"Running to da temples is sooo tempting. I is ready fer runnin if dats what happens." Moffdust looks at Minmorc and Bully to see what happens next.

Hearing some whispering behind him, Bulldust looks over his shoulder to check whether the rest of the party is ready to meet the queen with the fearsome reputation that they've heard so much about.  Recent events pass through his mind.  We deserted the army, but that was a long way off on the other side of the forest.  We killed some ogres, and Dies-Arda was impressed with that.  We killed some gnolls, but they attacked us first.  We traded some elf gear, so we're elf slayers.  He can't see that they've done anything to annoy her.  Maybe she wants to give them a job, or a medal, or lunch!  All this thinking coalesces into one simple question.  "Wot?!"  His legs tighten as he prepares to run.

In reply to Bulldust (msg # 502):

Oopses completely misses everything except the ogres want them to go somewhere and the orc isn't moving.

Die-Arda scratches his head when asked what the Queen wants them for.

"Didn't asks 'er," he says. "Queen Moldavite gives a orders, youz jus' does it. She woz pretty narky when she's 'eard dat just abouts a whole dog-head patrol gotz wipeted out inna city. So's when der news comes in dat der dog-headz killers is inna marketsplace, she says bring 'em in. So get movin'. Der palaces is dat way." He points toward the north exit out of the marketplace. (The exit back to the temple is towards the east.)

The ogre leader behind him leans forward and points at Minmorc as he whispers something to Die-Arda. Die-Arda looks at Minmorc too, as though noticing something for the first time. As he and the other ogres all start to move forward to surround the group and get them moving in the right direction, he asks Minmorc directly.

"Why's youz's armour all red like dat? It wasn't like dat before. Youz tryin ta joins der Queenz Guardz or summat?" he asks.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:29, Sat 13 June 2015.

"Dunno, ain't met a queen before. If dey finks red armor is good dey might be my kinda folks." Minmorc shrugs "Kay, I'll see yer queenside, so it's dis way huh?" With another shrug of his shoulders he will start moving towards the North exit.

"Will dere be lunch?"  Bulldust follows.  "And why is you red?"
This message was last edited by the player at 14:25, Tue 02 June 2015.

Minmorc will scratch his head. "Well, I gets dese dreams right, sums when I's sleeps, sums when I's wakes. Deys got folks cheerin and people callin out strange chants an I see like a big gold cup an der spikey Wilson ball an me, an I'm wearin dis armour, an it's red an it's got sum white stripes an numbers an my name on it an folks is readin my name an cheerin, it's a good dream. I fink its wot my god wants and I wants it, der cheerin an der gold cup. So I's gonna gets Cleva Riza ter write my name on my armour so's evryone knows I'm Minmorc, an der  folks wot likes me can cheer my name an der folks wot don't like me can fear my name." Minmorc gets a huge grin on his ugly face. "Dis is der dream my gods gives me I fink, an it's a good dream."

Sitting atop Rog, Jurz watches the way the Ogres organise themselves and looks for gaps in the way they sort themselves out.  he has no intention of making a break for it at the moment, but he does want to know where the best routes are.

"Dose dog-heads wasn't all dat bright.  Deses jumped us and wanted to take Rog away.  But Rog didn't wannna to go." he says casually as he strokes the riding dog's neck.

"Which god is dat wot makes you dream of red and cups and stuff?"  Bulldust shrugs.  "I jus dream of food ... and frogs ... but I don't fink its Bargriefyuk what makes dose dreams, jus me."  He walks towards the north exit that Dies-Arda indicated.

Despite Bully's misgivings, and the impending doom implied by dropping in on the queen, Dregz is quite excited by Minmorc's dream which at least serves to distract the little goblin from the peril.

"Dese folks cheerin' ... were dey all orcs ?  An' just cheerin' youse or woz der anybody else in der red an' der white ?"  he inquires eagerly as he follows the big orc out.

Die-Arda stayed close by Minmorc and listened attentively as the red spikey orc explained his dream.

"Yeah, dat's a good dreamz, dat is," he agreed. He sounded like part of his mind was still far away processing the idea. "D'ya reckon a ogre can 'ave dat dreamz too? Wot's spikey Wilson ballz? Is dat like when youz gets itchy down 'ere?"

The ten ogres had basically surrounded the group but as they left the marketplace they split into two groups, two pairs at the front and three pairs at the rear, because of the width of the road and number of other folk walking to and from the marketplace. Slipsnotz slipped aside as the ogres closed in and he was basically ignored by the ogres.

Minmorc is clearly surprised by the enthusiasm the others are showing towards his dream and becomes uncharacteristically serious as he thinks about the best way to answer everyone's questions. "Don't know wot der gods name is... It's like, like deys a long ways away an I gots to find dem an der stronger I gets der closer I gets ter dem." Minmorc then ponders on Dregzes questions. "I fink der cheerins in common but it's so loud, ders so many folks cheerin it's hard ter tell... Yeah, yeah it's in common coz sometimes der cheer is Defence, ra ra ra... Dunno why but sometimes dats wot der cheerin. An in my dreams it's like ders a light jus on me but ders other folks of all diffrent folks too wot come in an out of der light, sum is wearin my red n white, sum is wearing other colours but deys all gots der own numbers." Die-harda's question is much easier to answer. Juggling his spear an new pack Minmorc will pull out a sack that has been padded with boar hide and rattles with spiked gauntlets and gloves from which he reveals an object wrapped with another hide. Reverently unwrapping it he holds it aloft and proclaims "dis is der spikey Wilson ball, der first of many."

In reply to Minmorc (msg # 512):

Unconcerned as the tension is past arlein takes a catnap on the bulbous hump of iron protrufing from oopses back.

Riza keeps close to Minmorc listening with a smile as dies Arda gets more interested in minmorcs dream dont worry minmorc ill be happy to do the fiddly painting once we sees the queen

She seems unusually calm considering her recent behaviour, quite possibly a decent sleep has done the trick or she is just waiting for an excuse to go nuts. She chews on some food from her pouch waiting to see how the events unroll.

"Orcs an' goblins an' bugbears an'... everyone !  All together !" Dregz eyes are shining.  "Dat's what Bargrivyek wants !"

"C'n youse paint my helmet too ?" he begs Riza, and of course Minmorc the Holder of the Sacred Paint Pot.  His mail shirt is entirely unsuitable to the task, but the steel cap they gave the little goblin when they conscripted him into the army of darkness will do just fine.

Die-Arda looks suitably impressed by the spikey Wilson ball.

"Nice!" he says enthusiastically. "Where'd ya gets it? I fink I wants one. Er, what d'ya do wiv it?"

Seeing holy Dregz enthusiasm, Bulldust feels he can get carried away with painting too.  The ogres will just have to wait.  He borrows Minmorc's brush and paints the dangly ball of his flail red, and then paints its spikes white.  "Dere, dats a bit for dis red god and a bit for Bargriefyuk."

He marches along with the ogres, swinging his flail and looking for someone to hit with it.  Accidentally (arguably) the ball bumps that big iron pot on Oopses back making a nice bonging sound.  It looks less accidental when it happens for the second and third time ...

Minmorc is obviously very proud of Wilson. "I made itz wid weapon spikes, bits of pig an magic. Yer see der ball is der holy thing, everyone who wants it can come together an compete ter have it, yer throws it to yer mates an keep it away from yer enemies and win der gold cup by carrying it to der holy land... Is gonna be sommat amazing but it all starts when I find my god. Til then Wilson's just funny ter spike folks with."

In reply to Minmorc (msg # 518):

Too scared to pay attention to the conversation, Oopses focuses on trying to remember the route till Bulldust starts acting his namesake. Stumbling to his knees and carrying on as if nothing had happened.

"Dats not nice Bully!" Moffdust swats at her brother's elbow then helps poor Oopses to his feet and pats Arlein. "Dats a nice places fer catses ta sleeps, when dem big bad bugbearses isnt clanging dere flailses on it."

She falls into line with the others and the ogres. She says quietly to Dregz "Maybes later wes can tricks someone elses ta follow us inta de ghoulie traps. Wes can saves dat up fer someone specials. He he."

The little priest nods vindictively at Moffa's suggestion. "Someones we don't like !" he agrees.

Jurz rides along in the  middle of the group, listening to as much of the conversation as he can, but saying little in return.

He is  interested in Minmorc's red and white, cheering and gold cup god, but the little druid never learned anything about gods.  Just that there were lots of them, and some gods looked after the land and some didn't.  There didn't sound like there was any land looking after in Minmorc's dreams, but there wasn't anything about hurting the land either.  And Dregz says he sounds a bit like Bargriefyuk, so that's probably alright because Bargriefyuk is a god of the tribe and a  tribe looks after its land.  He nods to himself quietly.

Bully, the flail and Oopses's new pot is mildly amusing when it looks like it might be an accident, but it gets a bit annoying when a Clang at the wrong time means he misses something that Moffa says to Dregz.  But his initial frown turns to a grin as the large bugbear gets told off by the much smaller goblin girl.

But still, he watches where they go.  Trying to pick landmarks out of the remains of the town and its new campsites, much like he would make a mental note of special trees, mountains and rocks if he were out in the countryside.  He wants to make sure he knows the way back to the church, if it looks like they are staying in the city - and he needs to be able to work out a quick exit if they aren't.

The conversation continues all the way to the Palace in the centre of the ruined city. Die-Arda seems fascinated by the spikey Wilson ball and the rest of Minmorc's dream that goes with it. He translates for the rest of the ogre guards and they too seem impressed by the idea.

When they arrive at the Palace there are another pair of red uniformed ogres at the gates but they allow the group and their ogre escorts through without question. They walk straight in to what was once the great hall of the human ruler's palace. Now, however, it is redecorated to serve as a temple. A large fire pit has been dug in the middle of the temple with flames leaping half way to the ceiling above it. At the far end of the temple is a huge bronze statue of what must be the god of fire giants with a huge flaming sword held upright in his hands.

Seated on a throne between the statue and the fire pit is the red-robed queen herself. Queen Moldavite, ogre mage. She stands as the group enters so that her full 10-foot height and powerful build is fully appreciated. With her pale green skin, black hair, black eyes with white pupils, black teeth and claws and short pair of ivory horns she looks like some sort of demon from your worst nightmares.

Four of the ogre guards stay outside but the other six, including Die-Arda, come inside and form a semi-circle behind the group.

The Queen glares at each of the group in turn before speaking.

"So, you are the troublemakers who cost me a whole pack of gnoll scouts, are you? Are you responsible for the purple smoke alarm signal from their campsite yesterday, too? Who in the Nine Hells do you think you are?"

She is clearly angry about both events.

In reply to Wyrm of Wyrd (msg # 523):

Arlein's tail bushes out for those that can see her behind oopses, and she lets out a hiss of disgust for everyone else.

Bulldust frowns when Moffa shuts down his gong game.  "Sheesh Moffa!  Whats I sposed ta be, a bugbear or a teddybear?  Youse goblins is sooo ... nice."

In the hall Bulldust is very impressed with the decor and much intimidated by this Queen.  So his abuse of a signalling device annoyed her, among other things.  Well who knew?  He stares at the floor and shuffles his feet and waits for someone smart to speak.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:16, Sat 06 June 2015.