What to do? and Salix speaks
Subject The second room
Mund, Allistair and Salix walk slowly down the hallway and listen at the door. Allistair and Salix both hear voices but other than the occasional word in common, do not recognize the language. They report this back to the others.
From: Mark
Subject Turn
If you guys would decide what you want to do with this encounter today I will be able to write it up tonight.
From: Karl
Subject The second room
Salix gives his report and adds, "So it seems we might very well be able to communicate with these creatures. I can't help but imagine this fact itself might be part of the test. It might be helpful to see if we can get some information from them, if not about the coming challenges, at least about how they came to be part of this one. If course, if they don't seem to be willing to parlay, then we let our esteemed mage fireball them."
From: Porter
Subject The second room
"By the time we know that they won't talk with us, they'll probably be too close for a fireball."
From: Randy
Subject The second room
"I agree that we should try to communicate with them. We are a formidable group and we are capable of defending ourselves if things go sour. We should keep our defenses up but perhaps we need to approach this peacefully. Do any of the magic users have any skill with something that might allow us to better understand the language they are speaking?"
Ranthir will ultimately go along with whatever plan is decided on but would prefer not to send a fireball in without at least attempting to communicate.
"Perhaps we just call through the door and see if they answer? I realize that this alerts them to our presence, but if we want to try talking this may be the least threatening way to do so rather than barrelling down the door with weapons raised. I will defer to you Harp in this matter."
From: Karl
Subject The second room
Salix shrugs. He was only half joking about the fireball, but it didn't matter.
From: Kevin
Subject The second room
OOC: I am heading to lunch, and will consider options while I am away. I am torn between tyring to find something out and thinking that we need to kill eveybody. Remember, this is a testing ground developed by a martial order to test its members.
Let me think about it.
From: Karl
Subject The second room
OOC: Is your martial order devoid of the concepts of "a time to avoid battle", "Parlay", "Truce" or "Peaceful co-existence"? Personally, I think we're gonna have to kick ass, too, but Salix isn't militant and has been taught all these things. Otherwise the Great North Woods would probably be a lot "greater" and some humans would be finding themselves a lot closer to nature. ;)
From: Kevin
Subject The second room
OOC: Lets see - Time to avoid battle - probably not. Parlay - only if the other guy is surrendering, Truce - again, only if the other guy is surrendering, Peaceful co-existence - only if the other guy is good. We like to keep things simple.
IC: Harp grows concerned at Salix's suggestion. Harp had been ready to cut down everything in their way to get the keys, but the druid had shown exception insight previously, and Harp had come to value his counsel. But up to 8 possible opponents? If they were not agreeable to conversation, the loss of the element of surprise was something to worry about.
After thinking for a few minutes Harp talks to the group - "I understand Salix's concern, and I too would like to try to learn a bit more. However, against this number of opponents, I would hate to loose the advantage of surprise.
I would like to try the following - lets open the rest of the doors to see if there are only hallways behind them or if there are any direct threats behind any of them. Once we determine that (and we get that boring part done) then we can have Surin, Mund, Salix and Allistair head down each hallway (assuming that there is one behind each door, as we have seen so far, and see if they can hear a smaller number of opponent or someone we can understand more easily. We might also get a better idea of the layout of this place.
Agreed?"
From: Kevin
Subject The second room
OOC: Mark, we would keep the same door opening structure we had worked out before if we do this.
From: Randy
Subject The second room
Ranthir offers his support for this plan but in the back of his mind believes that each door will offer a more difficult challenge than the previous one.
From: Porter
Subject The second room
OOC: What the heck? What is Mund, chopped liver? :angry: ;)
"I don't think we should open any more of the doors until we are through with what we have to deal with here. Otherwise, we risk being surrounded and having to fight 10 groups instead of just one."
"I say we open this door and see who it is. They might be friendly."
"You're a fine one to go on and on about good and evil, and you're ready to kill somebody just because they speak a different language?"
From: Jason
Subject The second room
OOC: No, that part comes after we send you in first to be our ambassador :) Also, I'd say it was pretty obvious that ogre was a lawful good ogre, cast out by its family and brought by Heironeous to be a holy protector of this artifact... and you can't prove me wrong anymore since you went ahead and shot him without warning just because he was bigger than you!
IC: "I agree that we should probably deal with this group one way or another before moving on. It seems logical that the challenges were meant to be faced in order. It even seems possible that if we do not collect the correct key in the correct order, the phrase 'Without the right key, beware the floors' might take effect.
"As far as the element of surprise, my guess is that each challenge will become harder than the last. If that is so, this should be one of the easiest challenges we have to face, and I'm confident that Heironeous will grant us victory. But do we dare incur his wrath by indiscriminately slaying all who live in this place? For surely he has a special interest in it and all that occurrs within it."
Replying to Ran (who asked about the any skills that would allow us to communicate with them), Ragnar says "Heironeous can indeed bless me with the ability to understand their words, but unfortunately I would still have no method of communicating with them, unless they also understand some language with which I am familiar."
OOC:Map attached. The words in red indicate out of date stuff, but hopefully if this place gets bigger that will help us keep our bearings a bit?
From: Porter
Subject The second room
OOC: I have no idea what you are talking about. I was just complaining that Mund was talking first about talking with these guys, and then Salix said something, and then suddently Harp thinks it's a good idea, completely ignoring the fact that Mund was talking about it first.
From: Mark
Subject Map
Oh it is going to get bigger. Alot bigger.
From: Mark
Subject What to do
Well Kevin,
What is your intrepid party going to do?
From: Mark
Subject Fireball
I just caught this.
The door is on the north side of the hallway, so the idea of a rope tied to the handle, somehow pulled up to open the door and a fire ball shooting through the doorway will not work.
From: Mark
Subject Ogre gold
As the others talk Surin finishes counting the ogres gold and gives the party the total. 273 pieces of gold and a large sack.
From: Kevin
Subject What to do
Harp listens to Mund grumblings and Salix's desire to try to talk to those in the room. He is uncomfortable with the idea of trying to talk to those who are behind the door, but the mood of the group, at least the most vocal ones, seems to be to try and talk.
"Very well. Though it goes against my gut feeling, Mund, you will go with Surin, Salix and Kal. Go to the door and try to communicate with those on the other side. Ran, Ragnar and I will be waiting back here at this door, with Allistair just behind us. If you encounter ANY problems (or sense any falseness on their part) I want you back in here ASAP. I know you are a proud warrior, but your instructions from Quarion were to helpt us, not to get killed in an battle by yourself. This quest is bigger than any one of us."
After he has finished, Harp will motion for Salix and Kal to come over. Quietly, he will tell them "My friends, please be very careful in this endeavor. Salix, I know you are looking for ways to work with all living things, but this "constuct" we are in is not natural and the creatures that we meet here may not act naturally. We do not know if they have been told to kill all they meet, if they will be punished if they fail. There is so much we do not know. Kal, please keep an eye on my friend Salix, and my little friend Surin. Use all your skills to keep them alive."
With that Harp will ask Ran and Rangar to join him in getting on either side of the door in preparation of the worse to come.
From: Mark
Subject What to do next
The next several minutes is spent debating what to do. Harp lays it out for them. "It looks like we have three options. First, we do the same as before and kill all of them. Second, we try and talk to them. Third, we attack and try and take a prisoner, who we interrogate." Salix seems a bit put out at how eager Harp is to just kill everything. He knows that Harp's order sees things as black and white, but do they see any gray? Surin nods a bit at the idea of talking to the creatures as does Allistair. Mund is all for taking a prisoner. Ran is also for talking, but Ragnar is keeping a bit to himself. Kal is non-committal.
Harp finally makes his decision.
"Very well. Though it goes against my gut feeling, Mund, you will go with Surin, Salix and Kal. Go to the door and try to communicate with those on the other side. Ran, Ragnar and I will be waiting back here at this door, with Allistair just behind us. If you encounter ANY problems (or sense any falseness on their part) I want you back in here ASAP. I know you are a proud warrior, but your instructions from Quarion were to help us, not to get killed in an battle by yourself. This quest is bigger than any one of us."
He then calls Kal and Salix over and asks them to be very careful and for Kal to keep an eye out for the halfling.
Mund, Surin, Salix and Kal then head down the hallway until they get to the door. Mund looks at Salix, as if expecting the druid to do something and Salix motions for Mund to bang on the door with the haft of his axe. Mund lifts the weapon and gives the door a good sound banging. Surin hears some shuffling sounds from the other side of the door and a few seconds latter a voice can be heard through the door. The voice is low and quite, barely audible through the wood. Each of the party members looks at the other, none of them recognizing the language. Salix then speaks up. "Do you speak Common?"
"Yes" comes the muffled reply. "Who you?" the voice asks. Salix replies. "I am Salix, Wealward of the Great North Forest. Who are you?" " I am ...Gromp...." and the answer trails off in to series of rumblings that Salix is almost sure that he could not reproduce with his throat. "You trapped, too?" is the next question. "No" is the druids response, "are you trapped?" Gromp gives out a short bark. "At home getting water, next thing in room with others. Not 20, how you say, minutes ago. You know way back. Gromp and others be very happy you send us back."
OODM: I will let it stop there. Salix and the others can continue this as they want and I will do the responses.