So you do that. One of the kids in the neighborhood sets that up for you. The human children ride bicycles and roam freely here, from what you've observed. Perfect messengers and mules. You just have to be real careful about what they know. They don't know how to be quiet.

But yeah. You start getting requests from Gauntlets coming from the woodwork.

(Doing Therapy)

In reply to JohnA1nut (msg # 158):

I start dividing my time between making gauntlets and getting that extra suit going.  I also try to get other smiths to start making stockpiles of hidden weapons, just speartips which can be easily hidden and then turned into spears in case the revolution suddenly kicks off.

So you do. People discover features on the gauntlets.

To whom are you giving the full suit? There's other blacksmiths around.



Oh, you're preaching to the choir there. Smiths and woodworkers and stone masons have all been making and hoarding weapons. Children keep sharpened sticks and improvised bows and arrows in their wilderness forts. The mentality is similar to the guy who finds a diamond mine whilst stranded on a desert island. So he collects them and hoards them in the hope that he will one day be rescued and become a millionaire.

But yeah, you're pretty much sitting on a hair trigger. It's your call when the mayhem begins. But you've got the support of dozens of people. Word is spreading. They've been primed for this for years. They just never had a leader until you showed up.

OOC) I've been told that, just in the state of Ohio, an army of a million armed civilians could be raised within 24 hours in the event of an invasion by foreign powers. That's kinda the situation you're in. You are the linchpin for the whole thing.

(Doing Therapy)

In reply to JohnA1nut (msg # 160):

I'd like someone who is discreet and works very hard, and is competent as a blacksmith.

Get some plans set up depending on whether we get caught or whether we decide we've have enough weapons and we want to kick off the war.

Homer Simpson shows up. He's a blacksmith and a trusted friend of the family you're with. His wife Marge works as a maid and a cook, whilst taking care of the baby, Maggie. Bart and Lisa are leaders among the children.

But your wish is their command. What do you have in mind?



It's completely your call. There's one other guy with a full suit of armor who is making gauntlets. There's maybe 20-30 gauntlets out there. Poison, improvised weapons, you could ruin some people's days right now. Just say the word.

I'm looking for a lot more weapons that that.  Say 200...

GE 11



A noble pursuit that is, to be sure. But the longer you delay, the greater the risk of this being discovered. Some of these people are chomping at the bit, hungry to inflict damage on the Tuatha. If you don't act soon, you could very well lose control of the situation.

But for the moment, all is serene. You can keep going. It'll be a couple more months before you've enough gauntlets.

In reply to JohnA1nut (msg # 164):

"I know, I know.  We want to win, not just hurt them.  Victory is worth a little patience."  I tell them over and over as I no doubt have this conversation many times one on one since gathering in large groups is a Bad Idea.

And I pray.  We're sitting on a ticking time bomb, and part of me sometimes just wants to set it off because of the awful tension.

GE 8

Most folks go along with your plan. A few grumble before going along with it. One guy requires a skull thump from a gauntlet before he sees stars..... I mean the logic of your plan. You get the feeling the powder keg you're sitting on isn't ready to blow just yet.



You keep making gauntlets. They all have the display in the side in that strange language. They all have the same capabilities as yours. You're getting there. A few more weeks and you'll be ready.

Are you making anything else? Chest plates? Boots? Swords?

Some of the more optimistic folks are preparing for your coronation as king when the dust settles.

In reply to JohnA1nut (msg # 166):

Heh....'the logic of my plan'...:)

I'd like more tools, but no, a few more weeks and we kick off the party.

OOC) Three little ten sided dice hath been cast. And they hast found thou worthy!!!

GE 8

You make gantlets, boots, chest pieces, maybe even a sword or two. Every once in a while you're disturbed by a Tuatha who demands work done. More than once you have to be physically held back from turning them into green jelly.

Weeks pass. Your weapons are built and everything is hunky dory.

Is the party beginning yet?

I gather the leaders of the leaders for one last visit.

"Ok, I say we are about to start this.  Any objections?"

I listen.

If the group is for it, I then say.

"The objective is to utterly break the Tuatha power.  If we can take surrenders, sure, but we must win."

Listen more.

"My strategy has four steps.  1. All the smiths have to dig up their weapons and get their spears and what not ready.  How soon can this be done?  2. We need to surprise attack the city leadership, and take them all out.  I will lead this strike team.  3. We need to grab the armory and either use it to hand out weapons to our people or destroy it so the Tuatha army won't have weapons.  (If there is an armory).  4. We move from the center of the city outward, block by block, isolate a group, move in overwhelming force and stomp them flat.  If we run into an armed force, build a barricade, and let them attack you as others move on to clearing the city."

I listen and this is probably the area we have the most discussion on.

GE 19

There's some murmuring, some low-level complaining. One guy steps up and says "What about if they......" Another guy cuts him off saying "Whatever it is you got to complain about, it won't be no worse than the way things are now, so you just hush up!!!"

That sentiment is met by others.



Low-level cheering here. Some fist-pumping.



The other smiths guffaw.

"Is twenty minutes ago soon enough sir?"

He's exaggerating, but not by much. They could all be loaded for bear within a few hours. Just give the word.



One guy steps up and bows and says "Then I am your first volunteer."

And another guy says "I'm your second...."

So on and so forth. No shortage of volunteers.



The place where they keep their halberds and axes? Yeah. There's one of those. One of the guys here is a janitor there. He's in possession of a master key that will open almost any door in the facility. He offers to lead that team.

He wants to stress the "Almost Any Door" because the few doors it doesn't open are where some very bad, well-armed Tuatha sit in waiting. Still, he thinks you've all got a chance. He just wants to make sure it's all understood.



Somebody pulls out a map of the city. "Here's the Capitol building, where the Tuatha king lives. Here's some armories, here's this and that."

He gives his suggestions, between the two of you, you hammer out a plan of attack.

(Doing Therapy)

I smile wryly at the twenty minute joke.

"Excellent.  Well done indeed."

=============================

I reach out and clap my first volunteer on the shoulder.  And do likewise with the others.

===================

To the janitor...

"I like it. You clean up there." I wait for the groans or laughs.  "If you can take out the very tough Tuatha great.  If not, bring some gear to block the doors."  And I show them how to use a rope to tie to a door handle, and tie to another door handle to keep an inward opening door from opening.

"Remember, stomp on them if you can.  If you can't barricade, and call for help.  Make them fight at a disadvantage.  If they climb a barricade to get at you, then you got a couple free shots, and then  you can knock them off.  If you wait, then you can come back with three or four or ten times the number, and see how some of them like going at it with ten to one odds.  Fight smart.  Fight for your freedom.  Fight for your families."
----------------------------------

I give a thumbs up to our plans, ask for any more questions, and then lead them in prayer.

"Almighty God, these brave men go out to make war to be free.  Guide their eyes, and give strength to their arms."

He assures you he will.



This brings down a cheer from everyone present. There's men, women and teenagers. It was agreed no one under 16 would be permitted to join. The ones too young to fight have been sheltered off to the elderly and infirm. To care for one another in case this doesn't work. But about 90% of the able-bodied men and 70% of the able-bodied women are here.

So yeah, you've got a lot of folks here.



So you do. Are you planning to attack now or what?

(Doing Therapy)

I take my strike team up around me, and nod to them, and then I look at the crowd....wait for a long second...."Well, what are you waiting for?  Go kick some Tuatha teeth!!" I have a big grin.  And I head out with my group.

GE 19

Some of your younger, more impetuous members take off charging at that. They nearly blow the whole operation for you. But you're in right behind them to mop up.

It's a vicious melee battle. But you outnumber them 5 to 1. You cut them down quickly.

Did you tear off everyone's torcs?

In reply to JohnA1nut (msg # 174):

Yes, everyone's torcs are gone.
We don't even wear them as a disguise any more.

Have we captured the headquarters?

You're making your way inside. Slowly but surely. Your initial attack was on the door guards. But now you're inside. You're facing Tuatha bureaucrats. Some of them fight hand to hand. Most surrender. One guy grabs a flagpole and charges at you like a lance. You sidestep him easily and he crashes into a wall, dazed and confused.

More guards are running out. Some of your people are being taken down. It's bad.

Twenty or so minutes pass. Then you penetrate the inner chamber. It's like the UN meeting room. Circular, surrounded by desks of each member state. Some are up, fighting. Most are laying prone in surrender.

At the center of the room, standing at a lectern is who someone tells you is the Tuatha mayor/governor/president. It's an elderly woman.

She throws her hands up in surrender and begs you not to hurt her or anyone else. You have to stop one of your own from doing just that. Someone else holds him saying "Don't you get it? Now we can negotiate." Somebody else yells "Why do we need to?" But the general mood is that keeping her alive and negotiating is the best course of action, at least for the next 10 minutes.

(Doing Therapy)

"Tie up the prisoners.  Secure them all in his Meeting Room. We need to keep an eye on them. "  I pause..."If, if they resist, flatten them however seems best.  If they play at surrender, and then attack anyways.....kill them.  No quarter to those who pretend surrender."

I turn to the leader and speak from across the room.

"Are you the leader of the Tuatha?  If you are, save your people by telling them on your comm links to surrender.  Otherwise many more of them will die."  I give her a cold, pitiless face as I wait for her response.

GE 9

They're huffy and chest puffy and resistant..... but apparently they realize when they've been licked. A couple of your guys do have to make an example of one of their soldiers who steps out of line. Just a good wound. He'll walk with a limp for the rest of his life.

The Tuatha chancellor looks at you and asks "What do you want?"

In reply to JohnA1nut (msg # 178):

"First, for you to be locked up where  you can't do any h arm."  We start imprisoning any Tuatha who surrender.  Once, that is done, I send out a message.

"Free all the humans in the city of their torcs."

So you take the chancellor to the prison. She glances subtly at another Tuatha, who nods gently. He glances at someone else, who also nods subtly. After a whole lot of glancing and nodding, the remaining forces go into a last-ditch fighting stance.

The prison walls are lined with hidden weapons, tapestries conceal blades, knives, hidden in air vents, etc.

The captain of the prison puts his hand on a switch and says "If I throw this, the whole prison will explode."

He will throw it by reflex if he is killed suddenly.

Up to you if you believe him.



This order doesn't even need to be given. They were doing that whilst the fight was still raging.

I tell the humans to leave, and lock the door, and get out of the building.  Then I smile at the chancellor, rather relaxed.

"Surrender for real, or my order stands.  And my order is no quarter for those who fake surrender."

After all of the humans leave, it's just you, the chancellor and about a dozen other Tuatha.

The chancellor nods at the jailer holding the explosive suicide switch.

And in the momentary split second whilst the building explodes, you're filled with a feeling of peace and comfort. Somehow you just know the humans are going to be fine.

Thou Art Dead.