The first group is at the entrance, the next group is some distance away.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 877):

Right. Suggest we let the first group go, looking as much like them as we can, and approach the second group. Are there other groups?

Fine by me. But when you say approach, do you mean wait in ambush on their path, then clobber them before they have a chance to react? Or are we going to talk to them first?

In reply to Keira (msg # 879):

I was thinking option 2, to allow time for the first group to be well gone...

There are groups at varying distances coming from various directions.

So waiting, at least in the short term, will keep returning you to the current situation.

And you still need to sleep. But that can be dangerous in your current situation.

One thing to worry about is  not being able to take down a whole group before the next group comes long.

Can we sneak away?

You can certainly try.

How are we doing this then? Openly approach the second group? Can we wait for them instead, with some of us hidden in case talking fails again? Or do we just leave?

In reply to Keira (msg # 885):

Why don't we head away and look for a very distant group?

I am fine with that. Let's then pick one of the more distant groups (as long as it's also small), get in front of them and set up an ambu... I mean, let's talk to them.

How quickly do you want to travel? Stealth, normal, fast, or as fast as possible?

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 888):

Stealth...better for the 'surprise discussion'.

Sounds good to me.

Talking doesn't seem to be working for us here. If we do not wish to draw first blood, how about we just follow this group down bellow? We can then either demand some answers from them, or (more likely, I'm afraid) get in a fight with more of them.

Or we just give up and go back to town.

I suppose that we could wait them out depending on how long they stay.

What about shutting them in and waiting for them to run out of water?

Are we sure that this is the lost city as opposed to a new discovery for us?

From the information you got with the quest, this seems to be the place. It would be very unlikely that you had found something else.

In reply to Dragondog (msg # 893):

I thought the discussion wasa secondary plan anyway? Weren't we just going to attack them to take their disguise if discussions were not fruitful? Aladin is still thinking this is some demon worshippcult, given their secrecy and hostility...

I honestly don't know what to do. Back when we were facing the first group everything seemed clear - they come at us with swords drawn, we fight back. Now we outnumber them and they show no interest in violence (possibly because we outnumber them). I assumed we were already blocking their path since we arrived from the place they were heading for, but it looks like they just walked around us.

Just how sure Aladin is these are demon worshiping baddies that need-a-killin? Keira is flying blind here, so I'm fine with someone else making the decision on how to proceed. Even if that decision is to walk away.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:22, Thu 18 May 2023.

In reply to Keira (msg # 895):

Well, they did mention Bahal, sounds kind of ominous.

Yeah, but who or what is Bahal? Do we know this? Is this some kind of a local cult or something widespread?

In reply to Larathiel (msg # 896):

Yes, Aladin is assuming that because they
a) Demand secrecy
b) Use violence when they have the numbers
c) Refuse to talk about their god
d) Their god is unknown, and only, as far as he can tell worshipped in this one location

that it is not a god worthy of worship. Add to that the missing folk we are searching for, and their lack of fear of a place that is called cursed by everyone else, it looks very much like they are responsible for the curse...hence the assumption it is a demon.

In reply to Aladin Sufran (msg # 898):

Aladin is native to the capital of this region, and as a Bedoin, he expects to have heard of it if it was even a little widespread, as he is a priest. Hence, he considers that significant if he has not heard of it.

That's... less solid than I assumed it was. Maybe Bahal is some really obscure local deity? Maybe they worship this dead queen or some other (un)dead figure as a god? Maybe this Bahal is not something supernatural at all, but their cult leader?

Keira is not a local here, so she would not know this, but are demon cults a significant enough problems around these parts that this would be our first assumption?
This message was last edited by the player at 09:24, Thu 18 May 2023.

In reply to Keira (msg # 900):

None of those other cults you mentioned are significantly better though.