The Second Draconic War - II

[hustlertwo]

Orc speakers only

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"We can find out this information easily now that we've removed your patrol. I have stealthy comrades who can spy on your encampment and glean all of these things. You betray no one, you simply save us some time, and in turn spare your neck. Because I can assure you, if you remain silent you will die, and your death will have served no purpose. Moreover, what is this divine mission? If you believe it to be a task from the gods, than surely a mortal such as myself cannot hope to stop the will of deities, so there's no harm in telling me your goal."

Drace whispers to Kern in Common:

So far, no good. I'll let you know if things seem hopeless.

[Scorer]

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@Orcish speakers

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I'm more intelligent than that you know? I will never speak and if dying is the way I can help our mission, then dead I will be.

[hustlertwo]

Drace nods to Kern, and says It's time.

[Sallera]

Kern

The gnome sighs. "Very well, then. You have fun with your prisoner." Walking off out of the orc's line of sight, he mutters a spell, then turns and focuses on the orc and Drace.

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Casting Detect Thoughts. Will saves, DC14, from the orc and Drace. Kern can't understand the questions or the answers, so he's hoping to work it out from the thoughts of both as they're asked.

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Orc Save: (1d20-2)[1]

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Kern starts sensing something:

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You feel the touch of a home, far far away. It is in danger, your family is in danger. He then comes and promess to help if you help him. He embarks you with many other to the west continent. You help establish a base in a marsh. There's a lot like you in there working for the same goal.

[Scorer]

Hum... you waiting for something?

[Sallera]

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Kinda waiting for Drace to make his save and start asking questions, so I can try to read some answers...

[hustlertwo]

Save: (1d20+3)[19]

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So I can't just auto-fail the save, be a pliable mind or something?

Edit: Scheisse! That 16 could have come in handy in a match instead of screwing up the mind reading. So what now/

[Sallera]

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Oh, you can choose to fail if you want. Just wasn't sure whether he would.

[hustlertwo]

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Why not? If I was going to resist it, there'd be no sense in asking you to cast it.

He fails, then, and wishes he's not rolled.

Orc questions:

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Let's try this again, sub-creature. Tell me where the King is, how many other orcs are with you, whether there are other patrols in the area, who you serve, what your mission is....spill your guts or my comrades will do it for you!

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Orc says:

@Orcish

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I will never tell you anything!

@Kern

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You start sensing this:

"I wonder which King is he talking about? I know a few kings... There are many orcs with me... Im scared. Yeah! 2 patrols, well, I guess only one, we're done for now. I serve my captain, my mission is patrol this part of the marsh and what does he mean? I'm scared. Is he going to make his comrades spit their guts? Not even us do that... Sick twisted humans, they amaze me everytime. I really don't wanna die."

[Sallera]

Kern

The gnome sighs, then walks back over, keeping the orc in the spell's range as he speaks. "Right then. I don't know if he speaks Common, but he's clearly not too bright, so I think we've gotten all we can out of him. Not likely that lowly grunts like this get trusted with important information."

[Scorer]

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I'm waiting on your actions here again.

[Sallera]

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Does Kern sense anything new from the orc as he speaks?

[Scorer]

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Nothing new, aside from being hungry. It would appear that the orc speaks no common...

[Sallera]

Kern

"Right, as I thought, no Common. At any rate, it would seem he doesn't know much. There's one more patrol out there, and all I could get about their masters was that someone came to them on a different continent, brought them here for some unknown reason, and had them establish this base here in exchange for help with some danger." Kern waves a hand at the orc. "Also, he can't seem to decide whether to worry more about dying or being hungry. Any more questions, ask them now. I can't keep this up much longer."

[hustlertwo]

Well, I suppose his breed didn't kill their captives, at least right off, or we wouldn't have Luis with us. So I say we strip him of any weapons or armor, either to use ourselves or more likely simply toss into the river. Then we gag him and find somewhere to stash him until we've finished off the rest of his clan, or at least the second patrol; possibly with that boat captain who brought us in, or Braem's winged fiends, if they can control their vicious urges. Once the primary orc force is neutralized we will have to march whatever ones among them survive back to Valtlan for imprisonment.

Say in Orc:

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Since we are not as barbaric as your people, your life will be spared despite your unwillingness to aid the good people of this country. If you attempt to escape, however, we will be forced to cut you down in order to keep you from warning your comrades.

[Strangie]

Well, I'm going to want that rope back at some point anyway, so let's make sure we come back for him. That was some damn fine rope.

In Orc:

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Not that you could escape anyway, so don't bother trying.

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Orcish speakers

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Orc: Good people of this country? That old man said "Good" is relative. He then explained what that means, and I remember I liked it. And don't worry, just leave me something to eat and sure I will stay here.

[hustlertwo]

Drace leaves a trail ration pack with the orc captive, opened since obviously he won't be doing it himself.

Well, seems to be all we need to do here, unless someone wants the less than enviable position of looking over the bodies for items of value. As soon as everyone's ready, I say we set off in search of the other patrol. Any idea where it is, Kern?

[Sallera]

Kern

"Not exactly. The orc said he was assigned to patrol "this part of the marsh," which likely means the other one isn't exactly nearby, but I can't direct you any further than that."

[02youeng]

Garth shifts his weight uneasily as the conversation in Orcish continues. Seeing Drace hand him a ration, he asks out loud "First you talk of killing him, then hiding him, then you leave him here in the open, with food? What did he say to you that convinced you of his complience so, Drace? And how do you know he's not lying? I trust your honour, but not his, and I don't understand a damned word you say in that filthy language." The bard spits on the ground, grasping and letting go of the hilt of his sword repeatedly. "I would not ask to become his executioner, but I don't understand why the sudden kindness. Also, how do you know he doesn't speak our language?"

In the flash, Garth draws his blade and presses it against the Orc's neck, not deep enough to slice him, but close. "Speak, or I'll make you bleed, you filthy, slime-begotten spawn of a one-legged mongrel and a dirty tramp! Tell me what you're hiding!" Barking in his face, he grabs the front of the Orc's armour, shaking him whilst making sure the Orc cannot grasp him with his much more muscular arms.

Intimidate - (1d20+5)[24]

[Scorer]

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The orc looks at you with a puzzled and scared expression. He then says.

@Orcish

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What did I do this time?

[hustlertwo]

Killing him seemed more justifiable before I remembered Mallard and Luis. If we kill our prisoners, and they allow their own to live at least for some undetermined amount of time, it becomes somewhat difficult to continue occupying a moral high ground. And as a paladin it's something of a job requirement for me to do so.

In Orcish:

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Your comrades have done much to hurt the people of this region. This one who threatens you was nearly slain in an unprovoked attack recently. More than once, if memory serves. If you have any other information it would be good to tell us now, as I do not know that I can stop him from harming you in retribution. Meaning you can choose between helping us and being safe and well-fed, or possibly dying here, without ever getting to see your home or your friends again. And it won't even help your comrades at all; we already know of the other patrol, I'm afraid.

Diplomacy? (1d20+4)[12]

OOC:

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We're probably pumping a dry well here, but since he rolled such a good Intimidate check I figured I would try once more. After this, let's just move out.

[Scorer]

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Just a reminder that we're using Mr. Burlew's Diplomacy system

@Orcish speakers

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Exactly what "much hurt" you're talking about, as far as I know we haven't done anything wrong.

[hustlertwo]

Orcish (sorry everyone else, hopefully this is over soon, I know it's no fun being excluded):

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Attacking unprovoked, taking innocent people hostage and leaving them in dungeons...do these seem like the actions of polite society to you? Moreover, why do you think you are here, with a large group of armed orcs? Do large masses of soldiers outside of their home territory usually mean anything but impending death for someone else?

[Strangie]

Garth... Luis says as he walks over, standing next to him. It said, 'What did I do this time'? I really don't think it understands the Common tongue. Orcs aren't typically bright enough to be billingual. Though I do admire your ability to be a thug as much as the next rogue, let's relax a little because from the info I've gathered from this conversation that other patrol is a ways from here.

[02youeng]

"My apologies," Garth offers acidly, sheathing his sword and letting go of the Orc. "It is not like my first encounter with these...things resulted in a spear in my body, or anything. I'll scout ahead, continue whatever you want to do with it without me. I fear I'm not helping the situation." Garth walks a short way to the south, just until he is out of sight of the group, before stabbing the ground with his blade, trying to breathe deeply, letting the anger of being insulted by someone he helped save pass...

[Strangie]

Luis folds his arms, watching Garth stomp off in his hissy fit. Well, it's not like I like them much either, you know, having been captured by them and all. He turns to Drace. I think we ought to wrap this up and move on.

In Orc, so only he and Drace (and the orc, for what it matters) can understand:

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Thunderscream is about to do just that, if you know what I mean.