The Cold Draft at Jemison Post


#41

McIvinson had brews and snacks waiting for them after their success against Drella the Slaver. But he didn’t look too happy. It seems the Tempest did drive back Drella’s cambions and they got some reinforcements on the way.

McIvinson said, “Buddies listen, I got an ear to the ground and the white furs are whispering that a cannibal unit of Olgogs called the Frigid Fangs are coming to reclaim the mine for their master, Tiordan Ikuz Unixah. It is a force you could easily beat, compared to some you faced. But the challenge my friends is what will the mine do to protect itself when you aren’t there?
I assume you don’t plan on spending the next few months just guarding a single mine, even if its important to Jemison Post and to McGraw Harbor.”


#42

Biff was having some drinks at the bar, checking out the place. He wanted to be one of the locals, not just one of the guys that hangs with “high command.” Plus, he knew there were rumors about the Border Freedom Force being terrorists and he knew getting drunk with people would dispel some of those rumors.

Unfortunately, Biff had never been one to drink. Two drinks in and he was drunk. He was on his third when he saw McIvinson started getting drinks together. As Grim and Lurtor came in, he greeted each of them with a nod and finished his drink. McIvinson then mentioned something about white furs and some mine to protect. Biff chuckled, and muttered while standing up, “Friends! The the best way to to protect something that the enemy expects to be a certain way is to change it completely.” He looked beyond everyone, as if painting a picture in his mind, " Where there were hills, make valleys. Where there were rivers, make roads, and where there were trees, make plains." Biff was almost eloquent, but then burped and lost his train of thought.

“And the same for the other stuff too! Ha! Also, since we’re in a tundra, so use that to our advantage. There’s nothing to hide behind, so all you have to do is elevate the entrance…make it harder to attack on foot. You’d have to fly in, which would be easier to see and track. Also, make a few fake entrances, into empty caverns filled with traps. And in the real mine…” He hiccuped, “make passageways to nowhere. CONFUSE the enemy…” He swayed back and forth, “and use the land as… your greatest…what was I saying?” He grabbed a drink that was obviously not for him and drank it. He then sat down abruptly, almost upending the stool in the process, and slammed the beer down.

He then lifted his finger up in the air, as if to say something else. But didn’t.


#43

Lurtor says "I like those ideas Biff and they are very doable. We will make those part of our plan.

There is one thing that I have not got a chance to tell everyone yet. There is an ancicent Structure at the end of one of those caves. It is heavily warded against Earth Leyas. I fear this may have been their real target. So besides looking into this, we need to protect it as well. If they want it, I don’t think we want them to have it."


#44

Lurtor says "So on our list of defensive options are:
1 - Elevate the Entrances
2 - Make extra passages that lead to traps and to confuse anyone invading
3 - Make passages that go no wheres. This might be a spot to setup an ambush.

The things I would like to add is that we need to:
4 - Add more guards and workers.
5 - Harden or even ward an outside area of the mines so one cannot just dig into the back.
6 - Secure the area with the ancient building
7 - Maybe add Defensible areas/holes/bunkers for the defenders to hold.
8 - Create an area where the snow is either backed from the mine entrance and fake entrances. Or maybe backed away from only the fake entrances and hide the real entrance.
"


#45

We need to get some more permanent people at the mine. My temp’ force at there (OCC: see my last mission post - Glacial Wastes Mission 2: The Illuminated Slaver’s Camp) is not going to hold things for long.

Looking at Biff and then turning to Lurtor: “Good ideas! Lurtor? Who the hell is this guy?”


#46

As if startled out of a stupor, Biff responded. But the long pause built up some gas in his chest. And instead of being able to say his name in the usual fashion, he burped it out in a long drawn out manner instead.

“Hiiiii, Iiiiii’m Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiffff.”

This burp eruption caused Biff to break out into a fit of giggles that he couldn’t stop.


#47

Nuria tucked her bags away and walked in to the room as Biff started laughing. She’d heard enough of the conversation from the other room to know what was going on, and at least to her, Biff hadn’t sufficiently answered the question.

She sat down at the table, picked up a drink, and downed half of it. She then tapped her knuckles lightly on the side of Biffs head.

“Ok Biff. Question two. Why are you here?”


#48

Biff looked up and saw a newcomer. He stopped giggling long enough to reply.

“What do you mean why am I here? I’m drinking!!! What else do you do at such a fyiiiine establishment?!?!” He raises his empty glass and takes another swig, not quite realizing it’s empty.

He breaks out into a fit of giggles again.


#49

McIvinson interjected, “As he said, his name is Biff. He works intelligence on the movements of Boriel I’tash’s fleet of slavers and peacelords for Grim and Lurtor.”


#50

“Well hot damn! We got our selves some help! Now if he would only stop looking at our assets. Sober up and realize that I’m happily married, Lurtor does swing in any direction and Nuria is too pretty for you.”

Eli munched on some peanuts then looked thoughtful for a moment.

“As for Grim, I got no clue so have at him, Biff.”


#51

Biff was pretty far gone at this point. But he recognized that McIvinson just defended him.

Before he could speak quickly enough, Eli interjected, but Biff wasn’t paying attention.

“Thanks man! I’m also ver-y useful. I can, like…”

Biff’s head slumped, and he started snoring.


#52

Nuria laughed at Eli’s offer to Biff to ‘have’ Grim. After a moment she was able to calm herself. I may not belong here, but at least the company is ok, she thought.

Turning to Lurtor, she cleared her throat. “As far as your list goes, I don’t know how helpful I’ll be, what with fire and all. I might be able to make some traps and such, but those will most likely be explosive, so they’d damage the structure as well.”


#53

Lurtor says “If you make the traps at the fake entraces, that won’t be so bad. And might make them more wary of entering any entrance.”


#54

“I can do that,” Nuria stated. “I’ll just need someone to work with me. I’m not able to artifice stuff myself.”


#55

Lurtor says “I can help with that. Also, I’ll have some of our guards and scouts added to support the mine area as well.”


#56

“Well, here’s my thought,” Nuria began. "If we can artifice a bunch of stones with my fire, in a manner that they’ll go off when they come into solid contact with something, that’d be perfect.

“We’ll dig trenches, maybe a foot deep and a foot wide. We’ll gently place a few small stones, artificed to explode when impacted, into said ditch. Then, use Earth Leyas to cover the ditch, creating a tunnel loaded with explosive stones.”

Nuria took a drink, wiped her mouth, and continued. “The top of this tunnel will have to be just strong enough to support a light dusting of snow, but totally weak enough to collapse if stepped on. They step on top of the tunnel, the top of thw tunnel caves in, sets off the stones, then…” She trailed off, then she shrugged.

“BOOM!” Nuria yelled. She jumped up and threw her arms into the air, bumping the table as she went, knocking over her drink, and causing the others to have to grab theirs.

She stood there for a moment, then sat back down, and crossed her arms. “Thoughts?”


#57

At Nuria’s loud bang noise, Biff jumps up, startled awake! His first instinct, not knowing what’s going on, is to defensively raise his hand towards the door and start drawing on the Leyas. Suddenly, there are several other Biff’s in the room, all mimicking his movement, all horribly startled.

“Wait, whut?! Why’s the world spinning? Are we under attack?”. He slumps over with a horrible headache.


#58

Lurtor smiles a bit, he knows that Biff could clear that daze easily if he wanted with his leyas, or if he thought of that. Lurtor says to Biff “We are not under attack yet, but we are planning for someone to attack the mine. I think the world is only spinning due to your liquid snack. You may want to clear that though. That much leyas might scare the other patrons. And Biff, if you are willing, we could always use your help in securing this mine and its contents.”

To the others “So it sounds like we have a basis for a plan. We do need to make sure we don’t have to be there all the time. But we do need to look into the mine more ourselves, and soon I think.”

(OOC I’ll have to write up something tonight, and post tomorrow, let me know if there is anything else we need to do.)


#59

“Sounds like we have a basic foundation. Since I have people there and I can get more, I’ll provide the man power for some your ideas. Within reason,” Eli clarified.

“In the mean time, I’ll get my boys and gals reinforcing the entrance and fighting off the what they can to buy y’all time.”


#60

Lurtor says “Sounds good. I’m also going to hide that structure I found. Reroute the main mine passage away. If they take the cave, I don’t want them finding it. Or at least delay it.”