Wherein Alexei integrates a turb for group exercises...
What I'm looking for in this thread, to start off, is a discussion of the training regimen between Alexei and Jacques discussion of the men (go ahead and throw out names and what they're good at, if they don't exist I, or someone else who wants to, will create them), followed by implementing the plan, which is where the grogs will get a voice in the story and cause difficulty.
"Master Alexei, may I be of assistance?" Mufarjj appears as if from nowhere as the council meeting is adjourned.
[ooc: In the year he has been at Mons Electi he has made good friends of the pages, maids and lower employees. He has spoken to them of Allah, from a source of deep love, not to proselityze. While he has martial capabilities, he has stayed aloof from the turb. Sometimes practicing, sometimes teaching, but not being ever present. He has intrigue of 3, so I think he could've lifted some of the details from the pages, maids or serving girls who could've overheard some tidbits.]
Alexei starts at his sudden appearance but then smiles and claps a hand on his shoulder. "Well, Mufarjj, you're timing is excellent. Despite...actually because of our initial meeting, I know that you are a man of honour. My task has been widened to include a larger turb of grogs. These have a reputation that is...soiled. And I suspect they are not as disciplined and motivated as I am used to, and likely yourself. Would you care to help me whip them...into shape? I need to collect Gunnar, Michelle and Brione as well."
"Men can be driven to do desperate things for many different reasons. I know this well. In order to cleanse them, you need to understand their suffering and alleviate it. Once their suffering has been removed, then the healing can begin. Unless their hearts have turned black and they enjoy inflicting pain and strife on others out of a callous disregard for their fellow man, or Allah."
I think Deykin (and perhaps, to a lesser extent, Daffyd) would be good additions to the turb. Deykin is still young (16), but has the Warrior Virtue which gives him 50 extra experience points, and has a Bows score of 4 (solely from Warrior). Plus, he has a hatred of oppressors, which may be channeled (or exploited).
Daffyd is older, with a wife and children, but also has Warrior, with Bows 5 and Single Weapon 3. He's primarily a shepherd now, but I can see him being like a reservist or something.
Just throwing a couple of names out there.
Jacques leaves the Covenant grounds and goes to where Atsingani has set up camp. He gathers the turb together and tells them what is to happen. There is much discussion and arguments but the next morning the Atsingani turb is assembled in a field outside of Mons Electi and have set up some practice areas for archery and and sword. Their blacksmith brings his wagon to the field and is heading up his small forge.
Jacques is standing by a small group of trees that have a good size murder of crows in it. A large crow perches on his shoulder. At a gesture from Jacques, the crows tack off and fly in different directions. The one on his shoulder stays.
[i]((Spells cast before hand on Alexei:
Silvery Scales of the Knight [with Hauberk of Supreme Lightness and Hardness of Adamantine]
Doublet of Impenetrable Silk
On Grogs (Michelle and Brione):
Hauberk of Supreme Lightness and Hardness of Adamantine and Doublet of Impenetrable Silk
Mufarrj:
Doublet of Impenetrable Silk
Gunnar:
Doublet of Impenetrable Silk
Helmut: (he's there to record things on a wax tablet, but just in case)
Doublet of Impenetrable Silk))[/i]
Alexei enters the field with a small party of men, two are heavily armed and armoured, one is heavily armed. A young man perhaps 15, carrying a satchel and a wooden stool, is helping along an older man with twisted legs leaning heavily on a crutch.
Alexei walks right up to Jacques taking a spearhead out of a pouch on his belt. As he touches it to the end of his staff the metal spearhead affixes itself to the staff as if done so by a blacksmith. He points at the bird on his shoulder and waves at the birds in the tree. "Are these your doing?" without waiting for an answer he adds. "Assemble the men you brought with you, have them form ranks." he points with his spear to the ground nearby and walks back to his own men, holding his spear at ease as he does so. One of the men with Alexei is easily recognizable as Brione, the malformed wretch that was with Fiona and beaten by the turb.
Mufarjj would like it if someone can shrink him to normal size (he's rather large) and would search out the magi before joining.
Fiona would be able to accommodate him...her casting total with Preternatural Growth and Shrinking is +48 before Aura, on a MuCo 15 spell. She can make him either normal size or Small Frame size, as the spell allows you to decrease the target's normal Size by up to 2 points.
"Smaller you say?" His eyes light up with delight. Yes, I will like that, they will think I am weak.
[color=blue]"How small would you like to be?" Fiona asks with a twinkle in her eye. [color=blue]"The size of most of the others, or the size of a boy not quite a man?"
"Make me the size of a boy, please. I wish to surprise them."
Jacques calls out and 36 men mount their horses and pull out their crossbows. It takes them a while to form a line ( the only formation they know).
Alexei starts walking down the line of grogs looking them up and down. "Address that line monsieur." he commands in French, then he turns back to Jacques. "What language do these brigands speak?" he asks with contempt in Latin. "Gunnar!" he calls to the crippled man who sits on the stool brought for him while leaning on his crutch.
"Yes M'Lord!" he calls back but remains seated.
"What do ye think of this lot?" he asks in French
"I think that forests nearby are empty of brutes, thieves and rustlers now M'Lord!"
"I was thinking the same." Alexei says with a scowl as he looks down the line again. "Michelle le Rouge, what do ye think?" he asks in French, making sure to emphasize his full name so his reputation could be known.
The large man with the crossbow and missing ear who has one of the nastiest, meanest scowls possible for a man. He spits on the ground and holds his chin up to address his lord. "I think Lord Alexei that there would have been a very different outcome in that barn if we were there." and he places his hand on the shoulder of Brione who was also scowling at the group.
Alexei nods. "Aye...very different." he continues walking down the line. "Jacques...do they know we are Magi? Will they spook easily at the sight of magic? I have an advantage when dealing with men; My Gift is gentle, I need not gesture nor speak for my Arts and my magic has a...pleasant side effect upon the recipient. Thus Grogs are actually eager to have me cast my spells on them. That is how I handle combat. I will fight in the frontlines and make sure the Grogs are enhanced greatly. Pick a likely one, I will show you, one that is wearing heavy armour."
Mufarjj, who is now a small man, but of impressive physique, nonetheless, says in decent French, "Yes, it would've been a bloodbath. Insulting two score of men holding crossbows is perhaps, an unwise move, my lord Alexei."
To the men of Atsingani he says, The crossbow is an effective deterrent to most battles, and provides a measure of overwhelming force at the beginning of the battle, but once the shot has been fired, unless you've won the battle, you'll lose the battle."
Everyone speaks French, some of the others speak Flemish fluently and French less well. Brione recognizes them from the barn, the first group, that is.
Alexei scowls and looks down at Mufarrj and Mufarrjs realizes the scowl is mainly present to hide his smile as he looks on the little giant Arab and waits for Jacques to answer or one of the men on horseback to respond.
"Great," murmers Dominic so as not to be overhead but by his brother next to him, "we get sir Champion Asshole and sir Champion Asshole's personal Licker, esquire."
"Aye... very different!" Dominic calls out from the far end of the line. "We'd have had TWO bodies curled up on the ground! And Gregorius here-" he flips a thumb at an effeminite looking man who immediately scowls at being called out--"woulda actually had a choice in what to bugger! I'd choose the cute one with the missing ear, meself, but I ain't you, Greg!"
He looks over at Jacques and yells. "Okay, mebbe we owe that man over there a drink"-he gestures towards Brionne--"even if he had it coming, but do we really have to take insults from this jackass that we've never met before? Someone's who not willing to face us except with magic and hidden in his armor?"
Alexei actually smiles, as if he was waiting for that kind of response. Michelle is already raising his crossbow to take aim at the one who yelled. Alexei raises his hand towards Michelle and then lowers it, Michelle lowers his weapon slowly, but has a blood red eye and a grim smile locked on the one who spoke.
"He'll do." Alexei says quietly to Jacques. A moment later Alexei disappears into thin air only to reappear next to the beligerant fellow.
Spell casting roll (he has the spell mastered so he always rolls) for Wizard's Leap:
1d10+26 → [6,26] = (32) 32
invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3291526/
"Get off your horse Monsieur. I believe you were speaking to me or my associate." Alexei says as he points his spear up at the man.
Pre+Leadership roll: (Presence +1, Leadership 2 with a specialty in Grogs)
1d10+4 → [9,4] = (13) 13
invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3291528/
French. They all speak French, Imperator.
They are part of a Covenant. They have seen me use magic in battle. Some are used to the Gift or at least to not show it.
Mael! Come here.
A beefy man wearing a chain shirt rides to the "officers"
EDIT
OOC: Oops! All of this pending whether Mael gets called up first or Dominic opens his trap first. I posted slow.
"Actually, I don't usually talk to my horse's arse but I can make an exception," Dominic mutters, feeling some of the pressure from Alexei's "quiet" request/command. He flips a leg over and slides off his horse, and then glares up at Alexei's face, ignoring the spearpoint (Small Frame/short). "What? Your head so far up there you can't smell your own merde? If you and Bulky over there are gonna be a pair o' bully bitches and 'teach me a lesson', at least let me rub your faces in your own shit long enough to deserve it! I ain't no cow or gentlemen, no need for Mooooo-sures with me."
If Alexei is used to being a head taller than most men, Dominic only comes up below his armpits/chest. He has a weird stain and scar across his face and a crooked bridge from a broken nose healed wrong.
((OOC: Hmm... maybe I should make it Cheeky +3? 
)