Calla remains invisibly to the side of the room, out of way of the strangers. If they are what they claim, her precautions might only scare them into an adverse reaction; if not, though, it never hurts to be prepared.
She does, however, make a point of rolling her eyes at Augrim's bluff, which she suspects was more transparent than she currently is.
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Jeroph hearing the dwarf's curse, pauses as he looks to him. he's aware that the dwarf thinks him foolish. He wants the newfound "folks" to think he is a fool and the ace in the hole, should they prove unfriendly. Smiling as he speaks to the Augrim, "my friend you are too worried about camels, they are hardy beasts much like your folk, the challenges of the desert are what they are suited for."
to inuendo(bluff) to Augrim that Jeroph has thought out his actions.
If the freed people are in one close group, then Jeroph is readied to caste grease on their squares when they take a hostile action.
If they are not in a close enough formation for that spell, then Jeroph is readying Jester's Jaunt to teleport to a position of advantage.
Alarka looks down at the dwarf, "Pathfinders or Aspis? We are neither. I recently bought a map to this tomb and wished to view it for religious reasons. When we arrived there were three camels outside, but no one else within. Quite suddenly our escape was cut off by a horde of zombie-like guardians, with no other choice we fled into this room. I trust you have dealt with the guardians if we are talking so casually?"
Dragon dung, Calla thinks acidly, as the woman mentions potential guardians. She looks around, seeing if she can see any source of supernatural protection.
Sense Motive to see if this story seems plausible.
"I see," Augrim replies. "There were no zombie guardians when we arrived, and nothing disturbed your camels. Nor were there any tracks to indicated a horde of zombies. Were these zombies flying?" A hint of sarcasm touches his last question and his hands unconsciously tighten on his war axe.
There is a lot about what she says that seems fishy to Augrim.
"In any event, you'll no doubt want to get your injured servant to safety as quickly as possible. Allow me to take a look at her injuries, so that I may heal them."
Bluff:
Without waiting for a response or permission, he starts approaching the 'servant'.
For when things pick back up with this...I'm pretty far behind in classes, so will be even more quite than usual here. Hopefully soon I can get back on track.
Underneath the cotton robe is the form of the missing Pathfinder. Her shocking blonde hair a unique site in the desert lands. The man holding her jerks away and reveals a dagger at her throat.
"I see, you were probably sent to retrieve the girl and her companions. Well, if you stop us she's as dead as the other two. Let us out of the tomb and we'll give you the girl, she'll just be dead weight in the desert," says Alarka dryly.
Charles scoffs.
"You expect us to let you murder Pathfinders, and then simply walk away? If you release her, surrender your weapons and armor, and leave immediately thereafter, we will not kill you on the spot. However, if you harm her any further, then there will be absolutely no reason for us to let you live...
...and there are oh so many ways for someone to die out here in the desert..."
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"Death can be varied, and from what I know...can be repeated", Jeroph says. "Though I'm much more favorful of everyone being reasonable, I'd hate to have to take the time to drag you acrossed the desert. I'm sure there is a price or two on your heads, and my experience with bounties is simple, the living are worth more...but there is not a functionality clause to such things. we'd only have to make sure the dwarf doesn't cut out your tongue. Your limbs are entirely optional. So indulge us in releashing our guildmember, or I see no reason in convincing my companions to let you live. She'll be resurected, we can afford it...you're not going to be so lucky. Choose well, choose peace, that is the only offer and advice I'll give you", the duelist continues. A dedicated, but utterly certain look in his eyes as he speaks. no flambouyant flourish or sign song taunt...just a chilling tone.
[occ]and DC 17 save vs. Dirge of Doom is go. Readied action is still to caste grease.[/ooc]
Augrim just stands there, gripping his war axe. A low, wordless growl emanates from his throat.
Aid another to Jeroph's Intimidate; he can't fail, so another +2 to that 41.
Either way, Augrim helps the Intimidate effort.
Seeing that hostilities are likely to break out, Calla will call on one of her pearls of power, magically restoring the memory of her shield spell.
Alarka's face goes pale as the group threatens her. Her guards have already dropped their weapons to the ground. "The desert is such a rough place, I'm sure you understand. One thing lead to another, and there we were trapped with blood on our hands," pleads the woman as she draws and places her own scimitar on the ground. The man holding unconcious girl carefully rests her on the ground, placing his weapons beside her. "She was knocked out in the fight, didn't do anythin' else to her."
They stand there with their hands in the air and the foremost man speaks up, "Our armor could take a few minutes to remove..."
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"Then I suggest that you continue to cooperate, the desert is a cruel place. However we look after our own. The weapons can stay as they are. Don't move unless told to, and answer my associate's questions. Otherwise, I'm going to teach the dwarf what a Taldan Haircut with the whoever still has cognitive functions.
Jeroph kept his hand on his blade and spoke in that soft cruel taldan tone. His eyes each taking a moment to fixate on those formerly taking a hostage.
Charles relaxes slightly as the 'desert folk' start to disarm, but nonetheless continues to glower at them.
"We can wait. It is not as if we are on the clock..."
Charles nods in satisfaction.
"Thank-you. I preferred to resolve this without further blood-shed."
He then turns to Augrim.
"Do you think you could wake her up," he points to the fallen Pathfinder, "so that we can hear her side of the story?"
Augrim's throaty growl fades away as the trio start disarming. By the time they're done, it's almost a whine.
"You're supposed to scare them until they wet themselves, not give up without a fight!" he berates Charles. "How am I supposed to rip their guts out for garters now?"
He stomps over to take the unconscious Pathfinder, giving the guy holding her a growl, fakes like he's going to bite the guy, and carries the woman away to the side where he casts a healing spell on her.
Intimidate:
Healing:
Calla, still not making any noise, begins collecting the weapons -- the idea that they're moving away from the guards on their own should add to the element of fear the group is instilling.
After she's collected them all and moved away, she'll say out loud "Ah wonder if these folk can tell us exactly what happened to their captor's companions and where we might find them..."
"You heard the lady. Answer her!"
After several minutes the desert folk remove all of their armors. The unconcious woman awakes when Augrim lays his healing upon her. "Ugh...Not going to beat me unconcious again are you?" she asks groggily before looking around, "Wait...who are all of you? Is that desert whore trying to sell me off to some slavers?"
After a few moments her head seems to clear, "Are you...Pathfinders?? Thank the gods!" She glares at Alarka, "Told you someone would come."
Alarka shrugs in response with no expression on her face.
She stands up leaning heavily on Augrim, "The three of us were taking rubbings and inspecting the art in that next room when these bandits attacked us. They out numbered us and I'm told after I was knocked out Gilleon used his magic to pull free one of the scepters. Trapping them in the room with us....I...." she begins to choke back tears, "They burned Gilleon and Jojacks' bodies in ember pit."
"I'm sure they fought well and bravely," Augrim says to the Pathfinder, genuinely attempting to console her. "Well, we can't kill these brigands now, seeing as we've disarmed and disarmoured them. But we certainly can't let them go. Perhaps we should just beat them unconscious and leave them tied up while we search this place, complete the Pathfinders' original mission?"
He flips his axe around so he's holding out the haft instead of the blade.
Charles looks at Augrim a little askance.
"How about we just tie them up for the moment?"
He then studies the 'brigands' carefully...
He then carefully ties each of them up, binding their hands and gagging them as well, for good measure.
Calla quickly casts detect magic as Charles ties them up.
She'll call out any items that detect as magical. "Perhaps we should take those away from them, as they probably aren't rightly their's to begin with, not to mention that they could help them escape. Ah'd say since they're so willing to take from others, Ah don't think they'll mind the same treatment."
"I'm sure they'll mind it. I just don't care."
"Ah'd say since they're so willing to take from others, Ah don't think they'll mind the same treatment."
Ridley tosses a bomb sphere into the air and catches it in the part of her hair, walking about the tomb with it balanced atop her head. "With that logic in mind, I'll remind you of the pathfinders they were willing to kill..." She tilts her head to the side, the bomb rolling down her head and resting at her temple. "Not that I advocate executing these folk here and now. Tempting as that might be." She tilts her head back now, causing the bomb to roll to the bridge of her nose and cradle precariously there while walking toward the captives. "I do however think their lives should be forfeit on account of their actions, perhaps we should bring them back with us, present them to the venture captain..." She tips her head ever so slightly forward, causing the bomb to roll down her face before catching it in her mouth, then popping it out toward the captives and catching it in the V of her hand, between her middle finger and ring finger. "See how that goes for them."