Surin's plan, reservations
Subject Surin's plan
I thought Ally was going to be disguised as the evil cleric and riding up front?
He wont have to sit with the bodies. That's going to be Salix, Kal, Ragnar and little Surin.
Harp, Mund and Ran wil be/can be escorting the wagon.
Mark, how many "guards" went with Harp's wagon when he went to the estate?
From: Mark
Subject Surin's plan
Surin was trying to figure out a way to conserve spells. If Ally still wants to do the polymorph and take the shape of the cleric he can. He just has to let the party know.
From: Kevin
Subject Surin's plan
Oh, OK, I misunderstood.
Never mind.
From: Mark
Subject Turn
Ok everyone has checked in. I will try and get something out today, hopefully this morning. I have three quotes and 1 new item to do, so it would be later this morning.
From: Mark
Subject Surin's plan
OOC: Is there anything in game mechanics that would make us unable to do this as planned? (I.E. someone getting sick and throwing up in the middle of the wagon while entering the gate? Or is that all just narrative color?
From: Mark
Subject Surin's plan
I was going to roll a FORT check for the people in the wagon to see if they are nauseated while in the wagon. There is a very slight chance of the people in the wagon being found out and if that happens, then they would be in the nauseated status for the duration of that fight. Once they are out of the wagon, the nauseated status would quickly end.
It is more for color, but there is a real, if very tiny, chance it might affect things.
From: Kevin
Subject Surin's plan
Again, just plug their noses with small bits of rags and let them breath through their mouths. If they are breathing, no one will care so long as they are "tied" up. Live people have been brought here before, so it will not cause alarm.
From: Josh
Subject Reservations
Kal approaches Ragnar after the plan has been discussed and the details worked out. "I don't think I can go along with this plan. Surin's idea is an excellent one tactically, but I can't lay down with the dead. My God would not approve. It's disrespect to my fallen enemies, myself and my God. I don't want to endanger our mission, but I don't think I can go through with this in good faith."
From: Mark
Subject Reservations
I am going to hold off writing the turn until Kal and Ragnar get this worked out.
From: Porter
Subject Reservations
Scornfully, Mund says "What? You afeard of getting some dirt on your pretty clothes?"
From: Josh
Subject Reservations
Harp and Salix tense up when Mund speaks. All they need right now is another fight. Salix gives Harp a knowing look, and the Half-Orc prepares to intervene.
Kal, without breaking away from Ragnar responds simply, "I'm afraid of getting dirt on my soul. Have you figured out how you're going to convince the Barbarian tribes yet? I imagine you and Harp should discuss that before we get inside the compound."
From: Mark
Subject Reservations
Do elves have souls? :)
From: Kevin
Subject Reservations
Harp looks at Kal. The elf had saved his life just a few hours ago. He had earned Harp's respect. In fact, Harp owed him his life.
"Kal, if we were to wrap you in some type of cloth to keep you from touching the bodies, would that suffice? Or is it the idea of riding in the cart at all that is bothering you?"
From: Porter
Subject Reservations
"I thought that you were already trying to get the dirt off your soul. What was it that your elders told you to do again?"
From: Josh
Subject Reservations
Kal nods to Mund, "Of course." and then continues to talk to Harp.
"I think those bodies deserve a proper burial. Since we can't provide them with that I think they at least deserve respect. It is the habit of our enemies to misuse the dead for their ways, not ours. We should not fall to their level.
I hesitated to speak earlier because I do recognize the importance of this mission. Surin's plan is clever and effective, I don't mean to say otherwise. I just fear that it's moral price is too high."
From: Kevin
Subject Reservations
Harp's mind tries to grasp what Kal is saying. A proper burial?? Just a few hours ago these thugs had been trying to bash his and Kal's head in. Now he wanted to bury them??
"Kal, if these bodies belonged to innocent victims, like we almost were, then I would agree. But these "creatures" did not plan on burying us or any others they caught. I bet they didn't even plan on getting buried themselves, but sacraficed to their dark god. Using them to accomplish our goal would be the ultimate slap in his face."
From: Josh
Subject Reservations
OOC: I'm going to hold off responding for a bit to see if Jason wants to say anything.
From: Porter
Subject Reservations
"I've got an idea -- let's leave Kal behind to play in the dirt with the dead bodies, and the rest of us will go and do something useful." Mund says.
From: Kevin
Subject Reservations
Harp shoots Mund a sharp look.
"With what we are going to face we're going to need everyone we have. Give it a break and let me see if we can work this out."
From: Karl
Subject Reservations
"That's ENOUGH!" Salix shouts. He takes a minute to get his temper under control before continuing. "We don't have time for this." He turns to Kal, "Kal, I understand your reluctance to disrespect the dead, but we are not here to conduct funerals for anyone, let alone thugs and murderers. These bodies will end up in a wagon on its way to the estate whether we take them there or not. What we are trying to do should be understandable by any just God. Surely you agree that what we are doing for good outweighs any mere matters of etiquette or propriety."
OOC: Salix will wait for Kal's answer. If he is still reluctant or unwilling to compromise, Salix will say the following:
"Kal, I will not order you to do this, but then you only leave me this choice. We will go forward as planned. If you will not cooperate, you will have to find your own way out to the estate or abandon us. Either way, you will have to answer to your superiors for your choices, and to your God if you cause our mission to fail."
NOTE: Salix will not say this second part at all if Kal seems like he will be cooperative. I'm just sending it now because I won't be able to send more out today and I don't want to leave you guys hanging. We either persuade Kal or we leave him.
From: Kevin
Subject Reservations
OOC: I LOVE it when Salix gets tough and takes control. lol.
From: Josh
Subject Reservations
"Surely you agree that what we are doing for good outweighs any mere matters of etiquette or propriety."
If these were mere matters of etiquette or propriety I would agree, but I think this is a much larger issue. We are pawns in a war between gods. I think it is absolutely imperative that we consider the goodness of every one of our actions. This point has been made clear to us all, and particularly myself, after the events at the testing grounds. The gods saw fit to reprimand me for my rashness, and I did not take their words lightly.
Now more than ever we must act goodly lest we serve the very enemy we wish to defeat. If we use the dead to serve our needs he will be laughing as his pawn is defeated when all our souls are sullied with his fingerprints.
Ragnar, Harp, listen to the voice of your God. Does he not agree with me now? I hear my God's voice clearly. This course of action is wrong and we must not follow through with it. "
After a brief pause Kal turns to Harp, "These are men, not creatures. They may have sinned, but they are not evil by nature. They attacked us out ignorance, and the Gods saw fit to punish them for that action. It is not ours to judge them now."
He then turns to Salix: "If you need a more pragmatic reason to object to this plan, then perhaps this will sway you. If we fail, we will have given this foul cleric more material to work his evil deeds. We should consecrate these bodies and have the mockers hide them away from him, rather than bring these poor creatures back within his grasp."
OOC: Not to be a complete obstructionist, Kal intends to present an alternate plan. Just give me a few hours to figure out what it is. ;-)
From: Jason
Subject Reservations
Ragnar hesitates when Kal approaches him, and in that moment several others burst in. Finally, when Kal speaks again, Ragnar says "Kal, I would never advise you to do something that would disappoint your god. As a matter of fact, I don't believe that Heironeous would disapprove. These men are dead, and what is left behind is no more *them* than my armor is me. It is merely a shell we wear, a tool that allows us to do god's will.
I believe that when the servants of Nerull use the bodies of the dead to serve them in undeath, the good gods are offended because they make a mockery of life, which is a gift of the gods, and not because the bodies themselves were sacred.
Nevertheless, if you believe that Corellon Larethian would disapprove, we should be able to come up with another way to get you into the compound."
OOC:
Wow, look what happens when I go to class. That'll teach me to let the lesser priorities take over my life! I'll try to think of a way to get Kal in, or maybe he'll think of a plan. Ragnar still doesn't object to Surin's plan, but he will support Kal finding a different way in if he can.
From: Mark
Subject Reservations
This is role playing. I like it. It adds dimensions to the game that are not there otherwise.
I thought some players might have a problem with the plan, beyond just the physical aspect of it.
From: Josh
Subject Reservations
OOC: Nice response Jason. I'm going to wait to see how Harp and anyone else responds before I have Kal make up his mind completely.
From: Kevin
Subject Reservations
"Kal, I have to agree with Ragnar. Our teachings are that we accomplish good using the strength of our arms and the good in our hearts. We did not go out looking to kill these men last night - they waylaid us of thier own actions and with evil in their hearts. They challeneged us, and they lost. Their souls, such as they might have had, have gone to whatever judgement awaits them, for good or ill. What is left is a corpse that will decay no matter what we do. But, if we can use these bodies, just as we will use our swords, to stop the death of the Stormfather, then we use them like any other tool we have. My soul is ok with that. My bigger worry is what may happen out at that estate tonight. The blasphemy you felt from that cleric will be but a small portion of what will be unleashed if we don't stop this Faldor character."
From: Porter
Subject Reservations
Heh. Only an elf would be so thick-headed that he makes godfolk look reasonable.
From: Randy
Subject Reservations
"Kal, I too have studied the teachings of Corellon Larethian and, while I do not like the nature of this plan, I believe you are letting the words of the teachings get in the way of the spirit in which they are intended. If you have an alternative that will offer as much advantage as this plan, please present it. If not, we have no time to waste."
Ranthir is calm as he voices his opinion. He maintains eye contact with Kal while he speaks and does not look away before Kal responds.
From: Derek
Subject Reservations
OOC: At least we're not flaying the skin off of the bodies like they did in Serenity. And there it was the bodies of thier friends.
From: Mark
Subject Reservations
I never made that connection.
From: Porter
Subject Reservations
To what we're doing now, or within the movie?
From: Mark
Subject Reservations
I never made the connection to what the people in Serenity did to what the party might do now.