Grindle Family/CripRP

Falasan / Eston War

In Amdor with New Troops

Crip arrives back in Amdor, happy to be back towards the front lines. He takes a moment to visit his old troop, the Amdor Region Security Ensemble, and share a brandy with them. Seeing their name written on paper, he realises why his men were so keen to write their own name for their unit, and sighs a rueful sigh. But he is glad to see that most of them have now agreed on the rules for their various card games, and are getting on rather better than his present lot. He sends a couple of them over to teach his new band of men, while he relaxes with his drink and the company of familiar faces, before remembering something.

Crip: Have any of you seen Sir Willem?

One of the A.R.S.E. militia': Yes, Sir, he's somewhere in that direction I think, he was training his men earlier, I'm sure.

Crip thanks him, and goes to see Willem.

Crip: I see that you are doing well with improving the region, Lord Willem; I am very impressed with your work here since I was last in the area. I have a small confession to make though - a few days ago, my men caught a man they knew to be an Eston spy. He kept claiming he worked for Falasan, and the men rather keenly kept attacking him in the hope that he would reveal his true master. Only then did one of the men admit that he wasn't actually sure whether the man was from Eston or not. It turned out in the end that he was one of your scouts, from what I can tell. I am very sorry for his ordeal; I took him back to Barad Gardor and got the men in question to pay for him to be seen by a healer, so he will hopefully make a good recovery.

Crip Grindle (Knight of Elroth)

Teaching Skat to Lord Willem

Crip Grindle arrives at Willem's estate in the evening. He enjoys a fine dinner of pickled herring, with drinks a-plenty, and remarks once more on the fine state Amdor finds itself in under Willem's, and Falasan's, rule.

Shortly, they move to the card table, where Crip gets out his pack of cards and, as promised, attempts to teach Willem the game that his men all love to spend their evenings over.

Crip: It's called Skat, and we could really do with an extra person or two, since it's a three-player game for three to five people...

Willem's eyebrows raise already.

Crip: Well, for the purposes of teaching it, let's have a couple more players [he draws up a couple of empty chairs, and his captain takes one of them when called to assist] My Captain, Werner, an expert at this game it has to be said, and let's call the empty chair Ramardo Van Troup. Ramardo can be the dealer.

Crip: [grinning] So, let me show you how to deal. You deal three to each person, then two on to the table - these are the Skat - then deal round to each player again, four cards the first time, three cards the second time. Ok? I hope that makes sense, because if you get it in the wrong order, you lose ten points. You can deal for Ramardo, if that's ok?

Willem: [struggles, but manages successfully to deal in the right order] Crip, it would be useful to know the aim of the game before getting to the details such as dealing...

Crip: Oh yes, of course. Well, quite simply, you are trying to get to 61 points.

Werner: Unless you're going for scheider, Sir.

Crip: Oh yes, of course, unless you're going for scheider, in which case you need 91 points. Now then, if you scheider, then you get double points.

Werner: Unless you declare it in advance, Sir.

Crip: Oh?

Werner: Yes, Sir, if you declare it in advance, it's worth triple.

Crip: It is? Oh, fair enough. Good job you're here, Werner! And then, Sir Willem, if you get schwartz, then it's worth triple. And in advance, Werner?

Werner: Five times, sir.

Crip: Five times, eh? Lovely. Ok.

Willem: But I thought it was 61 or 91, and 91 is not double 61.

Crip: Ah, no, not double the 61, double the unit score for the game.

Willem: And what's the unit score?

Crip: Well, it depends what game we're playing...

Willem: I thought we were playing Skat?

Crip: Ah, no, the version of the game, I mean to say. That is, either tournee, solo, grand, nullo, gucki or ramsch. Oh, and Werner, make sure I don't forget to explain about the Matadores...

Crip Grindle (Knight of Elroth)