Dagra cocks an eyebrow at Jaxx as she glances down at him. "Eh? The mages? Puffed-up bunch of know-it-alls if you ask me. They provide us with certain magical...conveniences...but they needs us more than we needs them, as I've always said!"
You appear to have touched a nerve with Dagra, but the other miners - Foreman Archer included - all look embarrassed and uncomfortable at what she's saying, and there's muttering among the miners as they all begin to disperse toward the front of the mine.
"Hmm."
she looks over the fetchling.
"Can you stand, or do you need healing?"
The fetchling stares at you for some moments, then glances around the immediate area. Seeing that most of the miners have left, he stands, unsteadily. He's still bleeding from a few of the punches he received with the brass knuckles.
Magical conveniences? Like what? The way you speak sounds like this might not be you choice... Your free will to be here. I don't mean to pry, only to understand.
The men are... afraid?. The last he says softly, so only Dagra may hear it.
Dagra stands aside to allow Oozula and Caln past with the prisoner.
She doesn't bother lowering her voice, either. Something tells you she rarely bothers to do that. "Meh! It's our free will to be here, all right - nobody keeps Dagra and her husband against their will, wizards or not! But..." she sighs.
"They...talk over us, and their "unseen servants" scare our little ones. They provide us with enchantments for our tools, and some of the creature comforts that only magic can provide...and they never do anything wrong by us, directly...but yes." her voice lowers, ever so slightly. "They are afraid. Some of the men are wondering whether the artifact the wizards discovered is worth the trouble. Ever since we unearthed it we've had nothing but grief. Bad luck, constant raids. They're getting superstitious." She snorts. "Don't truck with that nonsense meself."
Then, why do you stay? What "indirectly" stops you?
She blows a bit of hair off her forehead with a huff. "Ahh, it's not like we live under anyone's thumb. We all came here - miners and wizards alike - because we didn't like living under the lords out west, where everyone's always sticking their nose into your business. These wizards protect us and they largely leave us alone, letting us mine the mountain in peace. Why leave?"
Sorry, maybe I misunderstood. If the conditions of your servitude are acceptable to you and as birthright to your children, so be it.
Thank you for your time, Dagra the Brave. I am simply Jaxx, gnome, tinkerer and sheriff of Freedom Town. Jaxx turns to leave.
But then he remembers something. Hey, do you know anything of the Steel Eaters and Orc experiments? Or of a plot to throw the Mindspin into a forever winter?
oozula leads the fetchling down to the dead end, and cracks a moonrod.
"So, can you speak common?"
Suny helps the fetchling, offering her arm in support. Once they are in what ever spot Oozula wants to start talking Suny removes her shirt and begins ripping it into strip to help treat the fellows injuries, wounds and other bumps and bruises.
"Orcs can experiment on things?" Dagra asks, cocking an eyebrow. "Forever winter? Hasn't been a true winter in Mindspin in all my reckoning, it usually stays fairly mild and dry up here..." she looks to Archer.
Archer shakes his head. "No words about Orcs here in Mindspin. The wizards have a fearsome reputation among the greenskins, they leave us alone for the most part. Why, are they planning something?"
Meanwhile, in the tunnel, the fetchling stares at the kobold mistrustfully. "Yes...I speak common..." the fetchling growls in a quiet, whispering voice. He sniffs in your direction, repeatedly, and his eyes narrow as thoughts seem to race through his mind, causing his expression to flicker from one brief emotion to another.
"Good. Now, I'm just here to talk to you. I'm not going to hurt you, just please, tell me why you're attacking them, or why they are attacking you, Whatever one you believe to be true. "
oozula looks oddly at suny, but with what she's doing, oozula sighs and lets her come, as suny helps the fetchling walk from place to place.
(^_^)
Caln follows the kobold and her prisoner. He aids her diplomacy by casting cure light wounds on the Fletchling.
I'm not here to preach, use the information as you see fit. Thank you for your time and insight.
Arthur looks away and tries to quietly hide that fact that being unneeded stung a little bit...
Arwen will nod toward Jaxx and whisper:
Oozula's calm, businesslike demeanor, combined with Suny's friendly face and Caln's healing, finally seem to earn some measure of trust in the fetchling's features. "I thank you," he says to Caln, and nods to Suny as the bruises from his beating fade.
He turns to the kobold. "We kill these miners because Razzara demands it. We hear Her Divine Call in our heads and it drives us to bloody our blades on these lightwalkers. It is by divine edict."
"So.... Ok. Why do you follow this... Razzara. What does she do for you, and who is she?"
"She speaks to us in our dreams and helps us to choose the right path. All of our tribe could feel her voice and her divinity is unquestionable. The Mindspin community must surrender the artifact to us as Razzara commands or they will all perish." The fetchling does not speak with pride, but with cold certainty, and he blinks his strange pupilless fetchling eyes as he looks down at you.
"You do realize that this is suicide, right? I've seen what the wizards who want the artifact can do. You don't stand a chance against them. Honestly, you really need to think for yourselves. A deity should be worshipped because they are in line with your beliefs."
Don't tip the apple cart before the horse... coachman. That's not religion in most situations, Oozula.
Jaxx realizes he was closer than he'd expected, and moves off.
Caln wracks his brain trying to remember if he's ever heard of a Razzara in his religious training.
The fetchling shakes his head, folding his hands together. "It isn't suicide. Razzara's will makes us strong. Razzara will guide us to victory and security. Razzara is the light in the darkness and will deliver us to the Land that was Promised. The Mindspin wizards will give up the artifact as Razzara demands...or Razzara will see the deaths of each and every one of them that resists." he appears to derive no joy from the words - only grim conviction.
Caln: The name bothers you for some reason. You feel as if you've heard it before, but it's like trying to remember a dream after you've awakened and the tickling feeling in your mind slips away.
Back in the main mineshaft, Dagra and Archer are sending some of the healthy miners back up to the front entrance, and some others down deeper, instructing them to keep watch for further raids. In the first room being used as an infirmary, the women of the town have been allowed in and are assisting with seeing to the injured.
"Well, you don't seem to enjoy "razzara's will"."
Caln pulls Oozula aside and whispers, "I feel that there is some evil connotation to the name Razzara. See if the Fletchling will agree to lead us to see her ourselves. I think this is all a part of the bigger picture."
Suny smiles, happy that every one is making friends. (^_^)
The fetchling regards his captors without much expression on his face except resignation.
"Are you going to let me go?" he asks, softly.
Suny gives him (The fetchling) a gentle hug "Aye, o' course we is." She beams brightly, " 'Cause we's gona' be goin' with ye." (^_^)
As he walks away, Jaxx comments over his shoulder, loud enough for Oozula and company to hear... Sounds like mind control.
"I... Umm.. Ok. Let's put all of this together. Can we see who you are talking about? Again, do you /enjoy/ doing her will."
You don't detect any magical compulsion on the fetchling.
He shrinks away from Suny as she approaches. "I do not think that would be wise..."
"Please. Answer the question. Do you enjoy doing her will."
oozula's eyes practically become slits as the fetching try's her patience.
"Enjoy? I...we...derive no pleasure from what we must do. We tried asking for the artifact, and were rebuffed by the masters of the Tower. We must be led to the Land that was Promised by Razzara...thus we perform her will. The artifact is of Razzara and belongs to Her. Infidels who block us from our holy path must die...." His voice trails off as he looks down at the ground.
"What kind of god forces that on their followers? What's special about this artifact? Did she even tell you?"
"The artifact is a manifestation of perfection, proof of Her will and sacrament to the Land that was Promised! It belongs to us! It is ours!" he says, gesturing forcefully. He appears to be getting quite agitated.
"How does that even work? They dug the thing up, and suddenly, you claim it as yours. It's not like you can prove it belongs to your god. Unless we can speak to her, how do you intend to go about this? Mass murder? And how is it a "manifest of perfection"? "
oozula is trying her best to be reasonable, but he doesn't make any sense.
"These miners merely uncovered the relic. Razzara's divine voice has spoken, and we will follow the True Path." the Fetchling crosses his arms over his chest stubbornly. "These miners refuse to surrender what belongs to the faithful, so, they must be driven off. We offered a peaceful solution."
"Is there any reason why you would not want to take us to meet Razzara? Perhaps we can work a compromise that she will like?"
The Fetchling raises one eyebrow high at Caln, then, unexpectedly, bursts out in fitful peals of laughter. "Bring you...bring you to...ahahahahah....Razzara? Haha...she is a goddess, she does not appear to mortals that simply request her! You're...you're not like the miners, you're funny!"
Suny's eyes flick from person to person as the rapid fire conversation ricochets between them.
"Who told you about this, if razzara is a goddess. You can't all be attuned to this... "God'". Witch of you received this "insight"?"
"She speaks to us through mortal vessels. I myself have even felt her touch!...once," he says, gazing up at the ceiling wistfully.
Suny frowns. "Okeys...From whut I be un'erstandin'. We's be gettin' different talks from different people. Scratch here be sayin' one thing an' Mr Ponty-pants be sayin' somat else. We needs ta' sort out tha' straight of it." She declares.
Arwen merely waits like asked with the miners until Oozula is done