In reply to Hilda (msg # 874):

"Hilda, you mean Ragnarök hasn't already started?" Kaspar asks with a smirk (and pronouncing the word with an almost flawless Old Scandinavian accent) as he wipes sweat from under his helmet band, "We had a pretty nasty winter in Poland back in '97 - I certainly thought it was the fimbulvinter!"

Finished drying his brow, Kaspar now tips the helmet back on his head, "I have to agree with you about it being safer to approach the roving patrol first, rather than just walking right into their camp - although something can be said for showing that kind of bravado, as well."

"Perhaps we should plan for the encounter to happen on the side of the ha'tak opposite the Jaffa camp? It might help reduce any noise we make, should we have to fight with the patrol?" Kaspar turns to Rajip, "Staff Sergeant? Ideas on  where to make first contact?"

Kaspar looks around at the other Team members, "Anyone? Suggestions?" pause for a few moments, to let anyone speak, "Okay, then, let's get this op started..."

'Old men call any winter the fimbulvinter when their bones creak.' Hilda teased Kaspar.

'Já, behind the ha'tak,' Hilda agreed, 'It will also slow the Jaffa from sending reinforcements.'

"Remember, we weren't able to get the windows open, so as far as these Jaffa know, the slime is still inside the ha'tak," Gavan offered.

He'd pretty much kept quiet during the excursion to the city of the First People, except to agree on a course of action, or request food and drink. The First People were a new experience for the Tollan, so not only was he observing the First People, but he was also performing his primary mission: observe the Tau'ri. Regardless of what he reported back to the Council, he was pretty sure the Tollan would not share their advanced technology with the humans. The culture shock that resulted from the self-destruction of the other race they'd shared with was still too fresh, too deep and too traumatizing.

He believed, as did other Tollani, that it was wrong to make such a blanket assessment of all other species in the galaxy. Clearly, sharing it with the Goa'uld was not an option, but could these other species stop the Goa'uld? The Tollan could not; the best they'd been able to accomplish was a stalemate. Tollan worlds were protected from the Goa'uld, but the Tollan could not--and would not--wage a war against them.

"After all this time, the Jaffa must believe that their god is dead--killed by the slime god. I am not familiar enough with Jaffa culture to know what they might think could kill a god, other than another god, but if their god had been victorious, why hasn't he opened the ha'tak and let them back in?"

"I believe the evidence suggests that the slime grew aboard the ha'tak, and the Jaffa probably observed this. That is why they do not want to let it out--it could devour the entire planet."

"Also, while they surely know that there is no chance of rescue for them, as the only stargate on the planet is in the ha'tak, without a leader, they do not know what other course of action to take. That is probably your 'in' with them, Hilda--give them a valid course of action. Revenge on the Goa'uld that sabotaged their ship is probably the best option. Perhaps  you could even blame the slime on that Goa'uld. After all, the slime is now gone, and the Goa'uld isn't."

"Show them the symbol of the other Goa'uld... let them identify it for you."

He'd already mentioned several of these points before, but with every step they took on this planet, things seemed to change.

"I'm also curious about this naquadah mine. After all we've observed, it does not seem as if this is a major mining operation. In fact, it might be secret. Perhaps you could convince them to take us there to gather some more naquadah to power the  ship."

'They may think their Goa'uld has simply retreated through the Ring of Stars,' Hilda pointed out to Gavan, musing 'Maybe they think he has abandoned or forgotten them.'

'As for this naquadah mine, let me make peace with them first.'

Freyda is able to let Hilda know when the next patrol is due. Although the Jaffa didn't seem to have any specific time-keeping ability, they were sending out a patrol roughly every hour. Freyda has been able to keep track of how much time has passed.

The next patrol is due in about 15 minutes, give or take a few.

There are some plants that have been blasted away, to make a clear path for the patrol to walk around, so where they are likely to walk is fairly obvious.

Once everyone is in position, Hilda just has to wait for the patrol to show up. Knowing the path they are walking, she is able to spot them about 100 feet away, just as they round the edge of the ha'tak. They do seem a bit more wary than the last time, but they are still primarily focused on the ha'tak.

On the way, Hilda had been teaching her team-mates all that she had learned of this world's forest, learned from speaking with the First and her own observations. While she declared that this forest was very different in flora and fauna from those of Cimmeria or Earth, this wasn't really apparent to the lay-person (nor on television). She taught them how to conceal a track (stepping lightly on harder ground, sweeping behind with branches), how to spot an obvious one, and a few things that weren't poisonous to eat. As they came to the designated ambush spot, she showed them where to hide, how to be quiet, and what to listen out for.

Once she had her team concealed behind various trees, rocks, and bushes, Hilda also hid herself behind a tree, not wishing to stand waiting in the open for the Jaffa to fire his staff-weapon at her prematurely. She waited for them to come into close range before she would hail them.


OOC:
Trailblazer: Spend 1 Action Die, give Forest Training to all team-mates for this scene (I think that's how it works, the description is weird on how many). Applies to scrub and forest areas. You gain +2 competence bonus on Survival, Listen, Spot, Move Silently. Opponents suffer DC +2 on Listen and Spot checks to notice us. We move full speed in scrub, 3/4 speed in forest. Given the blasted foliage, I assume it's scrub terrain?

Hide 24, Move Silently 22; or 26 and 24 for the Jaffa
20:06, Today: Hilda rolled 24 using 1d20+6. hide.
20:06, Today: Hilda rolled 22 using 1d20+6. move silently.

I'll wait for the team to be ready before I call out.

During the trip back to the ha'tak, Rajip mostly ignores the teachings of Hilda about the terrain. Having grown up being trained how to survive in the forest, then his training as an Army Ranger, he felt he knew more than Viking. After all, he's had years of teaching by those who already learned from past cultures plus what he learned on his own. As they traveled, though, it became apparent that, while she has a different approach to things, she can achieve the same results. Apparently, the 'lost' cultures only remained stagnant in their technology, but they continued to learn other things... like survival.



"Well", Rajip thinks for a moment. "Do we know how many total that we're dealing with?", he asks with his slight British accent. "If it comes down to it, we can take out two fairly quickly and quietly. Then, when they send a couple more, we can take them out. After that, they'll probably come in force, then the fight starts.We'll need to spread out in the treeline, watching both sides and stay in constant communication."

He smiles at Hilda and adds, "Of course, this is just in case the initial plan doesn't work... which it will, of course."



"That sounds like as good a plan as any, mate." Rajip says to Gavin. "They're probably just waiting for orders."

Having focused his intense training more on the jungle environment, he accepted Hilda's lead and backed her up as she instructed everyone on where best to stay concealed. Though he added that they should all spread out in order to watch a broader area and retain the capability to attack from multiple angles.

(ooc: Hey, all! I'm Chuck. I'll be taking over Rajip. I'm brand new to this site, so there's gonna be a little learning as I go. Thanks in advance for being patient. Now.... what dice should I roll....?)
This message was last edited by the player at 22:18, Sun 05 Mar 2017.

In reply to Rajip Mojdar (msg # 881):

OOC: Probey! Welcome! You roll d20's - preferably throwing them at StarMaster. If you knock him unconscious, you win! ^_^



Taking cover where Hilda - and an approving Rajip - places him for the meeting/ambush, Kaspar pulls his old Makarov automatic from it's leather holster with the faded red 5-pointed star on the flap, and chambers a round.

Quietly he makes a small prayer in Polish, "O Najświętsza Matko, proszę pilnować nas i chronią nas w naszych wysiłkach w ciągu najbliższych kilku godzin." after a moment he adds, "I proszę miejcie to Asgard żywy ... Nie chcę do czynienia z całą papierkowej."




OOC: Polish translation: "O Blessed Mother, please watch over us and protect us in our efforts in the next few hours." after a moment he adds, "And please keep that Asgard alive ... I do not want to deal with all the paperwork."

OOC: Hello new Rajip! Welcome to the team! Since we setting an ambush, you could roll Hide, Move Silently, Spot, Listen.


Hilda had worked carefully with Rajip to plan the ambush. After all, skilled veteran of the Cimmerian occupation as she was, her experience was in the medieval warfare of swords, axes, bows, and the shield-wall, with the recent introduction of stolen staff-weapons. The use of guns, or "thunder weapons" as she called them, with the ability to strafe and fire rapid bursts, changed many tactics dramatically. Hilda recognised this shortcoming and had learned of modern military techniques at the SGC, and so paid close attention to Rajip's recommendations.



'Only two in this patrol.' Hilda had answered, 'The rest wait in camp. If we fail to parley and must fight them, we can be gone before reinforcements get here. We can flee that way if we must.' Hilda pointed out a good trail to retreat by, before she took her position.

Rajip took his position, hidden in the vegetation under a thick tree. He keyed his radio and spoke quietly, "Gavan. Keep watch on the left. I have the right. Over." As he settled in, he unslung his SR-25 Sniper Rifle and hunkered down watching the right side of the ha'tak. He chambers a round and silently waits for a potential target to come into view.

(OOC: I'm assuming we all have some kind of communications gear. Ear-pieces or hand-held... something. If not, Rajip would have spoke to Gavan in person before hiding.

Hide: 23 // Spot: 16))

OOC: We're issued with a "tactical radio" as part of the standard bundle. It's on page 300 of the main book, since it's hard to find.

In reply to Hilda (msg # 885):

(ooc: I don't have any of the books. Is it a hand-held or earpiece?)

OOC: Unclear, as it only appears in the table, not described. In the show, IIRC, they're usually clipped to the front of the vest:
http://stargate.wikia.com/wiki...-27-14h54m03s144.png

OOC: My admittedly-poor memory seems to think they were using standard walkie-talkie style radios during the first season, and switched later on to the police tactical style clipped to the tactical vest.

In any case, I set the game up with the idea that it was taking place NOW, so whatever is available at the present time is available to them. I'm not sold on the strict wireless earbud type of communication. Nearly all earbuds still have to be connected via wire to the radio.

So while your vest radio still has to be spoken into, you can connect an earbud to it so that only you here what comes over the radio.



As expected, the two Jaffa on patrol soon come into view. They are not being particularly quiet, but neither are they making a lot of noise. Also as expected, their attention is focused on the ha'tak.

They do spare a glance now and then for the surrounding trees. The brief encounter they had with SG-X1 before just confused them.

Remember, too, that you are a good 100 feet from the ha'tak, as when it landed, it crushed the trees beneath it, flattening a lot of them outward in a radius.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:28, Sun 12 Mar 2017.

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 888):

Rajip scopes out both jaffa then keys his radio. He hears the familiar 'pop' in his connected earbud then whispers to everyone, "Two approaching." He, then, quickly informs the others which one he's ready to shoot if things go poorly.

((OOC: He's ready to to shot the one following behind. If they're walking side-by-side, he'll make a professional choice and tell the others which one he's covering))

OOC: Huh, I last checked this thread right between when Starmaster posted his OOC response and when he edited to add the update, so I completely missed it.


'I see them.' Hilda whispered in confirmation over the radio. She was hiding behind a tree, peeking around the thick trunk at the approaching Jaffa. Gods forgive me, she thought sourly, reminding herself But it's a cunning ruse to gain advantage over many more foes. She waited until the two Jaffa were in speaking distance, then key the radio 'I go now.'

Moments later, her voice rang out. 'Chel hol!' she greeted formally in Goa'uld as she stepped out from behind the tree. What the Jaffa saw was a beautiful warrior woman, in leather armour vest and skirt, with sheathed sword belted at her hip, round shield and bow at her back, and a ma'tok staff held upright, not aggressively. A conical steel helm perched on her head, nose-guard between ice-blue eyes. This she pulled off, golden hair spilling free, revealing a runic symbol of her forehead. Continuing in Goa'uld, she said 'I would parley with you.'

With their primary attention still focused on the ha'tak, the two Jaffa are surprised--though only a little--when Hilda steps out and speaks to them.

They are either smart enough or well-trained enough that they don't immediately starting shooting. They turn to face her, holding their staff weapons in her direction, but not leveled at her.

"Who are you?" one asks.

"How did you get here?" asks the other, as he glances around.

"Where are you from?" the first one adds.

'I came to you – I will ask the questions!' Hilda shouted back, not least because lying wasn't her best attack (no, attacking was her best attack). Although she had a cover story in mind, she knew that she risked being caught out on the details if forced to use it. It was better to bully them into listening first. 'Now what are you doing on my goddess's world?!' she demanded.


OOC: I'm better at Intimidate, so I'll use that first to coerce information out of them and get them talking. Besides, it feels more appropriate that Jaffa would shout at each other for dominance. :)
12:03, Today: Hilda rolled 16 using 1d20+4. intimidate.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:09, Fri 24 Mar 2017.

The two Jaffa exchange a glance before raising their staves to an upright position and dropping to one knee and snapping their free arm across their chance, almost in salute.

"Yes, my queen," the first one replies. "Our ship crashed. It was invaded by a Great Slime God that ate everyone on board! We now guard the ship to make sure it does not escape to this... to your goddess's world!"

"We meant no disrespect. We did not know this world was claimed by another. Our god came here for the naquadah found on this world. He is still inside the ha'tak fighting the Slime God," the other adds.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 07:03, Fri 31 Mar 2017.

That... was unexpected. Jaffa taking a knee before her was more than she'd bargained on, and the humble Cimmerian warrior found herself in an unfamiliar position. Well, she couldn't say she didn't like it. 'On your feet! Kree!' she ordered them irritably. Okay, she'd always wanted to tell a Jaffa to kree; she'd been told it often enough as their serf.

What the Jaffa told her agreed with they'd observed. She was unsure how much of the truth to tell them, but needed some details first. 'Still? How long does it take to slay a slime god? And what is the name of your god, who would dare trespass here?'

The two Jaffa exchange a glance again, and then they both shrug their shoulders.

"It takes as long as it takes to slay a Slime God," the one replies.

"Fu-Ts'ang the Hidden Dragon did not inform us of how long it would take," the other one said, further explaining their ignorance while answering her question.

'Indeed.' Hilda agreed gravely, doing her best impersonation of a Jaffa, or at least one in particular.

She dipped her staff weapon, just a bit to be less confrontational. 'I am sorry for you. Your lord, the Hidden Dragon Fu-Ts'ang, was slain. He, his First Prime, and his retinue made their stand in the pel'tak. I found his bones still seated upon his throne.' she informed, watching carefully for their reaction, if it would be anger or shock or grief at hearing their god was dead. But it was better to cut them from their loyalty to their dead king, before offering a new path.

Kaspar, hiding behind a log about 20 meters away, keeps a bead on the outermost Jaffa with his Makarov, while also trying his best to listen in on the goings on.



Kaspar carefully reaches up to his radio mic, "Freyda, any data on a Goa'uld named Fu-Ts'ang in your Asgard database?" he asks quietly, "Everyone else, be ready to open fire - Hilda just told these guys their God is dead. Let's see how well they take the news. Rajip, either of these guys looks like he's about to pull their trigger, you drop 'em."

The name Fu-Ts'ang is not known to Hilda.

The two Jaffa seem to sigh with resignation.

"We feared as much. Why else would Fu-Ts'ang not have opened the ha'tak to let us back in?" the one Jaffa says.

"How do you know this?" asks the other Jaffa, though it can only be marginally construed as challenging. "Why has the Slime God not exited the ha'tak then? Or flown off with it?"

The name was not familiar to Freyda, but then she hardly knew the name of every Goa'uld. On the other hand, it might have been an alias. Few Goa'uld ever used such a device, but it wasn't unheard of.

It sounded vaguely familiar, and it was clearly of Tau'ri origin, though, so she accessed her data base, much of which was from Earth. Not surprisingly, she got a hit on it.

"I do not know of this Fu-Ts'ang," Freyda informed the others over the radio, "but my database tells me it is an old dragon of Chinese mythology, known as the Dragon of Hidden Treasures. He presided over the minerals of the Earth."