In reply to Ulfgar Frostbeard (msg # 211):

I could be wrong but in terms of Cleric spells I'm not seeing anything particularly useful for gathering information on the Prisoner.

Maybe Augary if you have the components for it.  "I intend to tell the miners to dig quickly so they can release the prisoner.  Will this bring weal or woe?"  Or something along those lines perhaps.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:30, Sat 28 Nov 2015.

Hmm.  Rae, how "civilized" do these orcs look?  Are they clothed and equipped like regular troops or mercenaries or are they more, as our prisoner's story suggests, primitive tribal warriors?
This message was last edited by the player at 13:03, Sat 28 Nov 2015.

Corros isn't going to be real effective at the divination game.  I might be able to "suggest" that our Orc lets Corros ride shotgun on his consciousness for a bit, maybe as he heads home, but then we're in the game of spell durations.  And my dude doesn't speak Orc.

I hesitate to ask, even OOC, but does The Library have anything on this?

That's what I'm hoping the Arcana roll digs up.  Otherwise it's off to night-night land in hopes of a helpful dream.

If screaming lasts more than four hours, consult an alienist.

"Prisoner" changed back to "Sleeper".

-

It's crossed my mind that we might be better off sending the orc home to tell his chief that we are going to try and stop the digging.

That wouldn't cross Jenna's mind though.

Nic is thinking along those lines.  With the situation as described, Yonder's Hole isn't going to hold out for much longer.  It's besieged and can't have much in the way of supplies.  We don't have the strength to lift the siege or effect a breakout.  We might be able to get that strength back in Balefyre but that'll require us to deliver first-hand reports of the situation, not just the word of a telepathically-interrogated orc (sorry, Corros).  Also, we still have a bunchaton of noncombatants in tow... those who haven't been eaten by manticores or hacked up by orcs, anyway.

We have a bunch of competing priorities right now.  It might help to simplify the problem by eliminating the aspects we can.  Can we turn the miners around and have them head back toward Balefyre with a report on what we've found so far while we proceed on to scout and/or negotiate?

We could, but this brings us back to the same challenge we had after the manticore attack, i.e. that sending them across country without escort is leaving them at the mercy of anyone that wants to attack them.

The turn post says that the mine only three leagues away, which I presume isn't far. And there are Armist troops there. I think the best way to get rid of the non combatants and potentially get some reinforcement is to get to the mine.

If we can negotiate some sort of ceasefire with the orcs that would obviously greatly improve the miners' survival chances, as, if I'm understanding the situation properly, the sole reason the orcs are attacking is to stop the digging. (I'm thinking rocking up at orcville with the prisoner and doing a bit of negotiating  along the lines of "we will get the digging to stop but you must stop attacking them". How we achieve a cessation of digging is another matter altogether).

True dat.  Though it kinda feels like we've killed the major roadblocks and it'll take a little bit for anything else to respawn in the area.  I'm worried that if the orcs don't respond to diplomacy, we'll only have trapped "our" miners in Yonder's Hole with the rest.


How about "I'll stab the first sonofabitch to touch a shovel" as an opener?  :)

Yeah, your way works too, my worry would be that if there are more manticores hanging around they could make minermeat out of anyone we send back unescorted. And it's three miles one way or two days in the other...

I don't suppose anyone has a spell that could cause a cave in (preferably when no one is down the mine obviously)? Or make the miners think the mines are occupied by giant carnivorous worms or something?

I think the prisoner was under the impression that there were only two manticores.  Take it for what we paid for it...

We do have a druid who can turn into a giant carnivorous worm.  Or a cave bear.  Hmmm...
This message was last edited by the player at 18:12, Sat 28 Nov 2015.

We can walk the miners as far as the perimeter or as far as it takes to verify the orcs aren't hanging around massacring everybody and then walk our prisoner over to his folks.  Alternatively, Corros and maybe Jenna can take the prisoner to his people if the cleric will agree that justice may better be served viewing the orcs actions as an act of war instead of a crime.  I'm just arguing taking the cleric in the event that the orcs get stabby and healing becomes required as opposed to bleeding out.

In reply to Corros Graelor (msg # 226):

Jenna could be persuaded to agree to that if we assume that someone talks her round off camera.

Points stated ICly.  Hopefully I didn't back Jenna too far into a corner, Dave.  If the miners (or some of them) do want to head back, perhaps someone can suggest stripping the orcs of usable arms and armor so they aren't totally squishy.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:43, Sat 28 Nov 2015.

Yeah, that's fine.

Only thing is if she's going to be called on using undiplomatic language she's going to make sure that applies to Gronk as well.

Noted.  :)  Let me know if the poking becomes annoying OOCly.

No, it's all good - no worries here. I thought the way he put her in her place with the non person remark was quite entertaining. She'll probably go and sulk for a bit now. :)

Corros nervous, me not so much.

Backtrack to the ruins to look for evidence?

No point in sneaking in just to sneak back out.

Well, we do still have our prisonorc.  Might want to cut him loose first (so to speak).

In reply to Nicolai Romanelli (msg # 234):


Agreed.  Can't hurt at any rate.

What message do we want to send back with him?  Anything more complicated than a request to parley?