The scout group of Tanya, William and Andy set out after final equipment checks and drawing of a full days rations (3kg wild food). Half a days travel should take you up to 30 kilometres from the UAZ - plenty of distance to find a good place to hole up for a while.

Please post any special instructions, proceedures, etc. you intend to use on the march.

I check with Tanya and William to insure they have drawn their rations and due a final equipment check to make sure we our right in case we come acrossed and roving patrols.  Ask the team if they are ready to move

"I'm ready" William replies to Andy, knowing he had what he needed.

Straightening her gear and adjusting it for the long march, she nods her readiness as well.

[Private to GM: What exactly are the two guns I have on me? Would either be effective for hunting something as small as a rabbit?]
This message was last edited by the player at 05:41, Thu 29 July 2004.

Leaving the camp with a quiet wave, the three scouts travel southwest by foot. The sun is shining above the green canopy of the trees, birds chirp and the occasional sign of game create an atmosphere of the typical lazy summer day.
The only thing that really spoils the illusion is the infrequent sounsd of gunfire off in the distance from time to time.
Suddenly, after a few hours of walking, a pair of rabbits scoot out from under the leaders feet.
OOC: if you wish, you may each take one phase of actions before they disappear into the underbrush and get away.

I take shot at the lead rabbit.

Ok, die roller please. I hope you are familiar with the combat rules (if not read them, you should be able to access them at the yahoo website by following the game website link).
Choose number of shots, etc, work out total recoil and go for it. Post target number, result(s) rolled and damage please. If you are really keen you can roll hit location too.

"We've got food for now, were on a scouting mission in unknown territory, best off be quiet old sport eh" William says to Andy.

Andy takes a shot at each of the rabbits and hits each time. Both rabbits are bowled over by the impact of 5.45mmB projectiles.
As the rabbits are hit, William says his words to Andy, moments too late.

Sorry mate I was thinking a little extra food will not hurt.

2 bullets have bought you 4kg of wild food (once you skin and dress the rabbits). It could also have attracted unwanted attention - only time will tell.
Will you dress them here or move on and do it later?

Well I guess we should dress them later and move on just in case some one decieds to investgate my gun fire.

"Lets keep moving to the lie up point, quietly" William says with a grin on his face. Nice shooting he thinks to himself.

[Private to GM:

Plt Sgt Tanya Redgrave:

What exactly are the two guns I have on me? Would either be effective for hunting something as small as a rabbit?

]
[Private to Plt Sgt Tanya Redgrave: Sorry it took me so long to get back on this - I only just saw your edit.
The RPK is a heavy barreled version of the Soviet AKM assault rifle (updated AK-47).
The PM-63 submachinegun is only a little bigger and heavier than a pistol. It can be carried in a holster (as this one is) if the stock is folded.
A rabbit can potentially be taken down by a thrown rock so even a .22 pistol can do it. Both of these are really a bit of overkill, especially the RPK (essentially a light machingun).]
I forgot to ask earlier if you were mounted on horses. If you force march them, you can travel up to 40km, in the same time it takes to walk 20km. This would allow you to potentially reach the bridge crossing the Warta River between Wielun and Szcercow in one four hour "Period".
William and Tanya both have some riding skill and unless you intend to fight while on horseback, you shouldn't need to make ANY rolls (besides the small chance of the horses going lame).
On the other hand, horses aren't as stealthy as a person on foot.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:36, Mon 09 Aug 2004.

As we are on a scouting mission I personally prefer being on foot espically with no riding skills

we are on foot William at point Tanya in the middle and I will follow up the rear.  We our sticking to cover as much as we can.  We need to move away from the area as quickly as we can so we can avoid any one that is keen to investigate the gun fire.

You jog through the trees a mile or so, covering your tracks as best you can, before slowing to a walk. So far there is no indication that anybody has paid any attention to your shots.
The next couple of hours passes slowly with little besides the forest to look at. The three of you are making good time and have covered about 15 kilometres by mid morning.

OOC: Tanya hasn't logged in for a couple of weeks and William is unable to access rpol for some unknown reason at the moment. That means that you are all on your own (player wise) for a while. I'll fill in for them as required but all the decisions etc are up to you for now.

So far so good William thinks to himself, as he holes up for a minute to take a swill from his watercan. Takes a nice long look at his surroundings, before resuming point, mustering all the training and experience he knows to survive another day.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:10, Sat 21 Aug 2004.

How far did you want to travel before turning around? A person on foot may travel approximately 20km per period (4 hours).

OOC: Till 4hrs hit, then call rest period to discuss options.

NPC'd
Four hours and almost 20 kilometres later.... Well Brown, you're the boss. What do you want to do?
[Private to WO1 William Brown: you are the only active PC in this group, your call.....]

"Right then lads, lets see now after we scupper tucker, you two scarper like mouse again, and sweep a corridor back to camp, Redgrave take left, Corrigan right, report to the Lt all clear, if its all clear of course, don't go too far out, just enough to get a good look, and stay out of sight. I will wait around here and keep watch. If you spot anything, get back asap" Brown orders. I know I bloody well will William thinks.

So basically, you're retracing your steps over roughly the same path as the journey out?

OOC: Not me. (I never got trained how to kill remember, lol)

NPC'd
Tanya takes the position assigned by Brown.
[Private to WO1 William Brown: I assume that you will be returning to camp with Andy and Tanya (can't see you staying 20km away all alone...)]

OOC: Sounds like a better plan to me, ok I'll do it. (What else did you have in mind?)

OOC: Hi, I've taken over the character of Andy.  What is the current mission, what are we scouting for?

OOC: Hey, welcome aboard soldier, lol, but seriously, we are a mixed unit with refugees along to make sure everything is slow and tedious, oh and hungry. Some guys are trying to scavenge arms and equipment from Lask as we type (check map), us scouts have just ventured forth to see if the next lay up point is secure, and the rest are holed back that way (points arm).
Its been fun, exciting, and if theres one thing I've learned, its always have a grenade in your hand, lol.
No real plan, cept head west.

The journey back is almost as uneventful as the walk out. That is until about an hour away from camp when you smell woodsmoke. It is also about this time that you realise that you are not quite on the same path as the one you took out.
A quick scout to the south reveals a small village that appears to have been here for generations. The old stone buildings are surrounded by a simple wooden picket fence, the tops of each picket sharpened into points. The area up to approximately 100 metres from this fence has been cleared of trees and brush. An old, weathered, handpainted sign declares this place as Pruszkow, population 350 (crossed out an repainted from 475).
A few people wander about the village on various tasks. Kids run about playing, women hanging out washing or tending to vegetable gardens, men returning from hunting or working on construction or repair of buildings and horse powered machinery.
The only weapons that can be seen from your place of concealment are a few old hunting rifles or crossbows in the hands of the hunters. If it wasn't for the obviously recent construction of the fence, the war (and the last 50 years or so) appears to have passed this place by.

OOC: so we are the advance party for a group of misc refugees heading west.

"Rohyt.  We've gotten a bit off track, but if we should be able to bypass that lot."

OOC: if any of the refugees we have are Polish:
"Of course, it might also be a decent place for us to lighten our load.  Some of the locals might want to stick out here"

Quotes from previous posts that relate to the scout group's mission.


Should have given this to you (Andy) earlier. The "Spetznaz" team are heading to Lask to gather what supplies they can scam out of the Polish cavalry unit presently located there.

"I agree" William says politely, "Lets go tell the Lt" he says to the party before heading out quietly.

"We got on the wrong trayel, are we sure we can get back to the main group?"

OOC: some roll a navigation check

Rolls 4 (1d10) for nav, his skill is 3. doh!

NPC'd
Shouldn't we check the village out before we head back? It might make the perfect location and they may even take in the Poles we have collected. Perhaps they can trade some supplies for services or some of the weapons we've collected.

"Not a bad idea, luv.  One slight problem."  Andy turns back to look at the village.  "It might be wiser to keep a low profile.  What if one of them is a sleeper agent for the KGB?  Or if after we leave, the Pact comes through and questions some of them?  That'll let our enemies know our numbers, weaponry, and so on."

"Doesn't look like there going anywhere, but we are, lets move out soldiers, we'll be back soon enough" William states.

"Exactly.  Low profile awl the way"

OCC: KGB, CIA, MI-5, etc, etc, etc
Basically they are all now little more than a joke. Keep in mind that 99% of communications networks have been destroyed along with up to 80% of the worlds population (military and civilian).
There are also rumours that Aliens have landed in London, France is preparing to launch an attack on the rest of Europe, the USA has two governments, Texas is no longer part of the US, and California has fallen into the Pacific ocean due to the nukes setting off massive earthquakes back in 97-98.
Believe what you will.....
Oh, and Russians are in Las Vegas!

OOC: Not Vegas too!

OOC: yeah, but I assume that at least some of their networks are still working.  Plus, wasn't the premise of the game that PCs are survivors of the last organized NATO push into Pact territory?  and that the push basically hit the last organized resistance, and both sides basically fell apart.  So I assume that there is still some Pact organization, and that they might be hunting us.  Heck, if nothing else, for the gear we have

There has been little noise since you left the area of the village aboout half ano hour ago. Just the natural sounds of the wind in the branches and wildlife going about their daily lives.
Suddenly, off in the distance a sound that puts chills in you bones is heard.
ThuThuThump
Rapid mortar fire in the direction of the camp!

OOC: about how far are we from camp?

You are still several kilometres from the campsite. If something is happening there, you are probably going to miss it even if you run the whole way (and risk running into an ambush).

"Bollocks." Andy swears.  "Whatever's 'appening, we're going to miss it.  Even if we run the whole way and risk an ambush"

"Keep sharp, lads and lassies.  They might have a rear guard"

We'd better try anyway, if only to help afterward.

"Lets go, this changes nothing, yet" William replies sardonically, before slipping quietly back onto the trail.

Moving as quickly as you dare, you hear moments after the mortars, the sound of small arms fire from the same direction and possibly at the same place.

OOC: we continue

OOC: I apologise for the slow pace. Unfortunately you three characters are in the boring thread. There is a fair bit happening in the other two groups but one of them is being a bit slow in reacting to the complex situation.
I had thrown up the prospect of "exploring" the village for you but you chose to head back to camp. Your choice but it has meant that you will have to be patient and wait for the others to get on with it.
Thankyou for sticking around, hopefully it won't be much longer.

The ground rapidly passes as the three of you trot through the forest. Another 15 minutes or so and you should be back at the camp.
Since the three mortars and two bursts of automatic rifle fire, there has been no further sounds of combat.

William motions for a rest and a quick chat, before he moves to the best cover available for three, before having a quick drink and a meal, his gun beside him.

OOC: 2 questions:
1 - did we establish passwords, or how we get back into camp without gettting shot up?
2 - did I miss something, why is WO1 Brown taking cover and having a meal?  Aren't we making moving as quickly as tactically possible to get back and help with the aftermath of the attack, and report on our scouting?

OOC: Just going to address those questions and some others now, before we head in.

Answer 1: yes, passwords have been established (standard operating proceedure)
Answer 2 Part 1: I think you may have a better idea on that than me!
Answer 2 part 2: That's what I thought

"Brown, what are doing?"  Andy asks.  "We need to get back, and make sure the convoy is OK"

A few minutes of travel later and you arrive back at the camp. Things have really changed since you left only a few hours before. The area is bustling with activity as the UAZ and 18 horses (10 more than you had previously) are loaded up. The biggest shock is the sight of three 82mm mortars and a small battlesite only a few hundred yards from the camp.

You may now recommence posting in the main thread "Those who stayed behind".

OOC: Sorry guys, was just going to suggest we go in slow in case of enemy, then I lost my wan, sorry again.