Session 3 - Alligator Bites

VOD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrQYYqIv2pA
Tavern Therapy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXN3hzo5p4Q

Friday, March 19th, 765

The party deep in the Bollothglade Swamps get surprised by the swiftness of a 15-16 foot alligator who gets the jump on Kriss Keeton. Tatho Wildheart screams, "Aye Watch Out!" and shoulder bashes KK out of the way when the gator bites down on Tatho and begins its death roll. The roll is fast and violent as Tatho's head gets slammed into the water and mud repeatedly until his body goes limp and he drops his father's sword. During the remainder of the battle Veiyanitara Lero cast some healing to try to stabilize Tatho and casts Faerie Fire outlining the alligator while the rest of the party litter the creature with arrows and fire magic. During the scramble both KK and Brand manage to get bit but make it out before the death roll. The final blow is made by Yaros Loubert who frustrated that he had not made any of his shots, yet everyone else had, finally took a second caught his breath, and placed a perfect arrow into its eye, piercing into its skull.
The alligator had gone limp and everyone ran to Tatho's side to check on his status. The gator had pierced completely through his chest, breaking most of his ribs and destroying many of his internal organs. Vei and Brand both did what healing they could manage, but knew that he needed to get to serious help very quickly.
At this time some of the party heard a loud crunching sound and looked over deeper into the swamp. It appears to have originated with two creatures in their own battle. One was a giant crawfish whose head had been stepped on, creating that loud crunch. Upon it stood a 12+ foot bipedal creature. It had hairy legs that ended on hooves that stood on the crawfish. The hair got shorter as it reached its torso revealed intense and bulging muscles underneath. Its arms were just as powerful and come to 5 sharp claws and in one had was the giant claw of the crawfish. Upon its torso was a head which came to a short snout, and on top were two massive hornes that curled around the side. But most striking of all were its eyes, it had sharp blue eyes that pierced through the swamp, clearly watching and observing the party without moving.
The party decided to be cautious and just leave without confronting the creature. Scarlet Nichols, Yaros, and KK took the defeated alligator while Brand and Vei carried Tatho's Body. They made their way from the Eastglades through Sunrise District where they dropped the alligator for Yaros to watch while Scarlet went to go get Chef Sebastien LeBlanc from Vittles to get the body. KK, Vei, and Brand all took Tatho to Fort Marshope to get medical attention.
When Scarlet reached Vittles she told Chef Sebastian about the successful endeavor Chef Sebastian rounded up some customers to help move the gator from the Sunrise District. While guarding and waiting for them to return Yaros talked to the groundskeeper of Willow Park, Guz Drallbrak who was confused as why there was a dead alligator in the park, but once he heard that Chef Sebastian was coming, got excited about the prospect of his famous gumbo. Scarlet soon arrived with the people from Vittles where they all carried it back into the restaurant and the chef promised everyone gator bites tomorrow evening. He thanked the two and in addition to the alligator bites and meeting the rest of the restaurant owners after the Red Bloom Festival cookoff, he gave them his pair of Boots of Marshstomping. Lined with a small low magic crystal into a pair of alligator skin boots, they allow for wearers to walk amongst the swamp without slowing down. After receiving this they took their leave to meet up with the rest of the party at Fort Marshop.
The other four members of the party arrived first and yelled for a healer upon opening the doors. Private Simmons was close to the entrance and helped guide them to the recovery wing where Seargent Aias Gilven looked Tatho over and told them how serious his injuries were. The alligator has bitten him from the top of his right shoulder blade all the way to the naval. When it did it's death roll it broke his collar bone as well as his ribs, and severely damaged most of his internal organs. The healing Vei and Brand were able to administer had simply stabilized him for the time, but without serious healing he would die shortly. He told everyone to get out of the room as he began a chant that illuminated his hands and all the symbols of Pelor on his uniform.
At this point Scarlet and Yaros enter Fort Marshop where General T.J. Beauregard caught them and yelled demanding they tell him what went on. The three of them then headed to the medical wing of the fort. As they reached the room everyone saw a bright white flash of light that blinded them for a second, then walked into the room to find an exhausted Seargent Gilven who remarked that he should be fine. Tatho sat up from his bed and remarked at how exhausted and in pain he was, but felt alright, and was excited for the awesome scar that would come out of this. Seargent Gilven told him to take it easy for the next few days, and he is lucky his friends got him here when they did, and did what healing they could, because he was otherwise a dead man. He also headed KK of her injuries.
General Beauregard then began to scold the party and remarked about how we was right during the Operation Rougarou briefing, these kids were not powerful enough, and in a simple fight with an alligator one of them basically died. KK and Scarlet argued back with him about how they did what General Joseph Cavanagh wanted and completed their mission, and Tatho ended up fine. But in giving attitude and disrespect towards General Beauregard he yelled back that they were under his control per the Operation Rougarou Docket and to stand down. They continued to argue, so General Beauregard said he was going to dishonorable discharge them from the military. He told them to go back to their room, pack their things, and would leave the fort tomorrow, specifically telling KK she would go back to jail.
The party then attempted to communicate with General Cavanagh. Walking by his main chambers they met Lieutenant John Crewe, a young, large & muscular half-orc, tasked with guarding the general's door. He also had a general attitude towards the party and told them they could not enter. While arguing with Lieutenant Crewe, another man, Master Seargent Jake Erik seemed to pop out of nowhere behind Brand. When the party took notice he had Brand's scorpion juice in his hand, and the two began to make fun of brand first calling him "Scorpion", but then realized that name was too cool. They instead called him "Juice". The party then began threatening the two when they told them that they are on specific assignment to guard this door, and on top of that Lieutenant Crewe is currently under medically educed rage causing his demeanor, and Master Seargent Erik was told to practice his pickpocketing skills on others to train new techniques. Still in conflict the party tried to convince them to let them through until they attempted things such as casting message or leaving a tooth of the alligator with a message imbued into it for the general. The two soldiers would not let anything though citing security risk and told them to go up the chain of command if they needed to talk to him. Eventually they grew frustrated and said if they did not head back to their quarters, they would make them.
They eventually gave up frustrated headed back to their quarters, and decided to clean up after being so filthy from their swamp activities. During this time KK snuck out from the rest of the party stealing Scarlet's PT clothes and leaving a letter on her bed. KK had ran to Vittles where when she banged on his door after hours Chef Sebastian walked out in his pajamas asking what was up. KK told him that she was in trouble and didn't have anywhere to go, and needed a bed, and he looked like a good guy. The chef cut him off and said I don't know what's going on, but I didn't see you and walks in with the door open. KK knowing what this means walked in behind him and stayed the night.
Back in Fort Marshop Scarlet finds the letter that reads "Please go eat gator tomorrow, you earned it <3". Understanding what this means she says how everyone needs to go eat one last time at Vittles tomorrow. As they go to bed realizing that they will be kicked out of the army starting tomorrow, they hear a knock at the door. When they open it, they find Private Simmons. He tells them that he went up the chain of command to get word to General Cavanagh about what happened, and he now wants to speak to them. He escorts them to his main chambers and as they walk near they see General Beauregard walking out of his chamber and making a corner. They then all walk in with their heads down silent. He starts with the good news. He says he agreed with them on the mission. They did excellent, and Tatho's self sacrifice and the aid from each other was exactly what he knew he wanted when he picked the six of them. He told General Beauregard the same thing. However everything that happened after that tonight was shameful. He reminds them that they are soldiers in an army at war. There is a chain of commands that is to be respected, and they are currently under the control of General Beauregard. He remarks at how he also believes that General Beauregard is an asshole, but they should just let him say his peace, and nod their heads and say yes sir. He also brings up the incidents with Lieutenant Crew and Master Sargent Erik about how they tried to break into his office, the most imporatnt office in all of the United Shard. If they need to speak with him, they need to go up the chain of commands. If they receive any order from any superior, they are to obey it. If he hears of any arguing or back sass from this moment forward they will be dishonorably discharged from the army without question and sent home. He tells the party to get Private Keeton and bring him to his office tomorrow. They then all leave his office and head back to their quarters to rest for the night.

Saturday, March 21th, 765

The following morning they wake up and meet Private Simmons who asks if they are still here. They tell him that they got a good scolding, but they still all have their jobs, and thank him for doing what he did to get to General Cavenagh. Private Simmons then reminds them of getting paid. They follow him down to the Executive Wing of St. Cuthbert within Fort Marshop where they meet Dolores Farlight. She is a very elderly woman behind the desk wearing a dress and coke bottle glasses. When Private Simmons approached her desk she greeted him and gave him a massive stack of paperwork. Intimidated, they decided to get paid later after getting KK.
The remaining party then heads to Vittles where upon their arrival they see KK behind the counter doing some opening work for the restaurant. She explains how if she is sent back she is just going to jail, so this escape wasn't from them, just her fate if discharged from the army. Nobody takes anything personally and the chef tells them that he will teach them how to skin and cut up this alligator. He shows them and then teaches them how he makes his alligator bites, except for his secret spice blend. He then gets some orders out to the regular restaurant clients whom Yaros and Scarlet realize are all the patrons form the night before he had promised gator bites. He then sits with them and reaffirms that he will get them in with the The Resturant Cooperative but how they could also have all the teeth and skin from the alligator they he usually just sells. But he would keep one tooth and put it on his wall once the party comes up with a name for itself.
The party then leaves for Fort Marshop. Upon arrival Tatho and Yaros leave for the Executive Wing to get a head start on their payment paperwork. The other four head towards General Cavanagh's quarters where Lieutenant Crew and Master Sargent Erik allow them to enter, stating how their orders are now to let Private Keeton in whenever she arrives. Upon entry General Cavanagh gives KK the same speech he gave the others the night previous. When he finishes KK asks if they can stop threatening her with jail every time she messes up instead of going through protocol. He retorts that standard protocol for defying orders and speaking back to superiors is dishonorable discharge from the military, and upon doing so that is where she would go. But otherwise he has allowed incredible amounts of freedom to the party compared to everyone else enlisted.
He then tries to break the heavy tension in the air by talking about their operation. He hands the party each a Red Bloom Festival Brouchure and says how they should attend the opening parade Monday morning to get eyes on a lot of the groups of people within the city. He also says they are already spoken for Monday evening with attending the annual cookoff for Chef Sebastian. But otherwise they can each probably attend about 8 different activities throughout the week nights of drinking not withstanding, so start thinking about what they want to do. He also asks if they had a team name yet, they said they were working on it but didn't have anything yet. He said to get him one by the end of the festival.
After leaving his office they head down to the Executive wing with Dolores to get their pay. When they arrive they see that Yaros and Tatho have not made it far in their paperwork, and after hours leaving Private Simmons this morning, he has only just finished. They all work their way through the first stack of about 100 pages when Meatball Hell begins playing. The first stack is every piece of bureaucratic paperwork one can think of that the military would ever need, and force enlistees to do it as they need to get paid. The second is a stack about half the size with each page just needing signatures, dates, and thumbprints to verify each page in the last packet is accurate and true. The third is a single sheet of paper verifying that everything in the last packet was true. Upon completion Dolores gives each of them a check for 10 gold issued by the government of the United Shard, but they would have to go get it cashed at the bank. They leave for Safe Co. Bank in The Heights and get their gold.
After this they head back still tired from their fight with the alligator and mentally tired from the scolding and paperwork. They talk for a while and then spend the rest of the night discussing everything they want to do at the Red Bloom Festival as well as what their new team name should be.