After long and desperate thoughts Becca decided to leave Cove. Everything reappeared before her eyes... it was like with the Academy of Chivalry in Europe, ACE, or with the Dragon Templars... first the head left, then the guild breaks ... she can´t stand it to see it happen again.
So she mounts her horse and returns to her fathers estate, to stay where she always felt welcome, and where those troubles seem so far away...

[OOC: To follow my suggestion to keep it simple and stupid, and to get lost in too many different business, I decided to let Becca leave the guild, so I can concentrate on Ben Radau, the stubborn dwarf :c)]

*salutes*
Still fighting for COVE!

Watchwoman, no squad.
Pidgeon (together with Ben Radau) 16668006

Greetings everyone!

As a member of (RL) armored cavallry and therefor successor of the "classic" cavally I am not sure how we can really establish a functionable cavallry to our Militia.
There were 3 kinds of cavallry:

Light cavallry (husars, Ulanen = polish lance riders): their task was to scout the area with close and long range patrols, also to marraud enemy territory. In battles they were used to attack the enemies flanks or even rear to force it to deal with them.
Possible use: Baron´s Husars as part of the Light Company.

Heavy cavally (dragoons): they used the weight and speed of their horses to break enemy lines, usually equiped with heavy cavallry sabres. Those were used in the main focus to decide battles. Problem in UO: the missing physical system makes it impossible to make gap in enemy blocks without a big deal of roleplaying of the defenders.
Possible use: Baron´s Dragoons as a mounted infantry, fighting without dismounting.

Mounted infantry (German Kürassiere): infantry that used it´s horses for travelling. They dismounted before the battle and used their firearms.
Possible use: Baron´s Kürassiere as mounted infantery, dismounting before battles and using bows.

What do you think? Any ideas of realistic ways to implement cavallry to the Baronship? I prefer 2 ways, Husars and Kürassiere.

*After a hard day of preparing the recently caught horses for the great market at Haven Becca entered the main hall of her fathers manson. Near the great fire place, Ben Radau, the weird dwarf, but long time friend sat and used some magery to entertain some children.
"Becca, I´m glad to see you!" She scaned the militia uniform of the dwarf, but no new badges. "Looks like you still need some time, lil´ one." With a smile she went over and took a seat. A bit frustrated Ben finished his last spell, and the children ran away, still tear from laughing in their eyes.
"Indeed, but there was one thing at the parade that you would like to know..." he said with a smile. "The Baron himself stated that the Dragoons will be reinstalled.." "WHAT!! FINALLY!" And with a burstling laugh Becca ran of the hall to get her uniform.
Shaking his head Ben continued to sit at the fire pit, drinking some beer and trying to understand why those large people always like those ugly and dangerous giants the call horses.*

COUNT ME IN, BARON!!!

Becca von Radunkel is the latest descendant of an old-established minor noble family. For centuries the von Radunkels have served loyal to the throne in Britain. First as a simple member of the horse guard, but after one of her ancestors saved the actual king´s live the family was regarded with a noble title and a small estate in the area of todays Trinsic. Though the origin of the name is lost in the past, the von Radunkels wear it with pride and honor while serving the King in Britain.
Becca was born 32 years ago, and though her father hoped to get a son to continue the names line, he never showed any disappointment towards her gender.
Soon after her birth her mother died by the hands of roaming orcs. Her father never married again, and so Becca grew up without the "disturbing" hands of a woman. She was trained by her father and his old guard companions to become a respected paladin and fighter for the light. Especially her abilities of mounted fighting made her father proud. Riding she seems to fuse with her horse.
After her fathers retirement as a captain of the Royal Horseguard - some say he was forced for not taking part in the courts small intrigues for power, some say he just realized that his honorfull way of life did not fit anylonger to the developement in Britian - the small family returned to the families estate and led a withdrawn life defending their lands against the roaming evil. During that time a dwarf got staffed by her father, though unusual clean shaven, but with some interesting abilities that equalized the missing beard, and he got a real friend to the woman.
During one supply mission towards Trinsic Becca got involved in a small struggle and defended an apparently innocent stranger to a bunch of footpads. After her arrival in Trinsic she got astonishingly accused for street robbery by even those footpads, now dressed in expensive clothes. She had disturbed some Trinsic minor nobles with their so called "hunting game".
Only with the help of her dwarven friend and a bribery of prison guards she was able to return to her father. He silently listend to her story and was able to calm her down not to take revenge by doing a private "hunting game" around Trinsic. Instead he told her of a Baron he once met at the king´s court in Britain, the Lord of a small city called Cove.
So Becca joined the ranks of Cove´s militia, to live a life according to her understanding of justice and honor.

*runs in, pins the note on the board, and hastily leaves*

Becca von Radunkel, watchwoman.

[Small patrol around Cove.Leader: Ahmed Al Maktoum, Grenadier Corporal.Soldiers: Ben Radau, Guardsman Recruit, Das'nord reck, Guardsman Recruit.Nothing to report!Ben Radau]

*sighs and tries to calm the dwarf*
YES, BEN, I WILL PUT IT ON THE BOARD, TOO! I KNOW IT IS IMORTANT FOR PROMOTIONS!
*she grumbles and fits the note*


Small patrol around Cove.
Leader: Ahmed Al Maktoum, Grenadier Corporal.
Soldiers: Ben Radau, Guardsman Recruit,
                 Das'nord reck, Guardsman Recruit.

Nothing to report!

Ben Radau

*looks down to the dwarf and smiles*
Okay, Ben, I will put this note on the board.
*Uses an old dagger to fix a sheet of paper with dwarven style runes on it*

Hiho Light Company!
This is Ben Radau, and after I talked to Valiro I thought that your unit might be fun for a dwarf. So I politely asked Valiro if I could join, and guess: he allowed it!! At least as a test!
I will meet you!
Ben Radau, dwarf and walker-through-stones!

Greetings everyone!

I politely ask to add an overview of the actual diplomacy of the Baronship, because it is hard for me to always know what guild is an opponent and i should run or better win ;c), and what is a friended guild.

Thinks it over again, hesitates, and finally puts a note on the board:

"Any time you want me I will follow you!
Becca von Radunkel, Watchwoman."

Today, a nameless inn near the Brit library:

Desperately Becca searches the notes infront of her. The dirty table is covered with sheets of paper of different sizes, some filled with Becca´s fine handwritting, some almost unreadable like written by a mad monkey, and some with rough scetches.
"I feel the danger for Cove, but damn it, I still can´t proove it." She leans her back on the wall. The small niche she sits in is only purely lit by a small candle at the table, most of it hidden in shadows. She scans the room. Except the bar maid and some drunk visitors it is almost empty. Only across the room some ugly traders seem to party their last sucess. Suddenly she freezes. Combined with laughter parts of the trader´s words reach her ears. "... the ugly orc with the .... sword like .... fire...." Laughter. "... Covians never .... weapons trade...." Another laughter. Becca suddenly feels a coldness from deep within. "Rogues trading weapons to the Covian orcs?" Another word gets her attention. "... rally with the mountain orcs when........ Grimgork Eisen....." With a sudden movement the traders get up and throw some gold coins on the table. Without stoping to laugh they leave the inn.
Desperately Becca tries to collect the papers and to simultaniously throw a copper penny to pay the really bad whine she had. When she finally gets out of the bar nothing of the bandits is visible.
"Damn again. My only real hint vanishes in Britain, the dwarf has closed his smithy and has left without any trace, and I know danger is getting bigger and bigger for Cove."
She scans the area and detects a small, dirty boy who had done some messenger jobs for her earlier. "Alex, come her!" She waves with a gold coin. "Take this note straight to Cove, and hand it to Baron Octiouvus himself. It is important!" She finishes her fast words on a small paper and hands it to the boy. "Ay, mam, of course I will." He happily smiles and bites on the coin. "WOW, I will be fast as a lightning!" he shouts and vanishes in the crowd.
Suddenly Becca hears a hissing sound, and something hits her head. She tries to get her sword out, but a second hit makes her see stars, and the blackness takes all over.....


A few hours later, a note is pinned on the barracks door:

"Mylord Baron,

I am sure a terrible danger threatens Cove and all inhabitants. It has something to do with an ancient dwarven god´s weapon, a sword either made of or with fire, I still do not know it. If my informations are correct, a mad orc has found it in or near the ancient dwarven fortress´ entrance close to the orc fort. He also buys weapons from human traders, and it seems he also controlls the orcs from the cave near Minoc.
A combined attack of two orc hordes, with support of this magical weapon might be too strong for us. I try to gather more information, but it seems, that orc usually trains the troops in the orc fortress near Cove. I suggest to send scout in the fort to identify and maybe eliminate that orc call `Grimgork somethin´.
When I get more precise info, I will report to you!

Becca von Radunkel,
Watchwoman."

*find the orc, get the weapon, or...*

The Orc Fort near Cove, 3 days ago:

Becca pulls the sword out of the orc lords neck, rolls the dead body over and starts to search the dead body. "Strange, that they were so close to the city." She sighs and examins the beasts dirty shirt. "They seem to get braver every day we allow them to live. But..." She stops and pulls with strength, and a necklace with a small locket appears in her hand. A crude sketch of a sword with a blade of fire seems to be carved in the metal. "What the..." Becca freezes with horror. "Can it be?" She shakes her head. "It is time that Ben starts to talk."


Ben Radau´s smithy near Trinsic

"Come on, Ben, whatever it is, it seems the orcs have discoverd it." The dwarf shakes his head and punches his fist on the table. "You do not know what you are talking about. Those legends were almost forgotten, and there is no sense in talking of ancient swords my ancestors used to scare infants not willing to sleep. You will get no information by me."
Becca grumbles. Although Benny had drunk more than a complet keg of Bugman´s XXX, he still refuses to answer her questions. While he fills another mug she scans his face, and suddenly realizes that the dwarf seems to have fear.
She sighs... "It looks like the Brit library needs another visit." With a short nod she gets up and starts to leave the hut. But the dwarf doesn´t seem to see it, for his eyes stare in horor at infinity, caught by his own personal nightmares...

The orc fort near Cove, some weeks ago:

"Can anyone take that damn orc mage? His is a insult of my sense of beauty!" Ryan´s voice drowns the sounds of combat. With a quiet sigh Becca runs towards the ruin the mage uses for cover. Inside the destroyed building it takes only a few smashes with her sword, and the mage meets his ancestors. On her way out she suddenly stops. "What the hell...?" Near the broken door strange runes are barely visible. They must be as old as the house, but she never expected to see any of those in an orcish outpost. She lowers herself and carefully follows the rune´s outlines with her fingertips. "Strange. It looks similar to dwarven runes, but those runes i have never seen..." She shakes her head. "Can it be?"
"BECCA, DO YOU TRY TO TALK HIM DOWN, OR WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?" Ryan´s charming voice breaks her concentration. Sighing again she gets back on her feet and leaves the house. Outside the battle is almost over, a last orc scout desperately tries to flee. But he tumbles over a dead body, and a Covian sword finishes his useless life. "Let´s get back to our outpost!"
During the retreat Becca still wonders how dwarven-style runes get into an orcish fortress. With a look over her shoulder she takes a last glance of the buildings. "Could it be?" It seems as if the fortress was made to defend to the sea, not towards Cove, as the  orcs use it today. Suddenly she stumbles over an stone, half burried in the dirt of the path. While she gets on her feet again she recognizes that the stone was similar to those still found on ancient dwarven roads sometimes visible in the mountains. Becca has no time to think of it, for Ryan´s voice breaks the silence again: "All recruits rally inside the temporary outpost!" Curses are heard all over the patrol, but Becca ignores them. She stares at the mountains, still puzzled of todays explorations.
Inside the outpost, during a period of spare time, she walks around the narrow hollow. Especially at the rear it looks as if a giant´s hammer had crushed the walls aeons ago. But again... there were ancient and almost unvisible carvings on those parts of the walls, where wind and weather can´t destroy them. Though her teachers told her parts of the dwarven language, and her dwarven friend, the smith Ben Radau had increased her knowledge, she still is not able to identify those runes. "I have to find it out!"


Britain, the royal library, two weeks ago:

"I knew it!" Exitedly Becca points on a fragile manuscript on a table infront of her. It is an ancient pergament, written by a monk centuries ago. He had collected everything he was able to get about the ancient races histories and tales.
One of the oldest tales he heard was about the first underground fortresses build by dwarves after they appeard on this world. Although some parts of the paper are no longer readable, enough is there to tell a story of braveness, power, and the fall by arrogance.
"Here it says: the first sons of Reorxx, the god of smithy, were granted a hidden and well defended place, when their god smashed his ... hm... might be fire sword, or sword of fire, or sword made by fire... strange, i have never seen those runes before..." Becca scratches her head. "I have to ask Ben about it. But let´s go on... the build a fortress underneath a chain of mountains... hm... if you add the sea west of that road block on the map, and change some minor details... I KNEW IT!! Those are the mountains west of Cove! LOOK!" She screams out in exitement, and the master librarian stares with anger. "Sorry." She smiles and continues to write her thoughts down. "Todays orc fortress is the old tax station, and the hollow was one of the entrances into the underground kingdom." She smiles and continues to read. "Hmm.. The most important god to the dwarves who lived in those mountains was Reorxx, and as a sign for his power they prayed to his... damn.... again those runes... a fire sword or something.." She carefully flips the parchement. "But then... hmm... almost nothing of the back is readable... this means ´darkness´, this is similar of modern dwarvish for ´sorcery´.. no idea, what happened, but here... it says: ´... and so the last dwarf sealed the entrance for the <unreadable> sword will be hidden forever and the world safe again.´ Strange."
Becca stretches her back an raises. "I have to learn more about it, if it is a possible threat for Cove!"
With fast steps she leaves the library and curses her fate to walk instead of ride.


*more to come*

POST!
*posts*

Becca von Radunkel
Guardsman recruit
16668006