Sundakan |
You find it, all right. A Huge green lizard, crackling with lightning, romps playfully through the zoo. It smashes food stands and prances around like a big dog, just playing with the firghtened patrons and workers.
One of the zoo keepers tries to calm him down.
"Now, come on Sparkies, let's get you back in your cage. We'll get you a nice, juicy giant fly to eat." he says, and creeps closer.
"Sparkies", fast as lightning, whips around and makes a happy gurgling sound. Friendly, he extends his nose forward...and a spark of lightning pops out, jolting the zookeeper off his feet, unconscious.
Sparkies huffs, disappointed, and then goes back to playing with everyone else.
Balamar Deepsight |
"Can anyone call an elemental we can use to lure him to the cage?" It was the only thing Siege could think of that might be able to play with the thing and not be hurt.
Thomas "Vindicator" Green |
"If you all cast defensive spells on me, I can try and get him to chase me and run into his cage. I can heal myself without provoking him with my magic."
Thomas "Vindicator" Green |
"I can wait no longer!"
Vindicator sheathes his sword, and clangs his gauntlets together.
"Here, boy! C'mere, Sparky!"
He then run for the cage, but not so quickly as to lose Sparky.
Total defense + move action
Thomas "Vindicator" Green |
Handle Animal: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19
Balamar Deepsight |
Siege followed a distance behind. Not just because short legs were never meant to keep up with people, but so she didn't distract the creature from following as it was meant to.
Thomas "Vindicator" Green |
Vindicator heads to its cage and does his best to keep its attention fixed on him.
Sundakan |
Gonna fast track this a bit to kind of get a fresh start.
Vindicator leads Sparkies back to his cage, and locks him in. Once inside, the playful big rascal turns into several playful LITTLE rascals. Apparently Sparkies was a gestalt of multiple lizards.
You head next to the Ursine exhibit.
At first glance, everything is fine. The bears are in their cages.
At another...things are strange. And probably very bad.
One enormous bear sits on a podium in the middle of the enclosure, gripping a hammer. Several other bears are gathered in a semicircle around it, and they all seem to be surrounding a gaggle of terrified looking humans. They make no move to attack, but roar loudly any time one tries to move from where they sit.
Thomas "Vindicator" Green |
wat
Vindicator stops, and looks around, confused.
"I, uh..."
Balamar Deepsight |
Siege stopped. "Well, that was something of a surprise. It is a shame we have no Druid." The Dwarf approached slowly, hand in the air. "Greetings. We would like to talk, if that is possible." The fact the bear carried a hammer suggested it might be able to speak. If it couldn't...this was going to get messy, and quickly.
Sundakan |
The bears roar in unison as you approach and start to get up. A swift *SMASH SMASH SMASH* of the hammer on a stump and a sharp roar from the larger bear later, and they reluctantly settle down.
The lead bear roars and growls inquisitively at you. Despite you not speaking bear, it gets its point across rather eloquently.
"Rawr. Roarawroar."
"Stop. State your business."
Thomas "Vindicator" Green |
So we can look in the bear text?
Thomas "Vindicator" Green |
"We're here to make sure nobody - bear or human - gets hurt."
Sundakan |
"Rawroararoaroarawr, rawroar, roarawroar ROAR!"
"These humans are on trial for the unlawful imprisonment of bearkind. They will be tried by a jury of bear peers and, if found guilty, sentenced to a period of imprisonment no less than life, or serve as a snack, depending on how hungry the jury is."
"Help us by standing aside and letting justice take its course."
Thomas "Vindicator" Green |
"Were they aware you were, ahem, aware? Many zoos, I will have you know, are all that save species from extinction. Too many people ask enterprising adventurers for 100 Bear Asses - it's putting a strain on the local populations."
Thomas "Vindicator" Green |
cough
Sundakan |
I don't know why I keep overlooking this game, honestly. Generally there's a REASON I don't post in the others for a few days but somehow I keep forgetting I even made this one.
"ROAAAAAAARRRR!"
"Whether they knew or not doesn't matter! They murder our kind for their own gain and imprison us against our will! The time for bear justice is now! Leave or we will be forced to put you on trial as well!"
Thomas "Vindicator" Green |
"Actually, knowledge does matter. Knowledge and intent are what create the distinction between severity of crimes such as manslaughter - voluntary and involuntary - and murder - first and second degree."
Melina Tribani |
I hope that you can see that imprisoning what they thought to be an animal who cannot think is a lesser offense than imprisoning a creature they knew can reason. Perhaps you could consider the scare they've already been given to be an appropriate punishment for their lesser offense? We must defend these people, just as we would defend you from their imprisonment if we knew of your reasoning ability.
Sundakan |
I was hoping for input from others, but to expedite things that'll work.
"Hruph. Roawr."
The gathered bears all start roaring and waving their paws around, scaring the people in the middle even more. After a minute, the lead bear speaks again.
"Rawar! Roarar. RAWRRRRRRRRR!" at the last mighty roar he bangs his hammer on the stump, then gets up and begins to walk away.
"We have come to a decision. The jury unanimously finds these humans guilt, but have agreed to lessen the sentence to community service and payment for emotional distress. They want their pens cleaned twice daily, the immediate discontinuation of shock deterrent methods, and a year's supply of salmon to eat."
"I believe my job here is done. Court dismissed!"
Balamar Deepsight |
"I am not sure I want to know," Siege considered, waving for the people to move away and wondering where they could get that much salmon. It was typically only really easy to get in spring, after all. "But let us find out."
Thomas "Vindicator" Green |
"This seems fair. I will check back periodically to make sure these rules are followed."
Vindicator will write down the rules three times, and hand one copy to the bear, one to one of the people, and keep one for himself.
Sundakan |
"He's a bear. We call him that because he always carries around that hammer. No idea where he got it from but the only time he gets hostile is when we try to take it away, so we let him have it. One of the staff's daughter said he looked like a "jej", sitting around in the pin on that podium area and the name stuck."
Thomas "Vindicator" Green |
Vindicator thinks for a moment...
Kn Local on Who is Jej: 1d20 ⇒ 5
.. and comes up with nothing, presumably.
Balamar Deepsight |
Siege assumed it was the bear who had been the judge. Well...OK. "I believe that particular creature may have been awakened. It...quite literally judged some people. You owe the bears here a lot of salmon, by the way."
Balamar Deepsight |
"He took some of the staff captive, claiming that they had held the bears illegally, and that in recompense they must improve living conditions and deliver fresh salmon daily. Given he is missing, I would do as he said if you do not wish him to step in again." Siege shrugged with a clanking noise.
Thomas "Vindicator" Green |
"Yes. Here are the terms of the bears' agreement, by the way."