Dragon's Egg - Act III

[Ireth]

Cadell

All this confusion and conflict is making my stomach hurt as well as my head. I don't know what to think anymore, and I'm still too exhausted to make a sound judgment on anything. I rub my face again, wishing I had a cup of water. A cold splash might make me more alert.

Liadan

I look at Cadell with a sigh, then turn to Baldhart. "Do we know that Ankari himself is trustworthy? I have heard he constantly acts of his own will, with little regard for the rest of the company's actions or opinions, and I see no proof that this or Father Geralt's murder were otherwise. Would Ankari lie to us about the gnolls' intentions?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"He isn't dishonest. Honest to a fault, really. Not that I trust him completely, but he didn't know enough about the gnolls to fabricate that message.

"The gnolls want land. When they spoke to Nissa they said whether they'd obtain their land through peace or war remains to be seen.

"I think the gnolls and Ankari have one thing in common. Ankari killed Geralt and the gnolls killed most of Srilkind's people. Both expect they can kill, then immediately become peacemakers. They may both honestly believe redemption is that simple. But the fact is, Arendal can never forgive he who killed their beloved priest. Sriklind can never forgive an army, human or gnoll, for the atrocity committed there.

"And I'll tell you now, if the elders wish to give peace a chance, I'll pass on the message to the gnolls myself, but I'll also challenge Ghendra to single combat.

"Where I come from, killers of children are unforgivables. The lowest of the low. Even if Brynhild could forgive my part in a peace treaty with… them, the Eisenberg name would be tarnished if word of that got back to my mountain. I'd prefer to die in my challenge against Ghendra."

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

"And if you challenge him, what then? Winner take all? Will the gnolls retreat if Ghendra dies, and wage war if you do?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"I won't get in the way of what the group wants. Ghendra may choose the location so he knows there's no trap. One of my terms is that if I win, I command his troops.

"I believe that's what normally happens when you challenge the alpha and win. I could agree to leading the remaining gnolls if the leader pays for their warcrimes with his life. I won't risk my life for nothing, though. If there's nothing to gain by winning or my challenge undermines the majority's desire for peace, I'll simply walk away. I'll see if Burnbright wants to come with me in that case. I don't imagine she'll want to march to war against her own mother, after all."

I'm saying too much about what likely won't happen.

"Cadell, perhaps you want to put more energy into persuading the others to make peace. What I just told you is the closest I'll ever be to agreeing to it myself. In fact, I actually hope the elders will side with you and that Ghendra will accept my challenge. Or at least I hope I can challenge him no matter what… it's easier to risk my own life than several others.

"When you make a bad decision that gets several innocents killed, you'll understand. I can never look at those gnolls and not picture children clinging to their mothers' laps as the flames converge. I see the anguish in their faces. I hear the shrill voices…"



I want Ghendra's head impaled on my blade.

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I want to ask Baldhart whether she truly believes the gnolls deserve mercy and peace, or if they are no better than the harpies we slew in the caverns below the temple. But these are different circumstances -- the harpies were feared even by the lizards who allied with Aslaug. Maybe it isn't right to compare the two.

"What 'others' do you mean?" I finally ask. "The rest of the company? The rest of the village? Or both?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Everyone should speak. Our party and the village elders. If the majority of our party wants peace, there are possibilities, just not... not here if Arendal won't have it. Only Gisla and the elders can speak for Arendal. We have no right to make decisions for them. Just like I have no right to withhold the gnolls' message from those who I know will disagree with me.

"I really didn't care to see my plan undone, Cadell. I had so many counting on me, and all we did is go on a long, wet boat ride. If the majority does what is completely against my principles, I won't undermine you. We can't function like that. That's why I'm telling you what I'll do if the decision goes against my principles. I would rather lose my life than my soul, and I think Ghendra would accept my challenge without there being repercussions for everyone else."


((@Ireth, we're in the common room now. I posted my original 'get everyone in the Spear part' since Baldy didn't want anyone left out.))

 

[Keitsumah]

"Baldart, forgive me if this insults you in any way, but has the thought not crossed your mind that though you are a warrior in all aspects of the word, Ghendra may still not accept your challenge because you are female?" I speak up suddenly, "They may be partly human, but they are wolf as well, and wolves have a hierarchy that is highly different than our own. Strong or not, fierce or not, male wolves are naturally stronger than females by default, and they may view other races as such. This is why there is only a male Alpha, lest the pack scatter to the four winds or destroy the sole female Alpha because they view her as weak- the only time there is a female alpha is when she is his mate, also known as the Luna. It is in their genes."

"I am not saying that he won't take your challenge, nor that you can't beat him, but I warn you that these sorts of things have happened before, and rarely have ended well. If we are to negotiate or organize a duel, I think it may be wise to tread cautiously. These are not ordinary humans, though they may be like them in some aspects. Body language, scent, even how you look at them translates into language for wolves. If you want to pick a fight, you look a wolf in the eye. If you are submissive and wish to avoid a fight, then you look just away from their eyes. You also cannot hide your emotions from them, and the way you stand or clench the very muscles in your arms, as if in preparation to draw your sword suddenly, could alert them to any danger and make them aggressive."

"This language is infinitely complex, and I would not expect you to learn it in a single day. The only way i learned it is from Batos, who i have lived with since the day i found him. And even then i may not be perfect at it. Yes, we have sent messages and several of you have spoken with the gnolls, but this time around, I think it may be a good idea if i were to speak with them the next time they are seen. Yes, they told truths, but there may be smaller, subtler things that they are hiding that no one has of yet discovered. I may be able to get to those details if i can convince the Alpha that though i am an elf, i am not entirely what I seem. We are all questioning whether they lie or tell truths -I believe most to be truths. But words hold no binding power for a wolf."

"Blood, however, does." I can feel my eyes turn flinty as i speak, and my body turns a little rigid at the shoulders. My necklace glows subtly, highlighting the suddenly sharp features of my face. I am an elf, and yet not an elf.

"Did it occur to no one just what they might insist to bind with? Wolves bite each other's necks to signify the importance of something. That leaves those who perform the binding at their most vulnerable, and it is the most dangerous moment. if they lie, the one who is vulnerable dies."

 

[SeverinR]

Aliron
"The gnolls say they want peace, that if no one is in town when they arrive, they will not seek out those hidden. They could pillage the town, burn it to the ground. Their peace may allow them to destroy the town."
"If they want peace, they should leave the town, tell us of a place to meet away from here. They're prize will have been left behind, and would show they want to change from their past."
"We must assume if they come, they come to attack. You don't enter someones home uninvited with good will in your heart. You don't enter a town threatening violence and expect peace."
"We must fight from a position of strength. Let them know if they try to enter the town as a war party, that is how they will be welcomed, and the fields will be littered with their dead."

Bressel
"Letting the gnolls enter the village unscathed would give them a tactical advantage if they chose to search out the towns people. It would as Aliron said, allow them to loot the town or even burn it to the ground if they chose. They have all the power and we can only fight from a weakened position. We would be on their oiled boat waiting to see if they light the trap or not."
"If the gnolls want peace, let them show it to be true and retreat."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I hear Bressel and Alin, "I am certain they intend to burn Arendal, and they prefer to win without a fight. I suspect wanting their land back means they think they can destroy every human home on it and claim the land. I agree there is absolutely no reason a peaceful group would enter empty homes. I also don't believe they will betray Aslaug. The whole point of the hostages is to distract us from their main objective: Burnbright. Pretense of joining forces may be because they saw Cadell's interest in peace and Ankari's desire to defeat Aslaug and used that information.

"I know I would. I just wouldn't have been caught in two obvious lies while adjusting my story to new information." Northerners don't appreciate a good deception tactic. Oh well.

"They honored the rules of parley for the same reason I would have if only one gnoll boarded my boat. Killing one makes the rest of the army impossible to fool."

I say to Keit, "Yes, they are dogs, with all the qualities... including loyalty, which is to Aslaug. My challenge won't be needed anyway if the majority isn't buying into this peace nonsense. The question is, what shall we do?

"A thought:

"Is there an obvious route to town that they must take from wherever they are now? We still have the barrels and the means to trigger the rope from a place only Nissa can reach. I'm thinking of a place where there is cover from trees, and plants on the ground to entangle them." I look to Keit. "Cadell, you know where they'll come from. The majority of our party believes the gnolls must be fought, so can you help us?"

I turn to Keit adding, "By the way, they attack at dawn so... it wouldn't hurt to turn a few berries while we wait."


((Just one spell [2d4]; you'd get the 2 MP back by dawn, which I guess is 2 hours from now--or hope, since Nissa time is an hour or two away from Baldy's return boat trip. If dawn is 4 hours from now, cast twice.))


I go on, "Bressel, you had another idea for traps that could work well. I just need to know where the traps are so Keit and I don't get caught riding back into town." To Cadell, I add, "Oh...yes, ride, if you'll permit me. If Keit and I set a trap, we'll need the speed of your steed. Not every member of that army will conveniently be entangled while oil is poured and lit. We may need to escape hastily."

 

[Keitsumah]

I nod, but still wince at the idea of burning the gnolls to death. After my family was killed by fire, i still view it as one of the worst ways to go -and i was nearly taken by it as well.

Batos lets out a small whine when he senses my thoughts, then nuzzles my arm. The scars do not only cover my hand like i have led the others to believe. They spread all the way up my arm and span half of my chest, though i am not about to reveal that. Only Batos knows of them, and though the wounds are old, they still give twinges at times. This is why i did not react to seeing Cadell's scars- they are marks that we receive from the past, and only show that we have survived. Batos, too, has his scars. They are nothing to gawk at, unless the gawking is in awe of our will to survive.

"I'll get to work on that." I say, pulling out the other berries that have yet to be turned.

((My Unseen Servant Account is still not working -ill have to make a new one so until then ill use the sample rolls Also, we have plenty of berries even if some turn bad -so i won't risk the four rolls))

[2d4]=2

[2d4]=5

I end up turning seven of the twelve berries, and pocket each in their separate bags. "I'll hand out four or five to each of you before we head out -I don't want to have someone end up with no useful berries should they turn bad, and the closer the time we leave and the closer the time of the fight is, will prove to close that gap."

Then Baldart mentions the horse, and my eyebrows shoot up. I am not alarmed -i actually love horses, it's just that....

"Um -I've never ridden one before, Baldart." I manage to get out, and I feel heat begin to crawl up my neck in embarrassment.

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

I sigh when Baldhart mentions her desire to ride. It seems neither Llucheden nor I will get much sleep tonight.

"I would lend her to you, but be aware that she has already ridden far tonight, and she may well be tired and even irritable if asked to go out again. Animals need sleep just as we do. Are you sure you can handle her if that is the case?"

((About the berries: even if some of them turn bad, Liadan does know the spell to purify food and drink, so if that's necessary at any point, just ask her. ^^))

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"I hate to ask that of you, but… yes. I'm sure I can handle her. I'm not sure I can outrun the wargs without her.

"It depends if there's a place to even set the fire trap. I would need tree branches to hold the barrels as the ship's mast does, and a tripwire could set it. But this only works if there is a plant-covered path that they are very likely to follow.

"The plants would cover the tripwire, which would uncork the stoppers and spill oil. Keit would make further use of the plants, which would entangle the enemy, buying Nissa and I time to light the spill before the enemies can escape. Nissa would light the trap in the event that we need to run. It's possible that not all will be entangled.

"The other possibility is for all of us to be hidden by the trap, and we make our stand there. There's only one problem with that. 'All' wouldn't include anyone outside this room, I don't think. I suspect it's best the militia does not see us set this trap."

I look at Gisla and Grim.

"You two I can trust knowing of Nissa. I'm not sure how most would respond to the sight of her."

 

[SeverinR]

Bressel
"If we place traps, we must keep their location secret or else they would simply be avoided.
We must trust that no one here or within earshot will tell of the traps. The townspeople might have a spy and they might be able to contact the gnolls by magic or messinger.
If we fight, we must know that all here are fighting with us."
Bressel looks around, "there has been wreckless actions that border on betrayal to the party. If you do not believe in this fight then leave. The gnolls will hunt you down alone and probably kill you slowly while trying to extract the location of the girl that only Aliron knows. As you all know, he trusts no one, so he will not tell anyone, even in this group. I can't say I blame him."
Bressel sits for a minute,
"Don't be fooled, there is no peaceful way for this to end. We run away, the town burns and the people will be hunted down and massacred. We let the gnolls enter town, they will turn on us and overwhelm us, and the the villagers will burn. We strike them first, we kill as many as possible, fall back and the militia and us stand and fight to protect these people. We might lose, but we lose fighting and make it very costly to them that would kull us like vermin in their way."
"I can lay traps, Aliron can lay traps. But we will not speak of such, until we know there is no real traitors in our midst."

Aliron
"The group has shattered. There is no one that has not turned its back on another of the group. There is betrayal, there is giving information to the enemy, there was killing of a priest and one stands accused of assisting the killer to escape. There is no one here worthy of trust. The towns people would kill the elves for being different, they would kill those with magic because they don't understand it, they would kill a child for being different, they would turn a child over to the army of killers to save their arses. Then in our group, we turned our back on the accused, left her to find her own escape. We left the ranger to fend for himself, we made deals with those that would have stood by and killed the child we brought to this town. We made deals with the enemy revealing secrets to them, we showed the enemy our hand and they are stronger for it."
Aliron stops, stares at each individual slowly moving onto the next.
"We must decide who the enemy is. We must stand together, accept the differences in each of us, know that a murder was planned by the one that was killed, that the town would still kill one or more of the group that entered this village. We must unite against the gnolls first, then gain strength to fight the bigger problem. The ones that drives the taint."
"I will fight here and now. I fight for the innocent of this town, not those that would have murdered us in the name of a god. I still consider them a lesser enemy. But I will not let their children be slaughtered for their criminal intent."
Aliron looks to Gilsa,
"Know this, I left town to avoid killing the preist. I would have assisted the ranger in escaping, When I heard of what happened, I came straight to save the one you held but could not hold. I have no love for your town. I do not trust one that calls these people friends. That said, I will not let this town be massacred. When we save this town, you must decide which side you are on.
The ones that would murder a child, would consider murdering someone for their ability to use magic. Then consider who was wrong in the death of the Priest. Know this, I bet the ranger will fight, possibly die for this piss hole, die for the ones that would condemn him, die for the children of this town, just like he killed for the children we had with us."
Aliron sighs, then turns from all.
"This is it, either we unite against the enemy or we will fall alone to that enemy. There is no peace in surrender, only death."
"I find again, that it is best never to trust anyone, then to depend on others and have them fail you."
"Bressel and I will go to gather materials for traps, We could use help if you have nothing better to do. But I won't count on you, any of you." Aliron hesitates waiting for someone to say something, Bressel moves to his side.
"One more thing, Bressel is right. I would not trust one of you here with the lives of Branwen or Burnbright. The only ones I might trust are hiding in the woods as criminals for protecting the child."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I hear Alin's words, but do not respond. To continue to speak of division will not unite us. The I'm-the-good-one stance cannot work. Every 'betrayal' is justified by the betrayer. So I won't waste my breath... this time.

"Unite, yes. And Bressel, you and I need armor. Gisla, could we get the smith and his apprentice back in the shop. Bressel and I paid good money for our breastplates and traded our best armor to afford it. I don't mind risking it all for the innocent, but I intend to win against these gnolls.

"Also, the elders must decide whether they will evacuate or the militia will stand with us. The militia men should use bows or crossbows, and fire from a position of cover. If Keit can use plants to hold the enemy, and we rig an oil trap, we may burn enemies and shoot those not in the flames." I look at Cadell, "I wouldn't need the horse if we could all fight the gnolls outside of Arendal, but I don't know if there is a place to build the trap I have in mind. Keit needs plants on the ground or roadside, and I need tree branches above."

And even then, the army could go around the kill zone.

"Or do we just make a stand in Arendal?"

 

[Ireth]

Cadell

"If we make a stand, it should be outside of Arendal. Whether or not the militia agree to evacuate the children and others who cannot fight, we should not let the gnolls near the village again if we can possibly help it. Making our stand in Arendal will only bring the enemy to us, and they will flush us out with fire and weapons."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Then I suggest we use fire and the wilderness to our advantage."

I turn to Liadan. "Oh, and would you mind helping me test a theory? I will likely need your gift of healing… it's a long shot, what I intend to find out, but if I'm very lucky, our advantage is better than I thought. If not, you have time to… rest a bit before dawn.

"Oh, hell—I mean heal me if I hurt myself and your magic will return to you. Everyone in here knows your a healer."



If Liadan agrees, I get up…

 

[Ireth]

Liadan

I tilt my head and stand up slowly. "What sort of theory...?" What is she planning that could hurt her?

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Let's take a walk... Maybe we'll run into the smith."

I smile at her. Cadell is strong now. She played a part in it, I'm sure. And I don't care what Alin says. We need faith in each other. To dwell on our mistakes is best ended once we've learned from them. Hostile words can be dangerous too, but I'm in no position to tell him. Ankari, Mauve, Cadell, Liadan, Aliron, Bressel--but only for pretending he doesn't know where Burnbright is when he's the one who brought her too him... They all share the blame for our division. As I do. Only Keitsumah is innocent of this.

NISSA: And me!

And Batos.

NISSA: And Aldar?

Maybe. I honestly can never tell what the hell that guy's talking about.




((Note: I can't do italics on an iPad. Selecting text is a pain in the @$$.))

 

[Ireth]

Liadan

I give Cadell's hand a brief squeeze before following Baldhart out of the room.

"...Where exactly are we going?" I ask as we leave the inn.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

((To Play-by-PM-ville!))

"Not far."