Salix explains and a welcome
Subject New player
Yes, welcome.
From: Karl
Subject Salix upset
Salix has more to say, but Harp leaves so abruptly he decides it can wait. Why not? They had probably already failed the test. If not, Salix was quite unsure whether the God of this place was one worth appeasing anyway.
As the others enter the room, minus Harp and Kal, Salix will say simply, "What you have taken from that room was obtained by treachery and slaughter. I will have no part of it. I have no respect for those who will." He starts to say more, but thinks it's better to wait until the whole party is together. He continues to sit with resumed silence looking from each party member present to the other, then rests his gaze on the doorway Harp last entered.
(OOC - I doubt the other characters have any idea how pissed Salix is right now. These events have opened up a whole new level of role-play if anyone else is interested. If not, we can move to the next room, but I think we'd be missing the best part of the game.)
From: Jason
Subject Salix upset
When Harp asks him to leave, Ragnar takes the key he found and returns to the main room. As he enters he sees Salix is already there, sitting against the far wall. When the rest of the group has entered the room, Salix says "What you have taken from that room was obtained by treachery and slaughter. I will have no part of it. I have no respect for those who will."
Ragnar hesitates at his words, trying to decide how he himself felt about the matter. The gash on his face has stopped bleeding, and though his face still aches everywhere that it is not numb, he is not proud of what just happened. Finally he goes and sits down in front of Salix. He places the key on the ground between them. "You're right that it was a slaughter, and I doubt that anyone here is pleased about what happened. But as for treachery... Salix, they are intelligent creatures, and fully accountable for what they do. It was they who attempted to lock us out while they devoured Kal and Mund, after Mund had done nothing but good to them. And make no mistake, that was their intention. They feed on human flesh. Its unreasonable to suppose that Mund decided to attack an unknown number of assailants in the dark when up until then he had argued for saving them, so that means he was attacked first.
"We had no quarrel with them. I would have gladly allowed them safe passage to the surface, and would even have taken this wound attempting to do good to them rather than kill them out of hand. But Kal was not the only one who decided to attack innocents today, and Heironeous has never required his servants to stand idly by when their friends are attacked."
Ragnar will wait for Salix's response. If Mund is nearby, he will also look to Mund for confirmation about his speculation over what happened behind the closed door.
From: Karl
Subject Salix upset
"We I to find myself suddenly in such a room with no warning, I would be afraid. We're a creature to rush in brandishing a weapon intent on killing me and my kind I would not hesitate to create an advantage for my people as they did by closing the door. I would also not allow one of my friends to die while I figured out if the second intruder were as intent on murder as the first. Yes, you were right to save Mund. I do not despise you for the deaths you may have caused today. However, inasmuch as we are a group, we were the perpetrators of treachery. We made as if to attempt parlay. I certainly was trying to offer peace. Then, without warning we brought slaughter. I despise the cause of this slaughter and lay the blame at one set of feet. The rest of you acted in honor. However, the plunder is tainted. If any of you take it, I cannot call you friend."
He looks at the key on the floor between them. "This key is not what I mean. As it is part of this place it belongs to the holder of it. I will not touch it, because I think in this particular part of the test we have failed. I will not presume to force that view on anyone else."
From: Karl
Subject Salix upset
First word in that should be "were".
From: Randy
Subject Salix upset
Ranthir ponders Salix's words and feels anger wash over him. He was going to help open the door and assist in the slaughter. As soon as Mund and Kal were in potential danger, Ran only had thoughts of helping them out of it. Prior to the room being entered, Ranthir had felt Salix was on the right track with respect to the test they were facing. The creatures may have been evil, but from the looks of the rooms they could not have gotten there themselves. Hadn't they said as much to Salix? How could this test have been prepared by a God who is supposedly good and righteous? To bring creatures here as a test to be slaughtered could not be a good and righteous way of testing his servents.
"Salix, I agree with you. I am not ashamed of my actions in trying to defend my companions but I am ashamed that I did not consider the manner in which we are being tested." The last word is spoken with utter contempt.
"I do not believe it is right for these creatures to be brought here to be killed. The test is obviously designed to be passed by someone but I can't believe a God of righteousness would bring creatures, no matter how vile, to just be slaughtered. That is not a good or honorable manner in which to act. I will not take part in any more violence that we provoke. I will not ambush or sneak attack any of the further creatures we face. We must give them the opportunity to get out of this building without us causing them harm. I don't feel we can abandon our mission, or at least I cannot, but there are more honorable methods of gathering these keys than to ambush and murder. And make no mistake, I believe Kal is a murderer and I will be recommending that we treat him as such when Harp returns."
Ranthir will wait for any response from those in attendance. He will have some things to say to Harp when he and Kal return.
From: Ashley
Subject Salix upset
Surin watches Harp escort Kal into the room and shut the door, wondering if his leader would take a leaf from Mund's book once the door closed. Another punch in the face wouln't take away that blazing fury Kal possessed, though, and more importantly, it wouldn't take away the pain his friend was feeling at this moment. Utterly at a loss of what he could possibly say to comfort Salix, he's a bit relieved when the others start speaking up first. His dagger appears again in his hand, and his eyes are kept to the task of cleaning the dirt from his fingers while he listens to the discussion.
"I think you have a point there. We might have had to kill them all anyway, but does that justify the way we went about doing it? It just doesn't seem right." After finishing his nails Surin checks the blade against a few light hairs on his arm before it disappears out of sight again. Not quite as sharp as it could be, but he wasn't sure about borrowing Kal's whetstone any time soon.
"But--there's still nine (OOC: er, ten? eight?) more doorways to go through, and I can't help but think that certain of my skills might not still be useful in getting through them. I can't promise not to use my skills, but I can guarentee that I won't be doing much of anything without Harp's approval. He was called to lead this mission, and he's proven that I can trust him to command in a way that's right. Let him deal with right and wrong, and let me do whatever's necessary to follow him."
OOC: Um, hi guys. *waves* :). It might take a while for me to get into the groove of Jake's (totally awesome) character, but hopefully it'll come. I'm excited to be playing with all y'all, and thanks for the warm welcomes. :)
From: Randy
Subject Welcome
OOC: Well if this turn is any indication, it looks like you are getting the spirit that Jake had for Surin. Good to have you with us.
From: Ashley
Subject Welcome
aww, shucks. *blush*