Animal Farm

Heroes: Jag, Zeke, Keigo, Dust and Balarai Snowe
Enemies: Phil, Fredo, and Wild Animals

Jag Officer's Dispatch 7

Recent Duties: With the battle for Stratholme finally at an end, you'll hopefully have the opportunity to settle down and get some real work done. And that means legal work, of course. Naturally, such work has really piled up for you at Front Base while you've been away, and you've been working around the clock to get through it all.

Troop Status
- Supplies: PK-33 Handguns, Armored Flak Vests, Deluxe Laywers' suits, briefcases full of legal documents. You can never have too many legal documents, after all.
- Morale: Like you, the Shark Pack has been quite happy to get back to their legal work at Front Base. In particular, William Mattar's business has been booming. He's already claiming to have the most successful personal-injury firm on the base.
- Health: Right now, your men are suffering from a case of popcorn chicken withdrawal. They'd become used to eating the tasty fast-food snack while they worked. You can only hope that the effects of the withdrawal aren't lasting.

Military Communiques
- A Military Awards ceremony is scheduled for 1800 hrs. today, to recognize the bravery of those who fought defending Stratholme, and to honour those who fell. Afterwards, an Officer's Soiree has been scheduled in the Command Tent; both Front Base's top officers and the visiting politicians are expected to be in attendance. As a top representative of the Law Division, you are of course invited to both affairs.

Personal Notes
- You've received several papers and documents in relation to tonight¡¦s official ceremony and officer's meeting. One such paper is from Deksiilan diplomat Axen Dredd, stating that international protocol dictates that as top-ranking foreign emissary of his government, he is entitled to be invited. You've found that while technically, this claim seems to be true, the Republic is under no obligation to ensure that the emissary is capable of attending ¡V such as, for example, by releasing him from his cell.
- You've been doing some reading on international law, and your most recent study involves Deksiilan Bill I-516. The bill forbids Deksiil from interfering, diplomatically or militarily, in interplanetary conflicts unless they have received an official request to do so from one or more of the party's involved. Such a bill is quite typical of those wishy-washy, peace-loving hippies.
- Quite frankly, you're rather concerned by William Mattar's recent legal success. His claims at owning Front Base's most successful legal firm implicitly imply that he is a better lawyer than you. This is a sentiment that can't be allowed to spread. You'll prove to Mattar once and for all just who the better injury lawyer is!

Mini-Objective
- Resolve any and all legal cases and complaints that come your way.

Balarai Snowe - Officer's Report 6

Recent Duties: For the most part, you're glad to be out of Stratholme and back to the safety of Front Base. Though truth be told, you will miss the chicken. Not to mention that given a few of the things you've seen and heard since getting back, Front Base itself might not nearly be so safe as you'd like to think.

Troop Status - Supplies: Heavy Field Mortars, 2 Remote Mines, Combat Daggers, ratched-up winter parkas and snowshoes, and several barrels of oil smuggled out of Stratholme. Fortunately, Fats managed to get most of your supply out before the city was burned. There's just no end of uses for that man's tunnelling skills!
- Morale: You seem to have regained some semblance of control over your men. However, you sense that you haven't heard the last from Frost. You'd better hope you can sell that oil soon and offer some monetary incentive to keep your men in line.
- Health: If only you'd managed to smuggle out some buckets of KFC as well as that oil. That stuff was finger lickin' good. It might be for the best though - even with the all-natural soy protein, you could still feel yourself putting on the pounds from eating too much.

Military Communiques
- A Military Awards ceremony is scheduled for 1800 hrs. today, to recognize the bravery of those who fought defending Stratholme, and to honour those who fell. Afterwards, an Officer's Soiree has been scheduled in the Command Tent; both Front Base's top officers and the visiting politicians are expected to be in attendance. And while all officers are expected to attend the first, someone seems to have neglected to invite you to the second. If for no other reason than the free food, you intend to correct this oversight.

Personal Notes
- Due to events such as Lorinda's abduction by Arch Hall and the fearsome Jute raids, it seems there are serious security concerns at Front Base. Funky has even offered to sell you some personal security devices, and to boobytrap the outside of your tent.
- You don't intend to be left out of this Officer's party tonight. After all, you may only be an Auxiliary, but you deserve free food as much as anyone else. The food there might not be KFC, but it's got to be better than the cafeteria fare.

Mini-Objective
- Obtain an invitation to the evening's Officer's Soiree.

Zeke - Officer's Report 11

Recent Duties: Your men are relieved at being away from those terrifying drakkhaans and back to the relative safety of Front Base. For your part, you're more relieved that your reports have finally gone back to using your real name. This alone is cause enough for a celebration as far as you're concerned.

Troop Status - Supplies: Hacksaw Shotguns, Combat Helms, Republic Sabres which you have no idea how to use, a shiny new motorbike, and Zeke's famous Haunted Tent of Horror.
- Morale: There's more white stuff on your tent, and this time, it's certainly not marshmellows. Some annoying green parrot has been seen flitting about, and occasionally relieving itself on the tent. As a result, business is down and your men are none too hapy about it.
- Health: Although physically they seem fine, you can't say the same about the mental health of your men. They seem to have been contaminated by JC's troops and have taken to telling jokes by number alone. All you can say is that they'd better not start treating you like a "brother" any time soon.

Military Communiques
- A Military Awards ceremony is scheduled for 1800 hrs. today, to recognize the bravery of those who fought defending Stratholme, and to honour those who fell. Afterwards, an Officer's Soiree has been scheduled in the Command Tent; both Front Base's top officers and the visiting politicians are expected to be in attendance. And while all officers are expected to attend the first, someone seems to have neglected to invite you to the second. If for no other reason than the free food, you intend to correct this oversight.

Personal Notes
- While returning from an early-morning test-drive of your bike, you happened to come back into camp at the same time as Phil - apparently, the guy really is a Republic officer! Your sergeant, Funky, has been very critical of Phil's mistreatment at the security checkpoint, and has been trying to smooth things over. This smoothing seems to involve an invitation to allow Phil's pet parrot, Fredo, free reign over the base. You're all for friendly relations, but you really would like someone to clean the bird droppings off your tent!
- You're quite slighted that you haven't been invited to the evening officer's party. Admittedly, you're only interested in the free drinks, but you take such things pretty seriously. Word is out that some other Auxiliary officer is already invited anyway, and a sample space of one is plenty of precedent as far as you're concerned.

Mini-Objective
- Obtain an invitation to the evening's Officer's Soiree.

Atobe Keigo - Officer's Report 6

Recent Duties: Although the city of Stratholme may have fallen, as far as you're concerned, the expedition was a huge success. Burning just a few tents is one thing, but watching a whole CITY burn was the best thing you've ever seen. Well, either that, or getting to see a legendary drakkhaan with your own eyes. After such exciting events, your routine duties at Front Base seem drab and colorless indeed.

Troop Status - Supplies: FLAME-THROWERS, Deluxe uniforms and food rations consisting exclusively of so-called health food. Unfortunately, in the excitement of the burning city, you were unable to add any buckets of chicken to these rations.
- Morale: Seigaku is still abuzz over the excitement of the drakkhaan sightings. Most of them want to turn around and march back to Stratholme right now to take them on.
- Health: Your men are in good health, with the one exception of the soldier who was subjected to Peter Venckman's psychic experiments. His nerves are still shot by the electric shocks, and you¡¦ve been trying for hours to get the static out of his hair. Words cannot describe just how much you despise that so-called Ghost-buster.

Military Communiques
- A Military Awards ceremony is scheduled for 1800 hrs. today, to recognize the bravery of those who fought defending Stratholme, and to honour those who fell. Afterwards, an Officer's Soiree has been scheduled in the Command Tent; both Front Base's top officers and the visiting politicians are expected to be in attendance. And while all officers are expected to attend the first, someone seems to have neglected to invite you to the second. This is clearly an absolute outrage, and a slight against your family name! Someone as important as you deserves an invitation, and you intend to get one.

Personal Notes
- There's white, sticky stuff on your tent again, and this time, it's definitely not marshmellows. Rather, some of your men have seen a green parrot flitting about the tent, and it's been leaving its droppings all over the place. You're not sure to whom this bird belongs, but one way or another, you're going to put a stop to it!
- You're absolutely livid over not being invited to the officer's function later this evening. Attending such important social gatherings is allegedly just as important for a respectable family as success on the field of battle. Or at least, so Lt. Cetina has been quick to tell you. Much like the fact that she already has an invitation of her own, which she's been continually lording over you.

Mini-Objective
- Obtain an invitation to the evening's Officer's Soiree.
- Put a stop to the continual bird-droppings that are ending up on your tent.

Dust - Officer's Report 5

Recent Duties: You can't help but be a little relieved that you are no longer under the command of a man so closely associated with greasy, fried chicken. You're still having nightmares about being dragged into that barrel. You've been trying to keep your mind off it by cleaning and servicing that Spheran rifle you got. With your Mark 3 out of ammo, you may need all the weapons you can get your hands on.

Troop Status
- Supplies: SIR Rifles, Republic Sabres, Deluxe Scout Uniforms, and a Spheran Highwind Light Infantry Rifle.
- Morale: A lot of people at Front Base seem to be concerned about security lately, the Boyo Scouts first among them. Even Sgt. Dijon has taken steps to protect his valuables, in the form of a new strongbox he has acquired.
- Health: You're concerned about the Boyos' health - a few of them may have eaten some of the Colonel's KFC! You don't care what Jag and Keigo say about it being health food, there's no way that greasy stuff is good for you.

Military Communiques - A Military Awards ceremony is scheduled for 1800 hrs. today, to recognize the bravery of those who fought defending Stratholme, and to honour those who fell. Afterwards, an Officer's Soiree has been scheduled in the Command Tent; both Front Base's top officers and the visiting politicians are expected to be in attendance. And while all officers are expected to attend the first, someone seems to have neglected to invite you to the second. Although you're not particularly surprised that they haven't invited a Denchuli like yourself, this would be a good chance to schmooze with the upper crust. Besides, you've got the perfect in for the party all lined up.

Personal Notes
- You have the perfect excuse to get yourself into that fancy officer's party tonight. You've learned that Sgt. Dijon has with him a pair of gold cufflinks given to him by his father that used to belong to none other than Major Brindon himself, in the days prior to the Strasveck Rebellion. Borrowing these cufflinks should be the perfect conversation-starter to get yourself into the exclusive gathering.
- There are bird-droppings all over your tent! While you're not nearly as image-conscious as those snotty Special Forces, you do like to stick to a general level of cleanliness. You're not sure who's been letting a bird fly loose around the camp, but whoever it is, you intend to put a stop to it.

Mini-Objective
- Borrow Dijon's official Major Brindon Gold Cufflinks so as to attend the Officer's Soiree.
- Put a stop to the continual bird-droppings on your tent.

Adventure Summary

  • Our heroes return to Front Base to find enhanced security measures are being put in place. They are given ID papers for themselves and their troops. Meanwhile, barricades are being set up all around the base, directed by an old timer in a turquoise army trench-coat. His efforts are interrupted, though, by a reckless Lanver, who drives right through one of the barricades on his bike.
  • As our heroes line up to get their papers checked, they find themselves with a man named Phil, who claims to be a Special Forces officer, but has forgotten his papers. Despite Phil's pleading, our heroes don't recognize him and cannot vouch for him, leaving him standing alone out in the cold.
  • After a good night's sleep, our heroes regroup for a lunch of pork stew. Brock berates them for their ill-treatment of Phil, who apparently has his tent right next to Keigo's. This is of minimal concern to Keigo, Snowe and Zeke, who are more interested in attending the Officer's Soiree. Dust chortles that he already has an "in" but refuses to say what it is.
  • Keigo returns to her tent, and finds bird droppings all over it. She orders her men to roast Fredo the Parrot, but he escapes. She then joins forces with Dust to threaten Phil to ensure this doesn't happen again.
  • Meanwhile, Dust approaches Dijon about obtaining a 'special' pair of cufflinks. Dijon replies that he locked the cufflinks in his new strongbox for safe-keeping, but seems to have lost the key.
  • Zeke makes a visit to Rodric's foreboding tent, and obtains his Soiree invitation without much hassle. Apparently, Rodric had no intention of attending in the first place.
  • Snowe races down to Acquisitions to pick up a new subordinate in the form of Kupp, the old man who was directing the barricade at the base's entrance.
  • Phil bursts into Jag's tent, announcing the murder of Fredo, and accusing Keigo and Dust. An autopsy from the Egg reveals that Fredo choked to death on some small object. Jag eventually unmasks the culprit, Funky, who hid the key to Dijon's strongbox in Fredo's birdfeed for 'safe-keeping.' In his own defense, Funky could only say that Fredo was weak and stupid and shouldn't have eaten that key.
  • Keigo attaches herself to Brock in hopes of getting an invite to the Soiree, but Brock apparently lacks the authority to do so. Instead, she visits imprisoned "diplomat" Axen Dredd, who has an invitation but is unable to attend due to being locked up. Promising to speed up the bureaucratic process leading to his release, Keigo obtains Dredd's invitation.
  • Snowe pays a visit to Cetina, who is preparing herself for the evening's Soiree. Although at first she is reluctant to give up her invitation, Snowe makes good mileage out of the fact that Brock will be at the party, and promises to obtain many photographs of Keigo and Brock together, earning him the invitation in the end.
  • Dust and Dijon sneak into the soldiers' cemetery to dig up Fredo and retrieve the key to Dijon's strong-box. However, they are caught red-handed by Phil, who is appalled at their rampant grave-digging.
  • Our heroes head to the Awards Ceremony, where they are each granted the Silver Eagle of the Republic in honour of their bravery at Stratholme. Of course, this is not without stringent protest from Senator Lorinda over Keigo's lineage and Senator Calamus over Zeke's race. Captain Rodric is then awarded the Republic's highest military honour, the Golden Chalice of Victory, which, to general outrage, he crushes in contempt before stalking away.
  • On that note, the Officers' Soiree begins, with our heroes putting on the schmooze and trying to get in good with their senior officers. Such attempts include some Denchulli farm-boy charm from Dust to impress Xelme with his work ethic, some indignant outrage from Jag over the imagined 'ill-treatment' of Lord Brindon, a fierce bout of Electran pride from Keigo, a shocking display of no effort by Snowe while listening to Lanver and a terrifying ghost story from Zeke which greatly impressed Mahmood.
  • The next morning, after receiving their military credits from their successful schmoozing, our heroes are dispatched to investigate an Electran patrol that did not report in. After a 2 hour march into the mountains, they find the patrol's shredded remains. The culprits become apparent shortly thereafter: a rampaging horde of wild beasts which came tearing down the mountains towards our heroes. Forming up a defensive line, the Republic troops make good use of tough, tundra terrain, and put a stop to the stampede with minimal casualties (although the Boyos do lose a man to some evil Snow Snakes). Kupp remarks on the unusual aggressiveness of the wild creatures, and a carcass is taken back to Front Base for further investigation...

    • Major Characters this Session

    Phil
    Race: Electran
    Rank: Lieutenant
    Affiliation: Electran Special Forces
    Your first impression upon reading Phil's description might well be that you do not recognize it. That's exactly what our heroes thought of Phil, the first time they saw him. A balding man with a black felt overcoat and dark beard, our heroes refused to vouch for his entrance into Front Base. It turned out, however, that Phil's tent was in fact right beside their own. This faux-pas on their part has lead to no shortage of animosity between Phil and our heroes.

    Fredo
    Race: Parrot
    Rank: Sergeant??
    Affiliation: Electran Special Forces
    Fredo was a green parrot belonging to Special Forces Lt. Phil, whose only main characteristics were his weakness and his stupidity. He died from swallowing a key hidden in his bird-food, and was later exhumed by Dust in an attempt to obtain said key. Although now long dead, his legacy continues to haunt our heroes in a variety of ways.

    Back to Res Publica

    1