Does anyone want to keep watch as I get closer to those mushrooms in the corner over their in that other room?
"Umm? Oh, right right, sorry, got a little distracted by the weapon here.
Speaking of which, anybody want to use it?
It IS magical after all, though I think it would be best to not be drawn if we encounter fey we want to try and reason with."
Ruhk flips the axe over in his hand and holds out the haft to anyone who wants to take it.
"Go right ahead Nat, I'll keep watch."
I would be, um, reluctant, to take anything from this place and call it mine. I don't feel it would be, well, right.
Nathaniel looks only once at the axe, and then turns his eyes away.
Alrigh, keep your eyes on that wall, I'm going to see if the mushrooms we need are there or not. The sooner I can leave this place, the better I will feel.
Zirren eyed the handaxe. "No, I don't much care to use weapons like that. A little too unwieldy for me.
Careful Art. Some mushrooms are poisonous."
Nathaniel's face tends to drain of some of its color, as if he is having a memory that is unpleasant, when he turns to Zirren and tries to smile as he says, bringing his closed hand up to his mouth.
Oh well, *hrmmph* you can rest assured that I, *hurrr* know full we, whee, well that some, oh, *hu* that they are.
Zirren stares at the Halfling for a moment before he lets out a short laugh at Nathaniel's antics.
"Heh ha ha!"
"Go ahead Ruhk, you seem like an axe kinda guy. Later, we can sell it for lots of monies right?"
Belladonna loads her crossbow
Ruhk chuckles and winks at Bella.
"Bethany might not mind if I were to kiss a girl, but use another axe? No can do.
But you are right, it's a magical weapon, made from cold iron, so if we sell it and split it, it's still several months work worth of money for each of us."
Ruhk and Nathaniel enter the room together to gather up the mushrooms ; however, before they can go much further than a few steps in they hear a vicious growl. A warg suddenly leaps atop the fallen pillar from its hidden spot behind, baring its fangs and issuing a deep growl. Despite the grimness, Ruhk and Nathaniel are not deeply moved by warg. "Who are you that dares to come into my home to loot it and kill my consorts?"
I am Artegal Boote, Nathaniel says, unimpressed,We never meant to kill the wolves, but acted in our defense. See the weapon I am carrying. It is guarded. We came here in search of ingredients for a cure to a plague that is affecting the village. We don't want to have to fight you, but we will if you will not stand down. We need those mushrooms, and then we will be on our way. Stand aside, and we will trouble you no more
Ruhk had been about to open his mouth and give a pithy response, luckily Nat beat him to it.
Eh, just as well really, I wouldn't MIND if we could solve this without combat, and I doubt I'd be able to prevent it verbally, HE on the other hand possibly might succeed.
At the same time, Ruhk keeps an eye firmly locked on the Warg, if treachery was to happen here, HE would not be taken by surprise.
The warg eyes Nathaniel, glances over at the cluster of mushrooms. "Oh, you mean [b]my mushrooms?"[/b] The creature sniffs the air and looks past Nathaniel and Ruhk into the next room. "I will make you an offer. Clear out some of the creatures here in my home and I will gladly give you those mushrooms. What do you say, Artegal Boote? Do we have a deal?"
Huh, maybe this can be done without fighting after all...
That sounds like a very reasonable thing to suggest, sir or ma'am. Do you have a name, great wolf of the woods? We have seen some strange creatures here, creatures that are often cruel and viscous to all living things. If you could tell us what it is you want us to help you remove from this place, I will consider it. You should know that I suspect that this place is cursed, and may even be under the protection of foul beings who call themselves Gods. It is probably not safe to live here. However, if I can help remove the evil from this place, I will. My friends will not harm you as long as you do not attack them, I will honor your attempt at parley in this way. I do not want to dispute your claim to the mushrooms, but please, if you would only allow me to get a bit closer to them so that I can be sure they are the ones we are looking for, I would be very grateful. While I examine them, please tell my friends what it is you want us to do for you. Thank you.
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Caine took a long look at the Warg. "It's lying."
Then he shot it.
The warg listens to Artegal's proposal briefly. "You may call me, Greypelt. I care not for long dead---" Caine's words cause Greypelt to look up suddenly and then let out a yelp of pain of the crossbow bolt pierces his hide. "Treachery! I'll rip out your throats!" An spine-shuddering howl splits the air as Greypelt sets his glowing red eyes upon Nathaniel...
Round 1, Group 1 Actions!
"Caine! Dangit!" Belladonna yells as she races through the open doorway and takes position. She crouches down and aims a shot from her crossbow.
What is the matter with you people!
There was no reason to attack! Miss Goodbarrel, please, lower your weapon. Sir, please forgive my associates, and do not allow this to get any worse than it already has.
Zirren stepped in. He wasn't sure the Warg had been lying, but if the last few days had been any sort of indication, Caine was often right about these sort of situations.
But just because he was right, doesn't mean he'll do the smart thing. he thought to himself.
As Art threw himself at Caine while pleading with everyone not to escalate things, Zirren recognized it would not work.
Your heart is in the right place here, Art. But you're spreading yourself too thin with talking to everyone.
he began loudly. "With Art's sentiment here. The attack was premature and not well thought out. It is clear you would be guarded in dealings with us, Greypelt. Your goals, unclear. You can allow this situation to devolve into savagery, which is likely to end poorly for all. Or you may take this chance and gain some favor with open negotiations anew."
Belladonna shook violently, still aiming the crossbow at the talking wolf. Although that crossbow was clearly empty.
Ruhks head whips back and forth as he tries to figure out what is going on.
From the warg, to Nat, to the Warg, to Caine, to Nat, to Zirren and then back to the warg.
Gah! Getting a crimp in my neck over here, this is quickly getting b*%*~!*sed up beyond belief.
Round 1, Group 1 Recap
Belladonna rushes into the room and fires off a crossbow bolt at the worg; however, her aim is shaky and the projectiles bounces off the nearby pillar instead. Artegal slips around behind Ruhk and uses the haft of his halberd to bodily shove Caine back through the doorway into the other room, then turns and faces Greypelt.
The worg looks ready to pounce on the little halfling; however, he hesitates and watches the group carefully to see how things are going to play out...
Round 1, Group 2 Actions
Zirren begins speaking to Greypelt from near the rear of the group and his sincere words seem to have an effect upon the worg. Zilka identifies Greypelt officially as a worg, an evil and intelligent wolf and draws her sword.
Greypelt - 39/45
Aw geez...I didn't realize I was standing on a chair with one leg too short, surrounded by bear traps and with an angry husband trying to tag me with crossbow bolts.
One false move here and this thing will go SNAP, and I'll go EEEEEEP, and then these walls will have an interesting new mosaic painted from my innards.
With limited options, Ruhk waits.
While he loves a good scrap, this one would be decidedly one sided without back-up.
Caine never lost his cool or his focus while he was being shoved into the other room. Somehow he managed to reload his crossbow on the way.
"Boote, you need to get your head out of your ass, right the hell now."
"That thing eats people. You want to talk to it, fine. Ask to take a look at it's bone pile."
Round 1, Group 2 Recap
Ruhk and Zilka prepare themselves to attack Greypelt in the event that hostilities resume. Caine reloads his crossbow and prepares himself for what he believes to be the eventuality that Greypelt resumes his attack.
Round 2, Group 1 Actions
Belladonna delays to see how Artegal will handle the negotiations. Art is up!
Well, Greypelt. I have tried to keep my word. I mean you no harm, but I cannot stop any of the rest of you from trying to kill each other. If it is a fight to death that you want. You will get it. That is not a threat. I'm only a simple gardner, who dreams of being something more, someday and I volunteered to help the village with a cure to a plague, nothing more brings me here. But these others, I've only known a few days, and they have shown me that they are experienced and capable in both combat and arcane skill. I don't want anyone to die needlessly, not you, not them, so please, gives us another chance, let me just see if these are even the mushrooms we need, right now I don't know even if they are, and if they are not, I will leave. I should not presume to speak for the rest of us, but I know that this does not have to end in death.
Greypelt snarls and bares his fangs when Nathaniel begins; however, the worg waits to listen to everything he has to say first. "You come into my home, kill my mates, and think I should just give you my mushrooms for a town of miserable humans? You must do something for me first. There are some creatures you must kill before I will allow you to take another step closer to these mushrooms. Clear out my home of all the miscreants and I will allow you to examine the mushrooms. Otherwise, take your friends and begone, Artegal Boote, before I change my mind and decide to feast on little man flesh!"
Zirren winced at Caine's yell before he eyes the wolf suspiciously.
"Let's say for a moment we're willing to accept your proposal. As you live here, you must know what lurks nearby. It is clear you think we can deal with something I suspect you could not. Tell us what these miscreants are... and don't leave anything out." Zirren's voice carried a slight edge now.
Caine looked absolutely furious at being ignored. He looked around the lair looking for where the wolf's pile of bones from previous meals were.
Greypelt eyes Zirren from behind the group. "There are a pair of red eyed, bat-like creatures that have plagued me before in the room with the anvil. There is also a massive spider in the tower that needs to feel my wrath after eating one of my mates. And a large group of bats in the ruins at the end of the hallway. Destroy these menaces and I will allow you to examine these mushrooms... and if they are the ones you seek, then we can make some sort of arrangement of payment."
Caine you spot a large pile of bones behind the fallen pillar, some of them do appear humanoid in shape and size. You also seem to recall the remains of the man you found out near the well in the courtyard... Which appeared to have been killed and consumed by some sort of lupine or canine creature.
Soooo, he wants us to do all that and THEN we can come to an arrangement? Not asking a little is he?
And coins are not much use for a wolf...what exactly does he want from us besides clearing them out?
Despite not having being able to see the tell tale signs of a lie like Caine seem to have done, Ruhk begins to feel a little trepidation about how one-sided the deal is becoming.
I mean, I know we've already done that, but HE doesn't need to know that yet...
Caine kept his crossbow trained on the wolf and walked over toward the pillar.
Then he started kicking bones over toward Boote.
"Did she get an arrangement? How about him? How about the guy in the courtyard?"
Nathaniel sighs heavilyI don't think now is the time to argue about if it is right for animals to eat people. Wolves will eat to survive, so will lions, tigers and bears, I'm told. Should I begin a crusade to ride the world of all these animals? Now, am I to curse all living things for following the nature that the Gods have given them? This creature, this talking wolf, is already beyond my experience. I am not trying to set out here to pledge my hand to this thing, or to tell it that it cannot eat to survive, or what it can or cannot eat to survive. I am determined not to kill any living thing unless I am acting to defend myself or someone I have sworn to defend. Why is that so hard for you to understand? If you want to go to war with everything that you see as a threat, I won't stop you. And if this thing attacks you, me, our associates, I will fight to the death to defend our lives. All I want to do is get what we came to find, and I would like to do that without having to kill everything that might stand in our way unless it is absolutely necessary.
"You're a g+~&!@n idiot." Caine said stalking out of the room.
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Zilka rubs her head. "Boys, save it for later," she mutters.
"So, a giant spider, the bat-like creatures, and actual bats. Kill those and you're offering to discuss an accommodation? How about we do that for you as payment for the mushrooms, then call it even? If you want more from us, you can bargain for it. Give us information, maybe. F'rinstance, we bumped into a kobold while we were exploring these ruins. Is there a kobold tribe hereabouts? That's something we might bargain further for."
Zilka keeps her sword out, not raised in a threat, but not put away, either.
Ruhk raises an eyebrow at Nat calling the Warg an animal. While he could understand and respect the idea that animals will hunt and kill people, this was an intelligent being, it could chose what to hunt, any person it ate would be deliberate (baring self defence of course, why waste food?), so that hardly applied here.
Or did it?
The philosophical discussion that would need to be had to decide the morality of that was much beyond Ruhk's interest or patience.
Besides, the Warg was very arrogant, which was grating on Ruhk.
We better get some where soon, this situation won't hold much longer, especially with everyone balancing on the edge here.