OD&D in-character thread

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"Vile humans who freely interbreed with orc scum and worship the demon lord Baal," says Sarbaturi. "They practice vivisection on those they take captive. Better to die in combat with them than to be taken prisoner. They will eat your heart while it still beats."
"Right, well we won't head there then.

Let's head out, straight to this tower. No point putting it off. Lead the way master elf"
 
Sanfratelli bids a solemn Elvish farewell to Waylon: "Mai hoʻokaumahaʻoe i kou'ā'ī no ka poʻe naʻaupō!"

"Don't risk your neck for those fools!"

After about an hour at a steady pace, slow to conserve energy, you approach the goosefoot crossroads and Sarbaturi states. "After this, we must always be on our guard for the forest ahead is thicker and made dark by the dense canopy of tall trees. The forest floor is crawling and slithering with all manner of creatures. The trees are home to beast both fair and foul. There are dens of wild dogs and bears. In the treetops there are carnivorous birds and venomous spiders. If we keep quiet and stay on the path, we may be lucky and manage to pass unharmed."

Sure enough, as you pass the sign at the crossroads and turn to the east, the forest darkens as the sky is blotted out by tall tree trunks, branches, and foliage. The temperature seems to drop several degrees until there is a chill in the air. The light and cold make it seem as though night is about to fall, even though it is still midmorning. There is an unnatural quiet as you slowly walk east, interrupted by a strange snorting sound off to the left side of the trail. Another snort seems to answer from the right side of the trail. As you continue, you get the impression that something is tracking you on either side of the trail as the snorting sounds continue intermittently on each side, never fading into the distance as you move on from where you first heard them. The path is wide enough for three to travel abreast.

How about a marching order? Sarbaturi will be in front and Crocefissa will be at the rear.
 
Pustar hangs back, staying close to Crocefissa, who he continues to smile goofily at from time to time.
 
Cacoy makes sure to stay right behind Waylon. Other than that, he is fine with any position in the marching order.
But he doesn't like the elf's smile. Nor the lack thereof most of the time.
 
Seri is somewhere in the middle, but slightly to the side so she can admire the lead elf’s muscular back, shoulders and buttocks. She also likes his long eyelashes and wispy hair.

“Are these woods usually this warm?”

At the snorting, however, she draws her bow and gets an arrow ready.
 
As Waylon seems to be dragging a chain of followers he'll be up front. With an air of disgust Waylon says.
"I'm confused as to the logic of putting a mage in the front ranks of a battle group. Is this some human or dwarf tactic I've not heard of before? If this is the norm it won't be long before humans beat the orcs in a race to the stupidest humanoids."
 
Seri ponders on these words. “Do you ever stop and wonder if orcs taste like pork? Wouldn’t THAT be a way to make them useful. Hunt’em down and feed the peasants. Eh? Eh? I’d be happy to cook some tasty orc flesh for my man.”
 
Seri is somewhere in the middle, but slightly to the side so she can admire the lead elf’s muscular back, shoulders and buttocks. She also likes his long eyelashes and wispy hair.

“Are these woods usually this warm?”

At the snorting, however, she draws her bow and gets an arrow ready.
As Waylon seems to be dragging a chain of followers he'll be up front. With an air of disgust Waylon says.
"I'm confused as to the logic of putting a mage in the front ranks of a battle group. Is this some human or dwarf tactic I've not heard of before? If this is the norm it won't be long before humans beat the orcs in a race to the stupidest humanoids."
Seri ponders on these words. “Do you ever stop and wonder if orcs taste like pork? Wouldn’t THAT be a way to make them useful. Hunt’em down and feed the peasants. Eh? Eh? I’d be happy to cook some tasty orc flesh for my man.”
Sarbaturi turns and eyes you all with a scowl, saying, "Did you think I was joking when I said we must keep quiet? Cease this incessant chatter! We all may perish due to your inability to think a thought without also speaking it!"

Almost immediately, a group of short, brutish, pig-nosed humanoids with a greenish tinge to their leathery flesh rushes out of the foliage and cover on either side of the trail. They are variously armed with spear and shield or short sword and shield. All wear leather that has seen better days. "Surrender or die now!" shouts one of them. Your entire party has two orcs flanking each member.
 
Waylon attempts to ascertain who the leader is. If successful he will say "We surrender! The greetings and blessings of Ochalla on you for rescuing us! A prayer for you." And begins attempting to cast charm person on the leader.
 
Seri isn’t a fool. She lowers her bow and puts on a smile.

...which is surprisingly easy to do because of her culinary contemplations of the green beings nearby.
 
Cacoy looked at the two that surrender with disgust, but lowers his weapons, and looks at the other elves.
 
Cosar raises his arms, having no weapons drawn. He cautiously waits to see what the Elves might do.
 
Pustar lowers his mace and shield slightly, careful not to make any sudden moves. He looks over at Crocefissa, trying to gauge her reaction to the situation and whether she looks like she will choose to fight or surrender.
 
Waylon attempts to ascertain who the leader is. If successful he will say "We surrender! The greetings and blessings of Ochalla on you for rescuing us! A prayer for you." And begins attempting to cast charm person on the leader.
Seri isn’t a fool. She lowers her bow and puts on a smile.

...which is surprisingly easy to do because of her culinary contemplations of the green beings nearby.
Cacoy looked at the two that surrender with disgust, but lowers his weapons, and looks at the other elves.
Cosar raises his arms, having no weapons drawn. He cautiously waits to see what the Elves might do.
Pustar lowers his mace and shield slightly, careful not to make any sudden moves. He looks over at Crocefissa, trying to gauge her reaction to the situation and whether she looks like she will choose to fight or surrender.
"You cowardly fools!" Sarbaturi exclaims with an Elvish curse. "To surrender to the Orcs of the Burned Stump is to resign yourselves to be sacrificed to Baal!"

He readies his sword, as does Crocefissa, who looks at Pustar with disgust for his hesitation.

Meanwhile, Waylon, deeming the orc spokesman to be their leader, speaks strange words and makes bizarre gestures that only Cosar recognizes immediately as telltales of a spell being cast. By the time the orcs realize the elf is not merely suffering a seizure or speaking a language unknown to them, the spell has invisibly taken hold on their spokesman. The other orcs look to their leader for guidance, having no way of knowing he has been ensorcelled. It seems your guides are ready to fight, as are the remaining orcs who seem to be itching for a fight and waiting for a signal.

Charm Person has the orc leader in Waylon's thrall.
 
"Friends! Friends! There is more than enough treasure ahead for us to share! With your ugly brutish strength and our obviously superior intelligence nothing can stop us. We should work together. Don't you agree?" Waylon says to the orc leader.
 
"Friends! Friends! There is more than enough treasure ahead for us to share! With your ugly brutish strength and our obviously superior intelligence nothing can stop us. We should work together. Don't you agree?" Waylon says to the orc leader.
"Work together? As allies? Against whom? What treasure?"

The other orcs' ears prick up at the last word, though they look confused by their leader speaking with an elf rather than slitting the elf's throat.

"You would ally with an orc?!" says Sarbaturi.

Is Waylon speaking Orcish or Common? (Also, when you get a chance post what languages Waylon speaks over in the other thread.)
 
"Work together? As allies? Against whom? What treasure?"

The other orcs' ears prick up at the last word, though they look confused by their leader speaking with an elf rather than slitting the elf's throat.

"You would ally with an orc?!" says Sarbaturi.

Is Waylon speaking Orcish or Common? (Also, when you get a chance post what languages Waylon speaks over in the other thread.)
"It's better to ally with an orc, and fight next to them against other enemies for the treasure hidden nearby, than to fight against the orcs over your empty pockets", Cacoy notes, nodding at Sarbaturi.
He doesn't mention the orcs possibly dying in the process, since it would be impolite. But he hopes the elf manages this feat of talking.
 
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Seri thinks this is a great idea. The orcs’ greed will likely make them insist on going first, and thus triggering traps ahead of the heroes.

She makes an obvious gesture of putting away her bow. “Glorious treasure. Much treasure for you and us. You get first pick because you are so much stronger than us!”
 
Cosar smirks a bit and nods to Waylon and puts his hands down but decides to let the conversation play out without interfering.
 
"The minions guardian the tower treasure of course! I assume that's your goal as well?!? We've heard it contains vast treasure but only for those strong enough, clever enough and armed with potent magic. Together we are unstoppable." Waylon says to the orc leader.

Turning to his new Elvish allies he says "As a winner of several "Most likely to be killed by his friends" awards I can confidently say your putting my winning status in serious jeopardy. These orcs want to get rich and deal with the challenges of the tower just like us. I saw we team up with them and give them what they deserve."
 
Cacoy gives Waylon a thumbs up, and silently wanders whether making people want to kill them is genetic for orcs. If so, that would explain why elves are rarely encountered, normally.
 
The orc leader draws a knife and cuts open the palm of his left hand, which he then extends to Waylon. "I am Abnegar, subchief of my tribe, the Orcs of the Burned Stump. Will you swear a blood oath and aid us in overthrowing Hokkam the Ogre, who forces my people to serve him and the wicked humans who worship Baal? In return we will aid you in obtaining the treasure you seek, though we have little need for stolen gold if we can but obtain our freedom." He seems to expecr Waylon to slice open his hand as well and shake on the compact.
 
"Your customs are repulsive and extremely unhygienic. I strongly suspect most of your alliances end in death by bloodborne disease. However this is too important and the rewards too great to say no." Waylon says before making the world's lightest incision to draw blood in his left hand. Before Abnegar can say anything about the depth of the cut he clasps hands and says "Deal!"
 
"Deal is a deal", Cacoy says. "Now...where is the ogre located, and how many humans serve it? Evil cults often have gold, too!"
 
"Deal is a deal", Cacoy says. "Now...where is the ogre located, and how many humans serve it? Evil cults often have gold, too!"
Abnegar responds, "Hokkam is generally to be found in his caves by the red rocks on the Southern Road. There are at least a dozen human cultists attending him. They believe he is the intermediary of the demon lord Baal and the spawn of the mad wizard Zaporizhio and serve him without question. Hokkam has also bedeviled our chief, Mogresh, with plenty of wine and women whenever he desires such. Many of my fellow tribesmen will support us, but some may fight for Mogresh out of misguided loyalty. I have no fear of the human cultist scum, for they are weak like women and hobbits. It is the ogre and my fellow orcs who will put up the hardest resistance."
 
"Well no point in delaying the inevitable. If we can't handle an ogre, we're definitely not fit for the tower and if we win we've a veritable orc army to assault the place with"
 
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"Good. But let's not forget a weakling with a knife behind your back can still stick a knife in your back", Cacoy nods. "My question is: can we surprise the ogre? If we can kill him quickly...well, that should prove to everyone he was no prophet. Or that there's a stronger prophet now. Either one works for us".
He shrugs, showing lack of interest in which one they'd pick.
"Do you bring captured humans to him? If we could pretend being captured, and then you hand us our weapons in time...well. I don't really like that plan, since there's no option to recover if we fail the initial attack. So it would be better to surprise him elsewhere. But if you could arrange having around mostly orks that would support us - he should fall against an assaulting force of 12 men or so!"
 
I'm giving Necrozius Necrozius, Bunch Bunch, and dokel dokel a chance to respond before I assume you've all agreed to backtrack and go south to liberate the orcs. If nobody objects by tomorrow, I'll assume that's what you're all doing and update accordingly.
 
"Can you draw in the dirt a picture of where his cave and the humans are? It would help us plan an attack" Waylon says.
 
(I'm having a busy week. Pustar will go along with whatever everyone else wants to do.)
 
(OOC: same here, sorry folks, I’ll get back to business from now on)
 
"Well it leaves little ambiguity in its simplicity"

He turns to their elven guides.

"Ready to head to this ogre? Or is the whole concept of following orcs too foul and degenerate to you?" he asks with a serious tone on the second question.
 
"Well it leaves little ambiguity in its simplicity"

He turns to their elven guides.

"Ready to head to this ogre? Or is the whole concept of following orcs too foul and degenerate to you?" he asks with a serious tone on the second question.
Sarbaturi and Crocefissa heatedly confer before arriving at an answer: "We will see you safely to the rocks, at least, and then we will see from there."
 
"How can they say no? Clearly the Ogre is a threat to his home if not now eventually. These orcs are a cut above the rest. Intelligent enough to escape their horrible inbreeding and work with others to tackle a larger problem. How sad would it be to say an elf is less wise than an orc? Could you really be so attached to hatred you'd die or condemn others to die just to be pure? " Waylon says incredulously.
 
Seri begins to think of old fables wherein clever Hobbits smoked a bear out of it’s cave and pelted it with rocks from above.

“We have strength in numbers. Could we set some kind of trap? Aren’t ogres really stupid?” She says to noone in particular.
 
Pustar shoots a disappointed look at Sarbaturi and Crocefissa,

"If the pair of you were able to rise above your petty hatred of these orcs you might realise that, by aiding them, you are ultimately aiding yourselves and your people. These orcs have promised to help us assault the mad wizard's tower and thus hopefully end the curse that plagues this forest you call home. But first we must help them..."

(OOC: Pustar has a WIS 17 moment - he may be stupid but he's not daft :smile: )
 
"How can they say no? Clearly the Ogre is a threat to his home if not now eventually. These orcs are a cut above the rest. Intelligent enough to escape their horrible inbreeding and work with others to tackle a larger problem. How sad would it be to say an elf is less wise than an orc? Could you really be so attached to hatred you'd die or condemn others to die just to be pure? " Waylon says incredulously.
Pustar shoots a disappointed look at Sarbaturi and Crocefissa,

"If the pair of you were able to rise above your petty hatred of these orcs you might realise that, by aiding them, you are ultimately aiding yourselves and your people. These orcs have promised to help us assault the mad wizard's tower and thus hopefully end the curse that plagues this forest you call home. But first we must help them..."

(OOC: Pustar has a WIS 17 moment - he may be stupid but he's not daft :smile: )
"Or perhaps," Sarbaturi says, "we understand that the Tower of Zaporizhio is the root cause of the wickedness that allows the ogre and his vile cultists to flourish and, unlike you, we are not frivolous and do not get distracted from our goals by every shiny object we come across. Eliminating the curse of Zaporizhio is of paramount importance. We will guide you to the red rocks and then you can march to your doom alongside treacherous orcs like the fools you are. If you believe the orcs will keep their word, more power to you."
 
OOC: Would Cosar know how likely the Orcs are to break Waylon's mind control and roughly how long it would last? i.e. does he know something equivalent to Charm Person's description in Book 1?
 
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