LogThe Watch-Jason-8

Game log for the 2020-07-05 session of The Watch, as taken by Jason

Day breaks over the newly conquered stronghold. Built by Clan Thedan back in the way, it's built strong, though it fell into desrepair after the Shadow took over. Tovy's inclined to make it a soft day for the squad, since they fought hard and lost a soldier yesterday. Lomo checks in with her about taking a walk outside the fort to see the spirit world.

She discovers that the Shadow no longer has control over this place. It's off to the north/northwest, and the local spirits don't know what it wants with this place. The Shadow had infected this place, but it's gone, gathering to the noerhwest. They can't say if Rezi is with the Shadows, because the spirits don't know who Rezi is.

On her way back to camp, Lomo hears Ealle calling her name. The healer asks if Lomo has any news about their shared project to figure out Dirdu's plan. Lomo has nothing new except that their squad now has its very own spy. Ealle thinks Dirdu wants to promote her clan's interests after the war, giving Dolthas a power base beyond their historical ceremonial role. They both agree that there's no going back to the old ways, regardless of exactly how the war ends. When they're done, Lomo goes to find Tovy.

Lomo asks Tovy to take a walk with her, so Tovy puts Yeli in charge of calisthenics and goes to speak privately with her Corporal. Lomo warns her that the Shadow is gathering, but Tovy seems to have expected that, and maybe even look forward to it. Lomo warns her about Dirdu's agenda, but Tovy rebukes her and says to focus on living through the war.

Later on, Yeli goes dicing, and Lomo goes with her for once. As she plays, Yeli realizes that her habit of refusing to get close to the new recruits might be the wrong choice. It's a little too much like treating people as objects.

Risoc goes to talk to Tovy about the state of the squad and her performance. Tovy assures her that she'll be accepted among the squad once she proves herself. The squad will forgive rookie jitters once, but if she goes into battle with them again and fails to do her duty, they won't overlook that. Risoc promises to do better. Tovy, for her part, decides that Risoc is going to be a loyal squad member and not just Dirdu's spy.

The next morning, more troops arrive, including Roena, thus giving the Sergeants in the post the necessary adult supervision. The pace of activity in the fort increases immediately. Tovy reports in and asks about reinforcements / replacements for the squad, which is was understrength even before they lost Erda. Roena denies the request, saying they don't have replacements available. The Watch will be moving northwest, keeping the pace up, and Tovy's squad is going to be needed to capture a pass in the mountains as part of this advance. Tovy just asks to be shown where the pass is. It's at the northwest edge of the old border, one of the first places the Shadow took, so this is kind of a daring strike. It's former Molthas territory, and the pass is one commonly used to allow traders up into Molthas country. The terrain means this may be frontal assault country. There aren't any flanks when the terrain locks you into a single angle of approach. Tovy goes rushing back to the squad to give the warning order.

Lomo spars with Risoc as Tovy takes care of business.

As they roll out, Tovy takes point, Yeli scouts, Lomo navigates and strategizes, and Risoc watches everyone's back. Risoc gets a partial success, Lomo hits it out of the park, and Tovy gets a partial that becomes a full due to help from Risoc's hold and Yeli's noticing a couple traps and pointing it out to the Sergeant. Complication: Tovy takes 2-harm.

Lomo and Tovy, both keen to return to their home turf, lead the squad there in brisk order, along with another squad with a mission nearby. They get to the pass and occupy it for several hours before Yeli spots an approaching Shadow force. Tovy's a little overwrought by the emotion of fighting the Shadow so close to the border, and she's into enemy lines way ahead of everyone else, forcing her to fight at horrible odds and take a serious wound before the squad arrives and evens the odds.

Important moments during the mission:

• Lomo helps Risoc get squared away on the march.
• During the climb up a tight section of the mountain pass, Yeli keeps Tovy from setting off a boulder trap that might have killed everyone.
• Risoc gets moral support from Tovy when she starts to flag.

The primary assault that the squad's mission supported was a ferocious hit-and-run, a march followed by a temporary camp and then a dawn raid on the Shadow. Tovy's squad needed to hold the pass for the day and then make a fighting retreat. They're able to get back to the stronghold in short order, and when they do, it seems like the entire Southern Legion is camped there, along with a proper supply line.

Tovy, accompanied by Lomo, reports back to Roena, who's impressed by the squad's success. The Lt Cmdr's happy with the squad and assures Tovy that there will be new missions for the squad. Tovy reports to the healers and gets a level of healing, at the expense of some Weariness. During the meeting, Lomo looks beyond to see if Roena has a particular agenda, and senses that while she's pleased that the squad succeeded, she sort of expected them to fail. Lomo concludes that maybe Roena or someone higher is trying to get the squad killed.

Risoc decides to put off reporting to Dirdu and focuses on meditation and prayer instead, blowing off a little steam in the most introspective possible way. She's feeling torn between the squad and Dirdu, and tries to think of ways to satisfy Dirdu that the squad is free of the Shadow's taint.

In the healing tent, Ealle attends to Tovy, and Tovy opens up to her about how she got in over her head in the fighting, and how she realizes she could get killed just as easily winning the war as she did losing it. Ealle, for her part, tries to keep Tovy focused on the mission. The healer also talks about the thrust of the campaign and what it might mean for afterwards. Tovy tries to shut that down hard and encourage Ealla to pay attention only to the war, but Ealla thinks that the time to worry about after the war is now, or nobody will be thinking about it until too late.

Lomo trains Risoc some more.

Yeli talks to Loisa about how they treat newbies to the squad. She's changed her mind and wants to treat them better now. Loisa's willing to think about it but she doesn't commit right away.

Dirdu sends for Risoc to come visit in the keep of the fort. The young priestess tries to find an excuse to put the visit off, but concludes that she really ought to just show up. She reports that the squad is clean, then asks if Dirdu wants her to report problems. Dirdu says she wants to hear about any problems but doesn't want there to be problems. Risoc once again assures her of the squad's commitment to the war and suggests that Dirdu might be barking up the wrong tree. Dirdu asks how much time she's spent talking to them about matters not related to the war, and Risoc tells her it's a lot. Dirdu announces that things are accelerating, that the Watch expects to turn the tide, and that's when any Shadow traitors in the squad will make their moves. Risoc hopes for the best, and the Commander reminds her that hope is not a plan. Dirdu dismisses her spy. Risoc tries to make sure she isn't followed as she leaves the keep to report to Tovy. She finds out that someone is following her, so she returns to her tent and starts taking care of her kit.

The next day, no orders come down. Risoc finds a time to talk with Tovy one-on-one. Risoc's full of anxiety about having to spy on them for the Commander, but Tovy is such a pain-in-the-ass straight arrow that she tells Risoc to continue spying on them and make honest reports at all times, because Tovy will not accept any hint of the Shadow in her squad, and wants Dirdu to know that.

Four days later, word goes around that the big push is coming, and the squad will be in the vanguard of the Watch, going right at the Shadow's main force. The Southern Legion will move openly against the Shadow on the plains, while the Northern Legion moves in from behind. If the plan works, the Watch will destroy the Shadow forces on Clan territory.

The GM assigns an extra complication for this mission. Tovy goes to watch the team's back while Lomo navigates, Yeli scouts, and Risoc takes point. Tovy misses her roll and takes a complication. Lomo does a brilliant job strategizing. Yeli gets a hand from Tovy that gives her a full success. Risoc gets a partial success with a hand from Tovy. Complications: Loisa gets captured by the enemy, something followed us home, and the MC chooses that Roena didn't make it back alive.

The two sides ordered advance rapidly turns into chaos. The Shadow has a large force and many kinds of monsters, but the Watch chose this fight, and the rolling hills make it easier for them to defend high ground or move forces unseen. In the press of battle, the squad's first warning that they're being flanked is when Loisa takes a hard blow to the head from an unexpected direction and falls. Normally Yeli would be looking out for her, but she was running intel back to HQ at the time. The squad is driven back and loses sight of Loisa's body, and though Tovy orders an immediate counterattack to save their fallen comrade, she's gone when they retake the ground. The key tactic is a demonstration by one legion that pins the enemy in place, but Roena got a little too far ahead. When the Northern Legion strikes and pushes the enemy back upon the Southern Legion, their full force calls upon the Lt Cmdr, and she falls. Risoc doesn't see Dirdu during the battle. She gets the sense that the dying Shadow soldiers are happy to die, that they're fulfilling some sort of purpose.

Significant moments during the battle:

• Lomo and Tovy fight shoulder-to-shoulder, taking care of the rest of the squad in the heat of battle.
• Near the end of the battle, Tovy tells Yeli what happened to Loisa.
• Yeli helping Risoc at a critical moment, when Risoc had thought she didn't care.

The battle ends in a victory, and the Legion commanders gather to plot the next move. They send scouts to the old border to help plot their next moves.

During the time between missions, Yeli and Lomo get drunk as hell. Yeli realizes that Loisa was leaning on her more than she realized. Maybe hearing that she needed to do better made her fight harder. Maybe without Yeli's little shove, Loisa would be dead instead of captured. Risoc prays, and feels better because the squad seems to be accepting her. Tovy gets some healing but there are complications, and has yet to report in to Dirdu.