Excalibur Squadron OOC - Too Tough To Die? (CLOSED)

[The Two Jerseys]

In the meantime, we can pretend to be Chuck Yeager.

[Grenartia]

In the meantime, we can pretend to be Chuck Yeager.

He must've been really short.

[Monfrox]

That took way too long.

[The Two Jerseys]

That took way too long.

It's not like you missed anything anyway. Save us, Tigger!

[The Knockout Gun Gals]

Tigger!

...maybe one of us can pretend to be Tigger?

[Goram]

There can be only one.

But again, I fear, this attempt at a reboot is over.

[Monfrox]

There can be only one.

But again, I fear, this attempt at a reboot is over.

That's quitter talk!

[The Knockout Gun Gals]

There can be only one.

But again, I fear, this attempt at a reboot is over.

One's that missing. Look, I'm not a pessimistic (I absolutely in favor taking care of RL issues rather than NS), but these have been weeks, maybe month since the last appearance of our Tigger.

There can be only one.

But again, I fear, this attempt at a reboot is over.

That's quitter talk!

Fair enough.

[Gibberan]

Would it be wrong to start bouncing around alternative RP ideas, as we were before?

[The Two Jerseys]

According to Tigger's nation page, he's been on in the past few days, so that's a good sign at least...

[Morrdh]

Thing I wrote for my college course.

15th September, 1940

The day dawned bright and clear, if a little chilly, as I cycled to the squadron’s hut. There was already some erks at work at this early hour, mostly tending to our line of Spits, either patching the last of the previous day’s battle damage or loading ammunition into the waiting fighters. I nodded my greetings to these men, which they returned in similar fashion rather than a salute since I’m still but a sergeant pilot. I still didn’t know many of their names since I’m fairly new on the squadron, what they call a ‘sprog’ and still very much wet behind my ears.

Other members of the squadron began to arrive; the Flight Sergeants Jenkins and Jones who wore a small crown above their strips and had weeks more experience over me. The sour and sullen looking Flying Officer Henshaw, a man of few words these days after some unknown tragedy that he wouldn’t speak of. Then came the intolerable Flight Lieutenant ‘Moggy’ Mason with a lit cigarette in his mouth and forever deriding others with detestable delight, I largely avoid his company as much as I could. Finally came the CO, Squadron Leader Blackwood, a harsh taskmaster who’d seen the remnants of the squadron home after the French campaign. Together we formed what was better described as a ‘flight’ than a fully fledge squadron, though there were few squadrons that were at full strength as this stage and all were desperate for sprogs like me.

“Wade,” came the grumbled greeting from the Old Man, Blackwood, himself. “We may be in for bit of a fight from Jerry today, just remember what I told you and stick with Henshaw.”

“Yes sir, I will.” I replied, getting a grunt of approval from Blackwood before he vanished into his office and I went outside to continue reading the latest letter from my parents. I’d received it some two weeks prior, but with Jerry keeping the pressure up I had only managed to read scraps of it and had no idea when I would finish it. Unfolding the sheet of paper that bore my father’s handwriting I tried to locate where I’d left off last time, there was mention of the recent bombing. They’d had endured it, taking refuge in their garden shelter as the bombs pounded nearby like some angry giant. My mother’s nerves were getting increasingly strained and father was looking at moving them both to the country, but with the trains being so disrupted…

A sudden shrill ring of the hut’s telephone seemed to free time as everyone turned with bated breaths before the dreaded word sounded like a banshee’s scream. “SCRAMBLE!”

In an instant we were all in full flight, the ground crews racing ahead to turn over the Accumulator Trolleys to start the fighters with great farts as the engines caught. I clambered into the cockpit of mine and a couple of erks were all over me like ants, making sure I was properly strapped in as I ran through a quick instrument check before waving the erks off. Poised like a greyhound, the Spit was pointing down the grass runway for a quick takeoff. Opening the throttle, the plane roared like some primal beast as it shot across the grass and clawed its way into the sky.

“Form up on me and make your height Angels ten,” Blackwood called out over the radio, his voice sounding in my ears like some phanthom passenger. Rest of the squadron radioed their acknowledgements, as did I, and then listened as Blackwood spoke with ground control. There was a brief chatter, though enough to give us all the information we needed as we swung round towards the ‘trade’ that ground control had spoken off.

“Bandits!” Jenkins suddenly exclaimed, sending a mixture of excitement and anxiety washing through me.

“Where Jenkins?” Growled Blackwood. “No good telling us if you don’t bally say where!”

“Sorry skip…” Came the sheepishly replied. “Five o’clock, low, looks like henkiels.”

“See any escorts?”

“No…wait! I see ‘em, up high!”

Jenkins was right as I could see the specks moving above us, like sheepdogs guiding their herd of bombers. Though as I watched the specks seem to grow bigger and then alarmingly became enemy fighters in an instant as they power dived down towards us. I froze for a moment before I snapped out of it when Blackwood shouted down my ear. “Break! Break! Break!”

I kicked the rubber and yanked the stick hard over, sending the world topsy turby as it spun round. Panic gripped me as I lost sight of the others and fought to keep down the pitiful breakfast I’d consumed. Something flashed past and was gone in an instant. Friend? Foe? I didn’t know, yelling out and firing of a burst out of reflex. A maelstrom of voices and cries sounded in my ears, though I barely caught any of it and had no idea how the others were doing.

[Morrdh]

Would it be wrong to start bouncing around alternative RP ideas, as we were before?

I have a few ideas.

[The Two Jerseys]

Here, while we await the resurrection of Tigger, learn some stuff.

Then stay for the laughs.

[Gibberan]

Would it be wrong to start bouncing around alternative RP ideas, as we were before?

I have a few ideas.

is curious

Here, while we await the resurrection of Tigger, learn some stuff.

Then stay for the laughs.

BISMARCK

[Morrdh]

I have a few ideas.

is curious

Ideaz I haz.

Army:- Regular infantry or a commando unit, charting the unit's path during WW2.

Navy:- Similar to the above, though thinking maybe a destroyer (HMS Nightshade) so can tie in commando ops.

Excalibur the Interwar Years:- Globe trotting troubleshooters, dealing with problems on behalf of Crown and Empire. Starting in the early 1920s or could be set in the Crimson Skies universe.

Or I could be completely mad by suggesting my own RPG setting.

[Monfrox]

It’s an interesting idea. Also, any of you guys play Bomber Crew on steam yet? Cause you should.

[Goram]

It’s an interesting idea. Also, any of you guys play Bomber Crew on steam yet? Cause you should.

I do. It's much, much better than I thought it would be.

[Morrdh]

Right expanding upon the ideas a bit.

Army:- Using a battalion of a fictional regiment called the Gwentshire Rifles, though probably centered round one of the platoons. Looking at covering the Norway Campaign and the Battle of France at least. Certainly will see action in North Africa, but after that have options of Italy, Normandy or Burma.

Navy:- Already mentioned a destroyer called HMS Nightshade, though it'll be stuff like the Arctic Convoys and some commando ops. Possibly action in the Med, but it'll require a bit of research.

Interwar Years:- Special troubleshooter unit created by Trenchard and Churchill, dealing with potential hotspots before they boil over into big trouble and helping to promote the RAF as a fully capable independent service. Alternative is setting it in the 1930s in the Crimson Skies universe, based primarily in North America battling sky pirates and protecting Imperial interests.

Frozen Skies:- My own RPG setting, think of it as the TV show Firefly set in the 1930s. Sky pirates, savage beasts and eldritch mysteries in a frozen frontier. If peeps are up to the idea, could use RPG stats to determine how successful stuff is (though I'll probably do all the dice rolls to try and keep things fair).

[Gibberan]

Right expanding upon the ideas a bit.

Army:- Using a battalion of a fictional regiment called the Gwentshire Rifles, though probably centered round one of the platoons. Looking at covering the Norway Campaign and the Battle of France at least. Certainly will see action in North Africa, but after that have options of Italy, Normandy or Burma.

Navy:- Already mentioned a destroyer called HMS Nightshade, though it'll be stuff like the Arctic Convoys and some commando ops. Possibly action in the Med, but it'll require a bit of research.

Interwar Years:- Special troubleshooter unit created by Trenchard and Churchill, dealing with potential hotspots before they boil over into big trouble and helping to promote the RAF as a fully capable independent service. Alternative is setting it in the 1930s in the Crimson Skies universe, based primarily in North America battling sky pirates and protecting Imperial interests.

Frozen Skies:- My own RPG setting, think of it as the TV show Firefly set in the 1930s. Sky pirates, savage beasts and eldritch mysteries in a frozen frontier. If peeps are up to the idea, could use RPG stats to determine how successful stuff is (though I'll probably do all the dice rolls to try and keep things fair).

All are very interesting; I'm not entirely sure if the interwar Excalibur could be pulled off simply due to Tigger's copyright on ES. The Frozen Skies setting sounds intriguing (even more so given we would have the creator as one of the RPers) though I admit I am not well-versed in either fantasy or RPGs. The idea of sailing around the world doing top-secret commando ops sounds fun though.

[Morrdh]

All are very interesting; I'm not entirely sure if the interwar Excalibur could be pulled off simply due to Tigger's copyright on ES. The Frozen Skies setting sounds intriguing (even more so given we would have the creator as one of the RPers) though I admit I am not well-versed in either fantasy or RPGs. The idea of sailing around the world doing top-secret commando ops sounds fun though.

The Frozen Skies one is more of a sandbox, go could for a more military based thing or freelance traders/smugglers depending on what people want to go for.

[The Knockout Gun Gals]

Right expanding upon the ideas a bit.

Army:- Using a battalion of a fictional regiment called the Gwentshire Rifles, though probably centered round one of the platoons. Looking at covering the Norway Campaign and the Battle of France at least. Certainly will see action in North Africa, but after that have options of Italy, Normandy or Burma.

Navy:- Already mentioned a destroyer called HMS Nightshade, though it'll be stuff like the Arctic Convoys and some commando ops. Possibly action in the Med, but it'll require a bit of research.

Interwar Years:- Special troubleshooter unit created by Trenchard and Churchill, dealing with potential hotspots before they boil over into big trouble and helping to promote the RAF as a fully capable independent service. Alternative is setting it in the 1930s in the Crimson Skies universe, based primarily in North America battling sky pirates and protecting Imperial interests.

Frozen Skies:- My own RPG setting, think of it as the TV show Firefly set in the 1930s. Sky pirates, savage beasts and eldritch mysteries in a frozen frontier. If peeps are up to the idea, could use RPG stats to determine how successful stuff is (though I'll probably do all the dice rolls to try and keep things fair).

Both the Army and the Frozen Skies are very good ideas.

All are very interesting; I'm not entirely sure if the interwar Excalibur could be pulled off simply due to Tigger's copyright on ES. The Frozen Skies setting sounds intriguing (even more so given we would have the creator as one of the RPers) though I admit I am not well-versed in either fantasy or RPGs. The idea of sailing around the world doing top-secret commando ops sounds fun though.

The Frozen Skies one is more of a sandbox, go could for a more military based thing or freelance traders/smugglers depending on what people want to go for.

I guess being the military type is better?

[The Two Jerseys]

Right expanding upon the ideas a bit.

Army:- Using a battalion of a fictional regiment called the Gwentshire Rifles, though probably centered round one of the platoons. Looking at covering the Norway Campaign and the Battle of France at least. Certainly will see action in North Africa, but after that have options of Italy, Normandy or Burma.

Navy:- Already mentioned a destroyer called HMS Nightshade, though it'll be stuff like the Arctic Convoys and some commando ops. Possibly action in the Med, but it'll require a bit of research.

Interwar Years:- Special troubleshooter unit created by Trenchard and Churchill, dealing with potential hotspots before they boil over into big trouble and helping to promote the RAF as a fully capable independent service. Alternative is setting it in the 1930s in the Crimson Skies universe, based primarily in North America battling sky pirates and protecting Imperial interests.

Frozen Skies:- My own RPG setting, think of it as the TV show Firefly set in the 1930s. Sky pirates, savage beasts and eldritch mysteries in a frozen frontier. If peeps are up to the idea, could use RPG stats to determine how successful stuff is (though I'll probably do all the dice rolls to try and keep things fair).

Have you thought about an armored unit?

[Gibberan]

Right expanding upon the ideas a bit.

Army:- Using a battalion of a fictional regiment called the Gwentshire Rifles, though probably centered round one of the platoons. Looking at covering the Norway Campaign and the Battle of France at least. Certainly will see action in North Africa, but after that have options of Italy, Normandy or Burma.

Navy:- Already mentioned a destroyer called HMS Nightshade, though it'll be stuff like the Arctic Convoys and some commando ops. Possibly action in the Med, but it'll require a bit of research.

Interwar Years:- Special troubleshooter unit created by Trenchard and Churchill, dealing with potential hotspots before they boil over into big trouble and helping to promote the RAF as a fully capable independent service. Alternative is setting it in the 1930s in the Crimson Skies universe, based primarily in North America battling sky pirates and protecting Imperial interests.

Frozen Skies:- My own RPG setting, think of it as the TV show Firefly set in the 1930s. Sky pirates, savage beasts and eldritch mysteries in a frozen frontier. If peeps are up to the idea, could use RPG stats to determine how successful stuff is (though I'll probably do all the dice rolls to try and keep things fair).

Have you thought about an armored unit?

Technically, destroyers are armored units.

[Morrdh]

The Frozen Skies one is more of a sandbox, go could for a more military based thing or freelance traders/smugglers depending on what people want to go for.

I guess being the military type is better?

Yes and no.

Military based would generally involve you lot being told what to do, other options is really up to what you lot want to do.

Either way, work for me.

Did considered an armoured unit for the Army RP, but felt infantry was the better option as it meant a wider scope of things that could be done. If we go Army RP route and it goes well then I may expand it.

[Gibberan]

I guess being the military type is better?

Yes and no.

Military based would generally involve you lot being told what to do, other options is really up to what you lot want to do.

Either way, work for me.

Did considered an armoured unit for the Army RP, but felt infantry was the better option as it meant a wider scope of things that could be done. If we go Army RP route and it goes well then I may expand it.

Personally I like the Navy idea best, as it seems to harken back to the original Excalibur premise of a dashing specialized elite task force rather than the more straightforward Army commando idea. It would also both offer more opportunities for round-the-world action instead of being localized to specific theaters at any given time (also the ship gives us a means of carrying out that travel, not to mention the satisfaction I'm sure everyone derived from being on the cool-ass boat during the Southern Cross op).

Thats just me, tho.