At the sight of the queen Minmorc feels his pulse quicken, his voice catches in his throat and he gets butterflies in the pit of his stomach. Without thinking he steps forward and says "I never... Yer der most beautiful Ogress I ever seen.." He shakes his head and clangs his spears but on the ground. "I'm Minmorc and dis is team Arda nuff. We's killed ogres an ghosts and elves and when we got here der bloody gnolls tried ter take wots ours, so we killed dem. Dunno bout der purple smoke but when we gots ere Die Harda tolds us der purple smoke meant dey needs help, maybe when der Gnolls was dying dey thought we needs help and made der smoke. When I saw der smoke I puts it out straight away. Queen, no ways we knows dey was yer Gnolls, deys was soooo weak and yer so strong. You want scouts? Team Arda nuff's much better."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:44, Sat 06 June 2015.

In reply to Minmorc (msg # 526):

 Oopses rolled 21 using 1d20+3. fort save vs shock @ mental image .


Oopses bleaches light grey when minmorc disregards the ogress to comment on her attractiveness, but somehow manages not to faint.

Riza keeps very quiet as they enter the hall, she is rather impressed with the fire pit, and visibly impressed at the queens presence and anger.

Her head drops forward and a small sigh can be heard from Riza as Minmorc starts to go goo goo over the queen. minmorc is speaking the truth queen, the gnolls ambushed us to take what we had. so we slaughtered them, weve come too far already to get beaten by a group of gnolls... but if you need a scout group we can do the job

Riza will be ready to run and hide should the conversation fall to pieces

The ogre-mage stares at Minmorc with an expression somewhere between surprise and amusement, then switches her gaze to Die-Arda.

Her voice is silky smooth as she asks, "You have met before? Tell me more."

Seeing as no one has said anything different, Jurz rides Rog straight into the throne room that is a temple.  The Ogre guard, Ogre-Mage queen,  indoor fire and the god with the burning sword are not things he is at all comfortable with. Everything seems to be closing in, first the circle of guards, then inside the walls, and even the huge room seems small when it holds a massive fire pit, huge statue and Ogress-Mage standing tall. Compared to the woods and heath-land that he is used to, everything feels very restricted and confined.

However, he manages to keep his jaw firmly closed and makes a point of not gawking at all the strange things -  And he stops his hands from shaking visibly.  All that training  with the gobbo wolf riders taught him that fear is a weakness, that weakness was punished.  And this is not the time to look weak.

Instead he lets the others do the talking, and looks around the room.  He makes a point of looking at the statue and the fire (and anything else of interest) and even forces himself to smile slightly.  And while his gaze will not linger on it, he is mentally making a note of any windows (open or closed), doorways and other exits.  If he needs to make a quick escape, he wants to know which way to go.

He is definitely not gawking though!

Moffdust gawks at everything, her mouth open in awe as she enters the room. "Dis is not goods, not goods fer us. We only dont knows yet jus how bads it is, but its not goods." she murmurs. She hides behind Bully and casts detect magic as quietly as possible then scans the room muttering "How bads is it?"

Die Arda bobs his head up and down energetically in response to the Queen's question.

"Yeah, dat's right, Boss-Mam. We's was on watchin'-duty at dat rocky lookout posts watchin for elfses from der Oytswoodz or der hoomans on der grassy plains. Dese boyz comes outa der Oytswoodz to takes over der watchin' from us. But dey didn't wants to gives us all dere shinies, so we's 'ad a bits of a bash at each uvver. But dey's arda nuff, all rights! Der uvver three ogre-boyz wot was dere wiv me wasn't arda nuff so's dey's dead-boyz now. Fair enough, I reckonz. Dese boyz is arda nuff to keepz watch dere, so I left 'em to it."

The Queen listens to Die-Arda's explanation with a scowl on her face then turns her attention back to her 'guests'.

"You defeated four of my ogres? You?" She shakes her head incredulously. "Then you came here and slaughtered a score of my gnolls as well? So, who is keeping watch at that lookout now?"

Minmorc will focus and mumble chant and stretch and within seconds stands ten feet tall and able to look Moldavite in the eye. "Queen, we ain't looking fer a fight, we's jus lookin fer a place ter rest, but every place wees goes folk tries ter take our stuff. Team Arda Nuff, we ain't grunt boys, we's killers, we ain't gunna guard no rock but you gots a problem, mebbe we's can fix it fer you."

Grakk was looking pretty confused about the whole situation but suddenly he looks excited.

He waves his hand in the air and exclaims, "Oo, pick me, Boss-Mam! I really likes dat rocky hill! I'll guard it and keep watch for elfses and hoomans coming dis way. Pick me! Dat's a good place for me!"

The Queen stares at the suddenly giant-size Minmorc with sudden understanding, then snaps her gaze to Grakk when he too begs for attention.

"So, yes, I see! Very well, minotaur, since you ask so eagerly the job is yours."

"Take the minotaur away," she instructs one of the ogre guards. "Give him what he would need for the signal fire and an escort to make sure he gets there."

When Grakk is led away she turns her attention back to the rest of her 'guests'.

"Now, what shall we do with the rest of you? I could have you killed for slaying my troops but perhaps there is still a better use for you. Something down in the sewers has been taking a toll on my forces in the city, as well. Something that comes up out of the sewers while my troops sleep and cuts their throats leaving blood and corpses all over the place. My ogre guards are too big for the sewers and the smaller troops I have sent down there have never returned. So, clean out the sewers under the city for me and I will let you live. Or refuse and be executed at dawn. The choice is yours. What say you, Team Arda-Nuff?"

Minmorc will smirk at the Queen and casually angle Vera towards Die Arda, it's clear that he is waiting for everyone to come to a decision and equally clear he's happy either way.

If Jurz dislikes the fire, Dregz positively hates and dreads it, clutching his precious Holy Book to his chest and murmuring comforting words to it as he cradles it in his arms.

The Queen seems officially 'Not Happy'. Though the priest has never met an ogre-mage of any persuasion who was.  The best thing to do would seem to be to deny absolutely everything, from neither having either met or seen the gnolls, knowing naught at all about smoke of any hue, and adopting false names on the spot (Hi, I'm Gizz ...)

Then thing go completely spikey Wilson-shaped.  Dregz listens in growing horror at Minmorc's frank admissions, from being smitten to having done a fair bit of smiting, and the little goblin shrinks back as the Queen suggests various unpleasantries, shaking his head vigorously at the "sudden death" option and only reluctantly nodding at the throats-slitting sewer-dwelling alternative when it seems obvious there's no third 'key of the city and big bag of shines' way on offer.

"We'd be very grateful ter be allowed ter clean out der sewers, oh mighty Queen," he lies boldly.

"Dis is not so bads fer us after alls." Moffdust muses, clearly relieved. She continues to concentrate on detect magic and gawking about, checking whether the ogress has any enchantments running on herself, and looking for anything small and magical that may not be missed...

 OOC: Oi!  I resembled that comment!  We have to move on from blaming all acts of random stupidity on gnomes.  They should now be blamed on bugbears!

Bulldust looks up from his careful study of the floor and grins a huge mouthful of fangs.  It looks like Minmorc's pitch has worked.  We're being offered a job instead of execution.  He bangs his spear but on the floor like the orc did and loudly says  "I'll help ya clean out all yer sewers Queen!"

Then quietly to Moffa behind him "Whats a sewer Moffa?"

Minmorc will bring his spear to rest back on his shoulder. "Hur, hur, hur, sounds like team Arda Nuff is in fer der sewers. So how der we get in and den where doz we go when der killins done?"

Queen Moldavite smiles very, very slightly and nods to one of the ogre guards behind Team Arda-Nuff.

"Youz can goes inna sewers lotsa places," he explains. "Dey's got dem manholes all over der city. Good name fer 'em, ain't it? Dat's where all der mans should goes. Stuff 'em down der manholes inta der sewers wid der rest of der shits! Hur, hur, hur!"

A glare from the Queen silences his laughter immediately and he hurries on with his explanation.

"Der sewers is likes a big tree wot felled over under der city. Der big fat end bits is at der north ends of der city furthest from der hills. Den der sewerses branches out to alla der uvver parts of der city an' dere's manholes all over der city wot youz can climbs down inta der sewerses. We's gonna 'ave lotsa guards all arounds alla der manholeses an' at der big grates at der north ends where der poo-juice flows outa der sewers inta der river. So iff'n der shits down dere runs away from youz, we's gonna whack 'em when dey pops outa der sewers! Yer see? Good'un plans, ain't it? Youz goes in while its night times an' we'z'll lets youz comes outs when der sun comes up. Alla der guards wants to go gets some sleeps den anyways. Iff'n deres more killin's durin' der dayz den youz gotta goes back down again der next night until youz cleanded dem sewerses right out."

"Whoh!  So deres shits in dis sewer?  Shits is not good fer my hair.  I's gonna need a hat Queen!"

Minmorc will shrug. "Right den, yer better takes us ter der far end an we's makes our way down ter da river. Shit goes down hill right?"

Jurz has been listening carefully to the discussion, although he has taken care not to take a part in it, but once it is clear that there are going to have to go into the sewers a look of consternation crosses his face.  Especially when he hears that it gets small and is full of shits.  It is certainly not a place to take to take Rog into.  He looks around the room again, perhaps checking one last time, before his gaze stops at Dies Arda.

"Dies.  Dis is my dog, Rog.  An I'se can't take him inta der sewers wid us.  Dogs don't likes shits-holes.  So I's is gonna tell Rog to stays wid you.  Youse is okays for an Ogre an youse knows dat dere is der times when youse has to do stuffs.  Dis time youse got to look after Rog and makes sure no ones eats him or kills him." he says as his bald forehead puckers into a frown. "And if'n he is dead or been eated when I comes out of de Shits-hole, den I wills find youse an I will kills youse.  An if'n he isn't dead or hurted, den I will gives you some shinies." he adds, almost as an after thought.

Then he looks around the room at the others there  "An I'se will kill whose ever hurted Rog too.  An den I will cut dem up and sell dem in der markets for food." he says warming to the subject.

"And it won't be in da stand-ups fight neither.  It'll be in da middle of de days when youse is asleep, and youse will wakes up dead and chopped up for de dinner." he adds quietly, but clearly enough for everyone to hear.

With that he dismounts from the great dog and looks around at everyone in the room, including the queen, as if he is committing their face to memory.

"Dey have rats in der sewers, too," Dregz tries to look on the bright side, "good eatin' on a rat !"

Moffdust nods as she listens to Jurz. "Dis is true. Datz wot he does. Right when youse is asleeps - ziiiiikt!" She draws a spikey claw across her throat.

As Grakk leaves, Moffdust runs after him and hugs the young minotaur around his leg. "Sees ya laters Grakk. Wes hopes youse likes yer rocky hilltop. Dats a good lairs fer a minotaurs. Watch outs fer dem nasty elfses!" She lets him go and watches as he is lead away.

The ogre guards look slightly stunned but the ogre-mage Queen just smiles thinly at Jurz's threats.

"The choice I offered each of you is sewer rat or death at dawn. But you amuse me, you ragged little goblin. The dog can stay. Die-Arda, you will make sure it stays alive, unless I say otherwise. If they fail to come back from the sewers by mid-day, then the dog dies!"

Jurz just nods and  cast a spell.

Then he turns to Rog a starts 'speaking' in a series of low pitched, bestial, noises.

Riza regards the conversations going back and forth with some interest, rather she seems intrigued with the queens behaviour. It has been a while since she has seen such a dominant figure. When faced with the choices, or lack of choices the vote seems unanimous.... Sewers it is.

come on guys lets get mooving, i want to kill these things before its day time  She pulls her spear out of her new quiver and rests it on her shoulder. you guys coming or not? i want to rip something to pieces, and if we wait here any longer it may be one of yous
She is clearly agitated and probably just eager to kill something, she does pause long enough to give a respectful bow to the queen Queen

With a turn she moves towards to door and then wait for the other to join her or the ogres to let them leave