Conversations at the door, a scuffle
Subject Conversations at the door
Where is your home, Gromp?" Salix will ask again.
OOC: Mark, based on this so far, *I'm* guessing they are orcs. What does Salix think they might be? Also, I've been playing Salix thus far with the idea that Orcs aren't considered much worth negotiating with. Salix isn't into wanton death and destruction, but Orcs also aren't respecters of nature, even much less so than all but the worst humans. (Correct me if this doesn't jive with your world we're playing in.) I only bring this up because what Salix reports will be colored by what he thinks these creatures are. If he simply doesn't know, you can say that, too, and I'll run with it.
From: Jason
Subject Conversations at the door
Its worth noting that both Ragnar and Mund speak orcish, and while Ragnar hasn't been listening at the door Mund would almost certainly have known if they were speaking in orc. Anyone know what language trolls speak?
From: Mark
Subject Conversations at the door
The accents do not sound orcish.
From: Mark
Subject Conversations at the door
OODM: Salix is not sure that they are orcs, just from talking to them. The accent does not sound "Orcish" but there are alot of groups of orcs around the world.
IC: "Home is cave near city of Tralanda, great underground city. My cave is two days? walk from city. Where you home, Salix?"
From: Karl
Subject Conversations at the door
OOC: Does this city sound familiar to Salix? Could he or any of the others guess what these creatures are based on this info?
From: Mark
Subject Conversations at the door
I have done some knowledge checks and no one has any inkling where or what these things are.
Of cours I know where they are from and how high the DC is.
From: Karl
Subject Conversations at the door
"I am from the Great North Woods. I do not know your city of Tralanda, so I don't know if we could help you get home. I'm pretty sure we could get you out of the room, though, provided you honestly answer a few questions. What sort of beings are you and how many of you are in there?" (OOC: Diplomacy skill here if it applies.)
From: Mark
Subject Convesations at the door
Well diplomacy is if you want them to do something for you. It might apply Sense motive, now that is a skill that will be usefull. :)
I will do some RP in about an hour, since that is when lunch is.
From: Karl
Subject Conversations at the door
Well, I want them to answer truthfully, so that's where I thought it might apply. I'm also going to And of course, use my Sense Motive where it applies as well. I don't have a whole lot of time for too much back and forth today, and I don't want to slow the game down, so let me tell you what Salix wants to try: Unless we find out that the creatures are such that there is *no way* our team can let them go without at least one of us attacking them (sworn enemy race, or whatnot), Salix will report back to harp all he knows so far, and add that he thinks (if sense motive bears out) that he can negotiate a peaceful way past this obstacle. He will tell harp that it appears the creatures just got teleported into the room specifically for this test and propose simply asking for the key. If they refuse, we can threaten them, and finally kill them if they don't respond to threats. We can barter whatever assistance we might be able to give them in exchange for the key. (If we can determine they are from our world and not some other, we can simply send them out the way we came in, for instance). Salix really likes the idea of ending this peacefully, but he isn't going to risk overall failure to save the lives of these creatures. If the others have reason to forego parlay, or if the creatures prove very difficult or un-trustworthy, he'll support just getting them out of the way.
From: Porter
Subject Conversations at the door
Mund asks the question "Fala orcanhol?*", asking them in Orcish if they speak orcish.
*for Karl :)
From: Josh
Subject Conversations at the door
"Gromp" Kal thinks. If he's not an orc, he's got to be a goblin.
"Friend Salix, you're wasting your time with these creatures. They're pawns of chaos and evil. Treacherous to the core. Lets kill them quickly. If we return them to their homes they're probably be out pillaging and raping in a week."
From: Porter
Subject Conversations at the door
"Oh, that's rich, coming from an Elf. I've seen first-hand how kindly your people deal with others. I've seen the burned villages and dead bodies."
"Yes, orcs and goblins are known for their banditry. But what's not known is that it is carefully orchestrated by the elves."
"Orcs and goblins aren't even allowed in most cities. And when they group together to try to raise some crops, you dirty, cowardly, manipulative elves come and destroy their villages, including the women and children."
"The only way that an orcish or goblin community can hope to survive is by turning into what the Elves want them to be -- theives."
"Oh, yes. The elves want the orcs and goblins to be bandits, because that keeps everybody else afraid and more maleable for the sneaky elves to manipulate them."
"Maybe there are some people around here who deserve death because of their blood, but they aren't on the other side of the door. They are right here."
From: Josh
Subject Conversations at the door
"I'm sorry, their race doesn't collectively worship a God who's devoted to chaos and mayhem? THEY are the marauders. Don't blame elves for being efficent at keeping our homes. We're not the nation who is constantly battling with all of it's neighbors. We have long lasting and peaceful treaties with all of the civilized peoples.
Only when outsiders come and attack our way of life do we turn to fighting. When they get together to "innocently raise crops" a leader eventually emerges, and then we're entrenched in a battle with a well fed goblin army that hates our forest and hates our way of life. We've seen dozens of times, so don't get moraly smug with me.
The only way a goblin or orcish community can hope to survive is by turning from their God and learning to leave peacably around other races. As long as they continue to worship the one-eyed abomination they will continue to be a savage warlike race. He wills it so.
Keep your thoughts on The Nations to yourself Mund. You have the intellect of a child and talk as such. If we weren't engaged right now we would be fighting with swords instead of words, where you would be similarly outmatched."
Angered by Mund's racist outburst, Kal starts chanting elven prayers, kicks open the door and starts killing. He'll swing his weapon at the nearest goblin-looking thing he sees. If they're not goblins or orcs (or any other evil creature), Kal will not attack.
From: Mark
Subject Conversations at the door
Wel that does it.
From: Porter
Subject Scuffle
Mund is not going to let this racist commit genocidal murder on his watch. Mund rages and tackles him from behind. (Attempts to start a grapple).
From: Derek
Subject Scuffle
Allistair sighs audibly at Kal's comments, and then visibly starts to cringe as he sees his brother start going into a tirade. After the ruckus that occured earlier at the chapterhouse, he does not want to have to sit through another one of these pointless arguments. He turns to Kal and quickly address him in elven: "Kal-Lar, please be silent for a moment. No matter what happened to you in the past, expressing your views in such a way only serve to stir up feelings of anger within the group. Look to Ran-Ell if you need an example of how adult elves properly behave."
Allistair then approaches his brother and gently places a hand on his arm, which he hopes will have a restraining effect on his temper. OOC: I'll let Mark figure out which happens first.
From: Josh
Subject Scuffle
OOC: This argument felt way too much like I was some far right guy arguing the American/Middle-east conflict.
From: Porter
Subject Scuffle
OOC: In case this thread goes anywhere:
IC: "No, I don't think that Harp's ancestry makes him the most capable to make an unbiased decision. He knows nothing about the noble race he is descended from. He was taught to hate them from an infant, and he does so without knowing anything about them. He fights himself at every turn, not realizing that his orc blood is as much a blessing as a curse, just like his human blood. No, I would not trust Harp to make an unbiased decision."
From: Josh
Subject Scuffle
OOC: Kal will respond to Allistar before busting in the room, after already responding to Mund.
Kal turns to Allistar: "Your brothers a fool and will be treated as such. These goblins need to die, and they need to die now.
Have you all forgetten that we're currently in a extra-dimensional pocket fighting a TEST created by the very opponent of the one eyed abomination?
There is nothing to be learned here from these spawns of chaos and evil. At best they're "innocent" and will go back to raping and pillaging our brethren. At worst they're a trap laid by the one-eyed one himself, designed to destroy our chances at fulfilling our mission.
We don't have time for foolish errands of gallantry now. These are the enemies. They stand in our way, and they are the children of evil. We kill them now, before it costs us our life and our quest.
With that, Kal does in fact push through the door and start swinging.
From: Porter
Subject Scuffle
In that case, Mund still attacks Kal from behind. :)
From: Mark
Subject Scuffle
OK guys I am going to stop the action here.
Kal is going to open the door and rush into the room. Mund is going to try and stop him with a grapple.
I will try and write up the turn when I get home tonight.
From: Josh
Subject Scuffle
OOC: Good luck sucka! Kal's got a dex of like 30 million.
From: Mark
Subject Scuffle
And Mund has improved unarmed combat. He is good, compared to most, at unarmed combat.
From: Josh
Subject Scuffle
OOC: I sure hope it's actually goblins or orcs or something else easy to kill in there. I'd hate to be running into a Beholder's den. :-D
From: Derek
Subject Scuffle
OOC: I'm thinking the initiative roll is going to be VERY important. I wish I had something better than a wanky sleep spell to drop these bozos. Hold person would be nice right about now.
From: Mark
Subject Scuffle
Who are the bozos? Mund and Kal? or the guys behind the door?
Becuase Allistair probably knows that his sleep spell would have no effect on Kal, being an elf, and little effect on his brother.
From: Derek
Subject Scuffle
OOC: I meant Mund and Kal. I know it wouldn't effect either one of them, which is why I wish I had something better.
From: Karl
Subject Scuffle
I'm not getting several emails apparently. I'm very confused and I don't have time to straighten it all out right now. I will look at what is happening when I get home, (hopefully all the emails are there.)
From: Derek
Subject Scuffle
OOC: Were we all by the door? I thought most of us were in the room and only Salix and Surin were by the door.
From: Porter
Subject Scuffle
Just so it's clear, even if Kal gets the door open, Mund will still go for the grapple.
And there's no way that elf can out-run Mund. ;)
From: Porter
Subject Scuffle
Also, don't forget that Mund is raging.
From: Mark
Subject Scuffle
From what I understood Mund, Allistair, Kal, Salix and Surin were all close to the door. Ran, Ragnar and Harp stayed back about 30-40 feet as reserves. By now I am sure some of them have probably heard something since I am sure Kal and Mund have not been keeping their voices down. :)
From: Jason
Subject Scuffle
I've been trying to estimate in my head how far 40 feet is, and I'm pretty sure that we would be able to hear pretty much everything that's being said on our side of the door, though perhaps not what the other guys are saying.
That being said, Ragnar is really kicking himself for asking for status instead of calm emotions this morning. Of course, he didn't really expect to have to STOP fights, just win them, so what can you do.
Ragnar will start forward once Kal's intentions become clear. If there is fighting, he'll charge if he can see anyone, but more likely just close in. If Mund is succesfull grappling Kal and by some miracle there is no fighting, Ragnar won't enter the room and will stand clear of the doorway.
From: Kevin
Subject Scuffle
OOC: I can't let you children play at all.
I am slammed at work, but will write some responses when I get home.
Mark, hold off on your write up until I get a chance to send something in.
From: Karl
Subject Scuffle
Well Good Lord! No wonder I was confused. I didn't get *any* of this stuff at work. All I know is Gomp and Salix were having a nice peaceful chat then suddenly doors were getting kicked in and people were getting grappled.
I think Salix may just go back out the way he came in . . . (j/k)
From: Kevin
Subject Scuffle
Harp will stand by the door leading to the hallway, trying to assertain (sp?) what is going on. If he sees either Kal enter the room or a wrestling match break out, he will swear an oath to Heironious, call on Ragnar and Ranthir to join him and head down the hallway. If a grapple is going on, he will try to separate the two combantants, if Kal is successful in opening the door, he will head in the room (if he can get there) and (assuming Kal is already fighting the occupants) start a combat with whomever he encounters.
OOC: Captain Picard never had an away team go so bad so quick. We did not even make it to the transporter room.
I just realized that Harp is really Worf, but in a different universe.
From: Porter
Subject Scuffle
Yet another agent of Chaos.
*shakes head sadly*
From: Josh
Subject Scuffle
Harps too smart and too quick to stay his sword. All Worf ever said was "Weapons ready sir!"
From: Porter
Subject Scuffle
Maybe Worf would have mellowed out if he were captain.
From: Josh
Subject Scuffle
You never saw the episode where they all got their memories erased?! They woke up and everyone was like "huh". Warf started barking orders, and all around just being a jerk.
Another similiarity we've got with Harp. :-D
From: Porter
Subject Scuffle
That's not what I meant. I meant that after being captain for a while, maybe he would learn other negotiation tactics besides weapons.
And the episode you mentioned doesn't count -- he hadn't *been* captain, so he hadn't had a chance to learn and mellow.
From: Kevin
Subject Scuffle
Law - Chaos - It is all beyond Harp. He just wants to try and do good. All he knows is that if he sees Kal break into that room, something has gone terribly amiss with the plan. He is familiar with Kal's impulsiveness and will know that something is not right. If he were to find Kal fighting, then the milk is already spilt, time to mop up the mess. If Kal is having a pleasant conversation, then, as indicated, Harp will not attack.
Harp does not have any animosity toward these creatures (unless they are orcs) but they are a barrier to him completing his mission. He is willing to see if his friend Salix is able to work out an amiable solution, but if things go into the shitter (through our actions or theirs), Harp is going in to end the problem - now.
If he sees to of his companions fighting amongst themselves, he will be equally mad that they are not focused on the bigger picture.
Lets see how great, all powerful DM works this out.
From: Mark
Subject Scuffle
Salix, Surin and Allistair look on as the words between Mund and Kal heat up so quickly. Allistair tries to calm the tensions between the two, hoping beyond hope that his brother had moderated his views over the past years. It was not to be. In a huff Kal draws his rapier with his right hand, lifts the bar on the door and kicks the door open. Mund sees this and goes into a rage. As Kal opens the door Mund tries to tackle him. (Normally Kal would get an AOO, but I am figuring the grapple is a surprise move, just as opening the door was a surprise action.)(AC10, flat footed, touch attack, 4+10=14, success, grab,Opposed grapple check, Mund 7+10=17, Kal 19+5=24) Kal shakes off Mund's tackle and both men move into the room.
As the other three watch the door swings shut behind them, almost as if it had been pushed. In the passing glimpse of the room, they notice that there is no light in the room. At the other end of the hallway, Harp notices the commotion. He calls for Ran and Ragnar to join him as he rushes down the hallway towards the door.
As Mund and Kal come to a stop in the room they can hear the heavy breathing of many others around them. From out of the darkness a voice speaks. "This is your fault. We will kill you and then the rest. Goro, block the door."
OODM: Ok here is the situation. Mund has no weapon drawn, Kal has his rapier. They are blind. Lowlight does not work in this room, there is no light. There is an unknown number of enemies. There are serious modifiers for fighting blind with out the blindfight feat. If you do not know what they are please let me know and I will fill you in some.
Salix, Surin and Allistair are still outside the door and Harp, Ragnar and Ran will be there next round. Initiative: Kal(25), Creatures(11), Mund(7)
From: Kevin
Subject Scuffle
As Harp sees Kal and Mund disappear from the hallway, he starts to run toward where the other companions are, his sword at his side. As he gets to where Salix, Surin and Allistair are standing, he sees that the door is shut. Cursing under his breath to Salix "What the hell happened?" Harp will start to try and push the door open so he can get to his companions. If he is unable to get it by himself, he will ask Ragnar and Ran to help him.
OOC: Mark, if it will make it easier, if Harp finds that he and the others are unable to get the door open, next turn Harp will cast Bulls Strength on himself, unless someone else makes a better suggestion to get the door open.
I hope Mund and Kal have some fun for the next few turns. This could get really interesting.