"My name is Cragmesh and I give no oaths to the dark elves or her winged servants. I am a warrior and I promise not to attack anyone here."

The chained cultists spit out words claiming the Orc is a liar, that he leads ambushes on innocent travelers along the road and that he tortures women and children...

In reply to Cragmesh (msg # 18):

"Brother Cragmesh, I have no desire to leave you here where you are so reviled. Harm can be caused even without attacking, promise to cause no harm through your actions, please."

Oren prepares to release the Orc.
15:44, Today: Oren Blathe rolled 12 using 1d20+2. sense motive
This message was last edited by the player at 23:45, Tue 12 Nov 2013.

"Freeing prisoners, I would think, would be somewhere beyond being nice" Amara replied without even bothering to glance at the man, instead finishing her scan of the walls.

"No secret passages," Amara confirmed, as she came to the end of the room. She looked around, frowning deeply that not all the freed prisoners were here gathering their stuff.

Myarra reached the room with the prisoners, most of whom were still fighting over who was really good and who was just kind of not really evil, and who was a big mean orc.  She really hadn't had much experience with orcs, other than in the current circumstance, and she had no real reason to suspect them of being inherently bad and more than she did of humans ... many of which had proven themselves to be really bad.

"We found your belongings just up the hall." she tells Oren and Samuel, who seem to be waiting on the orc to say something.  "You need to go pick it up, because we're leaving momentarily.  If you want any of these folks released, say so and I'll cut them loose.  Otherwise they stay where they.  But there's no more time for talk.  It's action time."  She casts an extra glance at Aliana, who's opinion carries a fair amount of weight.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:27, Fri 29 Nov 2013.

In reply to Myarra (msg # 22):

Oren looks at the beautiful woman. "Yes Myarra, please release Cragmesh here just as soon as he promises to cause no harm.  The rest have shown they do not mean their Oath by their treatment of this prisoner. Thank you, this place holds nothing of mine, Samuel you should prepare yourself for what may wait for us outside." Oren turns to waiting for Cragmesh's response.

Kevnan bend his head and ignored Amara. The only dealings he had have with dark elfs before, had been bloody and cruel. Not that there had been many.

He finished his gear, grab an above averages sized sword and a long spear.

Im ready

"Cragmesh promises that he will not hurt any of you today."

Since Oren had made his decision, Myarra slashes the chains that hold the Cragmesh to the wall.

"I have no reason to trust you, but I hold you no ill will," she tells the orc.  "We are in a hostile place and I do not know your heart, nor has anyone vouched for your character.  If you give me reason to distrust you, I will end you as easily as I released you.  Be honorable until we part ways above, and we will all live to enjoy another day.

Let's get out of here," she adds to Oren and Samuel.  "Thelonious is keeping watch upstairs and your gear is on the way out."

It hurts to leave the rest of the people in this place.  When she'd been the one chained to the wall, her would-be rescuers had left her behind as well.  In a sense, she felt like she was betraying herself.  But she'd left it up to the others and decision had been made.

Ignoring the pleading and the whining, she gestured the others out in front of her.

Oren follows the winged woman. "Thank you, Myarra. Sometimes, good requires one to assume the best about about a stranger. Cragmesh may have done horrible things in the past, but I'm willing to look beyond his past and forgive him. Sometimes appearances are deceiving. And sometimes, all a person needs is a chance."

07:35, Today: Oren Blathe rolled 27 using 1d20+20. diplomacy check

"It's good to keep an open mind," Myarra agrees.  "Just not so open your brain falls out.

Cragmesh may have done horrible things in the past, or he may not have.  I don't hold his being an orc against him.  I've been fighting orcs and humans for the last few months and, frankly, I don't see a whole lot of difference in their behavior.

The fact that he was chained to a wall in a dungeon of the Cult of the Dragon, and that none of the people I can trust can vouch for him ... that is what I hold against him.  And if Amara hadn't vouched for you lot, I'd be treating you the same.

But what about the rest of them back there?  Don't they deserve forgiveness and a chance?  Not that I'm saying they do, but your philosophy seems to have some ragged edges.

And I'm the last person in the world that you want to be lecturing to about appearances.  I've been a demon, devil, daemon, fiend, hellion, hellspawn, or worse since I was four years old ... which is about as far back as I can remember. And mostly from nice, fine, upstanding, Good folks, not unlike yourself.  Talk about giving a kid the wrong idea about herself."

In reply to Myarra (msg # 28):

"Yes, my Sister. What I said is as much for him as for you.  I can see you have a good heart. I hope that Cragmesh will see that you aren't a demon, in setting him free.  In regards to the other prisoners, you can tell a lot about a person in how they treat those they consider beneath them. Their fellows will set them free. Perhaps one day, they will find Peace. "

Oren glances at the prisoners as he leaves the room

"Cragmesh is cautious of you and Amara, Myarra. But, there was no hatred in his words. I don't see any ragged edges in my philosophy."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:36, Wed 13 Nov 2013.

"Silver, do you have enough room to carry all this stuff out? We can, apparently, sort it out after getting out of here instead of before."

"OK, I suggest that you all get out of this cell and into the next room to collect your gear if it's still there." Francis said to the newly freed prisoners "We need to leave this place before the Cultists know what's going on."

Once the big Orc is freed from the chains on the wall, he spits on the ground near the cultists still in chains and leaves the room. He does not look back as he climbs the stairs and out into the Dragon Cult's complex...

As they arrived at the room with the equipment, Myarra gestured within while she watched Cragmesh start up the stairs.  Oren was going to be interesting, she mused, but he clearly had some self-imposed blinders.  Of course, most of the "Good" did.  She let the conversation drop for the moment.  There were more important matters at hand ... like, survival.

"Amara, Silver, they've decided to just let the orc go.  He's heading upstairs now.  Samuel, your stuff is most likely in there.  Grab it, and then let's get out of here."

There was also the possibility that Cragmesh was going to betray them.  But that just meant they needed to move faster.

"Thelonious, the orc is being released.  Please let him pass in peace!" she called up the stairs at the retreating orc's back.

She'd found that the majority of problems seem to come from not letting people know critical details ... in this case, letting the guard know that a prisoner was being released, and not escaping.  It really did matter if you wanted to keep things quiet and blood-free.

Oren glances at Myarra. "I hadn't realized that you had placed a guard at the door. Good thinking. We should hurry Samuel, I fear that I may have wasted valuable time." Oren begins to travel up the stairs to meet the last of his rescuers.

Kevnan moved up to Myarra and said with a low voice: "_{As I said, you properly knew.} I'm going up and joins Thelonious "
He slowly followed the orc. He was eager to se the sky again but wanted to wait for the rest of the group.

Hearing Myarra's call, Thelonious looks back and sees the Orc climbing the stairs. when the orc gets closer he says, "Well met friend Orc. Safe travels away from this place."

"I was put in chains because I could not catch you in the forest." Cragmesh said to Thelonious "I fight my enemies hand to hand, not while chained up. The snake woman killed your friends. Her base is North of here."

With that said, Cragmesh runs into the yard of the complex, but says nothing.

Thelonious gazes at the Orc in bewilderment. thinking aloud he says "The snake woman?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:19, Sat 16 Nov 2013.

Sister Aliana smiled at everyone until they were all ready to leave.  She was anxious to go, but didn't want to rush anyone.

Samuel indeed found his prayerbook there and a quick search revealed the rest of his equipment. The only things missing were his money (not that he was surprised) and his notes and maps. Even checking the equipment storage for the second time didn't reveal them. Sighing, Samuel turned to leave. My notes and maps aren't here. They must have took somewhere else. They were interested in them, so it's not a surprising thing.

Oren walks up the stairs stopping at the door near the man. "Hello, I am Oren Blathe, Cleric of Eldath. I want to thank you for rescuing me and the others." seeing the chaos outside,  he stops and stares for a moment "Oh, my... you do a thing right,  don't you?"

Thelonious holds everyone back from the door just a little out of sight. Still keeping an eye on the door and the outside in case enemies come through, he glances at Oren and says,

In reply to Oren Blathe (msg # 41):

"Well met friend Oren. I am pleased to find some alive. The orc said something about a snake woman? Do you know what he refers to?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:25, Mon 18 Nov 2013.