Swamped

"Suit," you say.

She shakes her head. "Sorry, it's not Stones. That's another card you're down."

You hand over the Baron of Wings. That's just your luck, you suppose.

"We haven't introduced ourselves, have we," you note. as she reaches for her next card. "I'm Marshall, and as you've already heard, I'm the new recruit. I was raised on a farm, came to the city, and then signed up. What about you?"

"Lisa Black. As I mentioned, I'm on a repair squad. Before I signed up, I was apprenticed to a carpenter, but it wasn't for me. Of course, now I'm doing carpentry in a swamp. I make good choices, don't I?" She chuckles a little before turning up the Two of Blades.

You feel a little nervous as you see the Two, and as you see the smirk on her face, you realize it must be showing.

"Rank," she says. You nod.

"Not much point handing over a card if you know my rank and suit," you say, flipping it over.

"Not with two players, no. It can make a difference in a bigger game, where everyone's betting against everyone else."

"And can I bet with cards you give me? If I can, then running out of cards seems difficult. Unless I'm passing and you're guessing wrong. But you only need to guess right twice to win, even if the odds aren't amazing."

Lisa nods.

"Very true. The original rules were made by three Bogknights trying to wait out a rainstorm, so they were only concerned with whether it passed the time. It wasn't until the rain cleared up that anyone started looking at how it worked as a game. But we still teach the original rules, as a way to honor those knights and the ordeal they went through."

"I'd like to learn more about the new rules. Not sure I'm up for another hand just yet, though."

"I don't really have time to run through a more advanced hand, not if we're going to keep talking. If we're just playing, I think I can speed through. Do you have any more questions for me?"

"Well, I can't think of anyone else to ask about. Unless you know anyone I should be aware of? I've only really talked with Sergeant Greenwoods, the medic, the cook, and, well, you now."

"I already mentioned Sergeant Burgundy. You'll know her because she's scowling and doesn't look like she's ever stopped. You want to stay out of her way if you can." Lisa looks thoughtful. "The main other officer you should know about is Captain Long. He's technically in command of the whole base, but he doesn't usually issue orders. The sergeants keep things running, for the most part."

"What about non-officers?"

"Tom Eighth has a short fuse, especially about the rain, but other than that there's nobody I'd suggest watching out for. You'll get to know people as you work with them."

You remember the young knight who berated you for mentioning the rain. Maybe you've already met Tom Eighth. If you ever got introduced, you clearly weren't paying enough attention to register it.

You suddenly hear a bell ring, and Lisa grumbles.

"Damn, I've been here longer than I thought. No time for another hand, I'm afraid. Here, why don't you keep the cards, I've got another deck in my room."

She hands you the cards and run off. The other two knights pointedly glare at each other before they leave, too.

Come to think of it, as you recall that's your dinner bell. You head to the mess hall for your evening swamp mush.

"Leg okay?" Tom First asks as he hands you a bowl. You just nod quietly and eat your mush.

It's been quite the day. You have a lot to think about.

---

The next morning comes sooner than you think. This time, when you head to training, you meet some recruits not much older than you.

One of them is one of the knights you saw in the lounge yesterday. The other knight he was so upset with doesn't seem to be around, though.

Sergeant Greenwoods enters a little after you do, and points to the other knights.

"Good morning. Squad Fishbone, this is Marshall, our newest recruit, who you will most likely be working with. Because of this, it's been decided that you should do training sessions together. Most of these will just be one of you, sometimes two, but this morning I brought you all in to introduce yourselves. So, let's take turns to tell Marshall here your names and a little bit about yourselves."

You wait patiently to hear everyone's introductions.

Show Content

SpoilerThis is your chance to name and briefly describe some Bogknights! Let's see what you can all come up with.