he'd surely revoke your authority on the spot.

Still. You'll do what you have to do. You're a practical man, and you know what's important.

The first things to decide on are the members of the strike team that will confront Rider directly, and the overall strategy you'll recommend for them. Then you can begin planning who you'll send on any additional teams you want supporting the main group.

So, what's your plan?

Every good squad needs a Blade, Leaf, Wing, and Stone.

Captain Long will be the Blade - he can keep the Rider distracted and (more importantly) the Rider can keep him distracted.

Burgundy would be the Stone - Long shouldn't object to sending her out, and having her eyes off of you would allow you to make some extra arrangements.

Darlene Kitey is the Wing - She's familiar with marshguards (having escaped so many times) and has solid intuition for tight situations. She's also terrifying with a mudpike.

Penelope is your Leaf - She's not battle hardened, but she's diligent, determined, and shown quick progress. You've been teaching her a few card tricks, ways of winning games even when it seems you lose. She understands that sometimes a trick or two is important for the greater good.

And, of course there is the matter of the letter she divulged to you.

You've got as far as planning your squad.

Captain Long's experience and prowess are simply unmatched. He's even fought the Rider before. No one else comes close, and many would be simply afraid to engage the Rider at all.The advantages he offers are too significant to ignore, even if he won't take it to a fatal blow. As long as you don't press that point, he'll cooperate - he knows as well as you do what a win against the Rider would mean for the flow of the battle. You just need to persuade him that you have a good enough plan.

Next is Burgundy. She may not be anywhere near her father's talents, as an officer or a fighter, but she's hardly incomptent. And her reputation among the Marshguards may serve her well. She's also used to working closely with Long. Of course, the fact that it means you won't have to monitor her - and consequently, won't have her monitoring you - is also convenient.

Third, Darlene Kitey. From her various escapes, she's learned much about the Marshguards, and may have insights into the specific ones the group faces. Rider will more than likely have his own support, and even if he doesn't, there are going to be a good number of them on the way there. Of course, her fighting skills are impressive enough as well.

Finally, you plan to send Penelope out. She hasn't seen much combat, which is a concern; but she's clever, and you've been training her to put that to good use out in the field. You have every confidence that she can demonstrate her value to the Bogknights; if it were up to you, she'd have been promoted by now.
Besides, she's the only other one who knows about the Captain's letter. You don't think he'd try anything improper, whatever his connection to Mudviper; but you have your doubts, and you know better than to ignore them when planning.

A talented team, with a Blade, Stone, Wing, and Leaf. But the best team in the world is nothing without a good plan - and they'll be depending on you to come up with one. More than that, they won't even risk it if your plan doesn't sound feasible. You know Long's testing you, and ordering him to recklessly charge at the Rider is a certain way to fail that test.

No, before you can go any further, you'll need a battle plan. And frankly, you expect that you'll need more than one squad involved. The strike team's the one that will directly engage, but they're sure to need support on their way there.

So. What is the plan?

You have your own "Rider".

During the infestation you gave an unofficial command to a certain squad. "Capture a greatrat - do not let anyone know."

When you last checked, Squib was successful in his capture attempt - found a greatrat in the water, apparently. With the Great rat bound and blinded, it makes for a passable mount, but one that is poor in combat.

You don't need Squib to fight though, just appear and cause confusion among the marshguards. He'll be the one to challenge the Rider directly, from a distance of course. As the Rider approaches the strike team will intercept and begin the actual combat.

That's just one spearhead, however. One that you can't tell Long about directly, and one that you haven't been able to directly address with Burgundy around. Long would scold you for the risk in the plan. "It's too dangerous to ride a greatrat", he'd say "You're putting our soldiers in jeopardy!" But that's because Long sees every member as an equal - he doesn't flush out their full potential and their limits. Squib is much like a greatrat himself, brutish, easily scared, strongest in a pack, and blinded by reward. He's easy to manipulate, and, frankly, expendable if needed.

But that's just one plan, not the one you're sharing with Long. The second plan is more conventional, You tell Long that you'll have a squad create a diversion, which should draw out the Rider into the fray. But, in addition to that, you've sent out a scouting squad - 2 swimmers and a runner (it would have been 3 swimmers, but it seems that Stacy was nowhere to be found) The runner is the decoy scout, lightly armed and ready to race back to base upon being spotted by the enemy. The swimmers wait and watch how the guards react to the runner. After collecting their intel, at least one should rendevouz with the strike team and relay their info. If possible, the remaining swimmers will then attempt to flank rider's squad and provide support to the strike team. They play recon, and backup in case something goes wrong.

If the strike team engages the Rider in the wrong place; however, the entire plan is worthless. It needs to be on The Knob. While the Bogknight base is stationed on the imposing Bog Hill, there are a series of smaller elevated hills around the area. The Knob is one of these, a low lying area just above the water's surface, with a dome-like structure in the middle, about chest high. The ground on the Knob is sludge-like, difficult to traverse, even for a swampbeast. The ground on the dome, however, is solid, strong footing and provides a clear advantage to whoever can hold it.

If they confront Rider on The Knob, if Long can pressure him, Rider will take the dome. He'll have the high ground and be ready to defeat anyone below who dares to knock him off of it.

But you'll get him from above.

Nathan Grinnes, an ex-performer with excellent hand-eye coordination and known as "The Lobber". He's often sent on watch duty, partly for his eyesight, but also because of his specialty: High arcing projectiles. With his equipment, they fly high and come down fast - assuming he has time to set it up. If he knows his target beforehand, though - you can launch a scatter shot right into the rider from above...though you could also have him use collapsible net, or other non-lethal projectiles.