Heading out for a Picnic

[Verus]

OOC: I'm not sure what I should timestamp this since the training happened in Optia and the season has changed...

IC: Verus hurried towards the room where he and the rest of his squad was to be briefed on their upcomming excursion into the wilderness. He was pressed for time and hopefully he would not be late like he had been for training, he did not want this to become a habit.

Finding the room the rhagrhnd entered it, and sure enough he was the last one of the squad to be accounted for. The room was small, with unadorned stone walls. A long table bisected the room with chairs running down both lengths. A larger chair sat at the head of the table where Sergeant Arrjay sat, obviously in charge. Next to him sat an unknown Warden, who Verus assumed was the one who would accompany them on their trip.

The other four members of the squad were already seated, thinking it appropriate he gave a quick salute to the sergeant before taking his seat and silently awaiting the debreifing.

[Maddyn]

Giving the squad time to arrive, Sergeant Aarjay gave the Recruits a few minutes to settle themselves before standing up and bellowing, "Officer Present!" just as a thin and wirey gentleman who'd claimed a position next to the Sergeant at the front of the room unfolded himself in a most curious fashion. Taking lanky to new and unexplored territory, he looked as if a strong breeze would break bones and send limbs flying at horrible angles. His hair was blonde and kept back into a ponytail and his features giving a half complete look with all his features seeming a little big, or just slightly too small for his face's shape. Big ears, tiny mouth, long nose, wide eyes.

"Hem-hem. Thankyou Sergeant. Now then, I would be, hem, Lieutenant V'weems and it is my pleasure to welcome you into the West Wardens Recruits upon your, hem, first, hem, Field Assignment. Hem-hem." his voice was odd, nasal and whatever on earth prompted the Lieutenant to make this odd, gurgling cough that sounded like 'hem' was anyone's guess.

"Off the shore of Nexus, five miles east a ship ran, hem, and beached itself on shore our Mages tell us. It is unknown whether the ship contains hostile forces or what, hem-hem, prompted it to beach itself. By accident, or, hem, deliberate. It is a merchant ship rather than, hem, a warship however though contains no Imperial, hem, markings as far as intelligence was able to, hem-hem, determine. Your assignment is investigation of, hem, events, and then to report back. Your priority order is recovery of information, not, hem, to go fight and to retreat at first signs of danger. Trained West Wardens will, hem, take over if any conflict arises. Any questions, Recruits? Hem."

OOC: Meh, stupid timestamping >_> Never can get the hang of it. Just fit it in wherever suits you ^^

Cheers, Maddyn

[Verus]

The gurgling cough that the awkward looking West Warden held soon got annoying as it interrupted the man every few words. Verus sat back in his chair and digested the information as the man gave it, trying his hardest to ignore the annoying cough.

As it turned out their job was recon, and they were being told not to fight if the opportunity arose, instead they were told to retreat at any signs of danger. Was that how a recruit should act? This was their field-test and they had just about been forbade to enter any combat? How were they to be judged correctly if the skills they had learned were not put to the test?

When the awkward West Warden asked for any questions, this time the rhagrhnd did not hold his peace as he usually did, instead he voiced his thoughts in a deep voice that did not seem right for his size. "I do have a couple questions, lieutenant. First, who will be the leader of the squad for this assignment? Next, I have a question about the orders. If this is our first field assignment why are we forbidden to fight? Is this assignment not to test our skills and how we hold up in the field?...Lieutenant!"

[Maddyn]

Blinking slowly, the Lieutenant's expression was decidedly lizardlike, Draconian even as the movement seemed to take up the space of a good five minutes after Verus' outburst. A flicker of the tongue as the Lt. began to wet his lips before Sergeant Aarjay rose and began to whisper into Lieutenant V'weems' ear. After a few more seconds, a slight smile lacking in humour marked itself upon the Officer's unusual features before nodding his head once to himself before Sergeant Aarjay took a seat.

"Hem... Recruit Verus, it would appear that, hem-hem, I am to congradulate you upon your advancement to Acting-Warden rank of Private at the, hem, beginning of your Wilderness, hem, Survival assignment," Lieutenant V'weems stated calmly, a hushed swearword originating behind Verus that seemed to come from where the Half Elf sat. "You are, hem-hem, forbidden to fight because your assignment, hem, is to survive while being of use to the West Wardens, hem. Dead Recruits, hem, are no good to us, whereas information, hem-hem, retrieval is an important resource. You are, hem, allowed to defend yourself... but, your Assigned, hem, Observer will be there to countermand you should you, hem-hem, decide to give the order "Charge!", hem, when you should in fact be making a hem-hem, tactical withdrawl. Is that, hem, acceptable to yourself Squad Leader Verus? Hem."

[Verus]

The Lieutenant made an odd impression on Verus. All the coughing, his appearance, the way he wet his lips, the slow blinking and the expression on his face. It did not quite seem completely human, the rhagrhnd had heard that some in a race named Dracons could change their appearance and look like another race; maybe this was such a case. Appearance may be changed, there would always be little tells to give yourself away. But on the other hand, maybe the Lieutenant was just an odd human... one-way or another did not bother Verus. He was not a racist man and judged everyone on their actions, not their appearance.

Upon hearing the announcement that he had been named squad leader, Verus' face did not change in the least. He had figured the position was a toss up between him and the half-elf and the position was not nearly as important as it seemed to the half-elf who uttered a curse at the announcement.

Next was the answer to his question about their orders. Every bit of the announcement went against what he believed, he believed that running from a fight, no matter what kind of fancy name you put to it was still the act of a coward. When asked if he understood the answer, Verus' had a hard time humbling himself enough to utter, "Yes, Lieutenant." As long as he was in the West Wardens he would try and abide by their orders and rules, but on a mission with the adrenaline pumping, anything could happen.

[Maddyn]

"Hem... then you're all dismissed. You are to, hem, rendevous outside Nexus Prime in one candlemarks time to the east of the city. At that point, you, Acting Warden Verus are, hem-hem, in charge of the, hem, assignment." the Lieutenant stated simply with a lizardlike smile. Failing to blink throughout the entire time he'd given the briefly. With that, the Lieutenant snapped to attention, waited until the Recruits had mustered their own before lowering his own and giving Verus the floor for any initial directives of his own he wished to add before the Wilderness Survival Operation was to commence.

Moving to the side, the Sergeant fell in step alongside the Lieutent before the pair made their way from the briefing room. All the while giving hushed words, though Sergeant Aarjay did glance over his shoulder just before exiting the room to give Verus a knowledgeable wink.

OOC:
Initial additional orders can be given here, and feel free to make the new thread outside Nexus in the Wilderness forum and PM me the link - we'll go from there ^^

Cheers, Maddyn

[Verus]

Raising his own hand in a return salute to the lizard-like lieutenant. Verus stood to address the other, he didn't have a whole lot to add but he felt like he should say something since he was in charge of the group. "Okay, since our mission is reconnaissance, your weapons and cloaks are all the gear you will need. The armour will just slow you down when it comes to running so don't bring it along. That's all that I have to say, so lets got to it," It wasn't much, but it was something.

Watching as the Sergeant and Lieutenant left the room he saw the wink that Arrjay gave him. What was that for? The only thing that Verus could think of was his questioning of the orders, maybe the Sergeant agreed with his point of view of running instead of fighting. Anyways, there was no time for pondering it too much. They were due outside the gates in one candlemark, so Verus left the briefing room heading for the barracks to get ready.