Chapter 10 (for reals) - Alleborg Escort Service

[Zorroroaster]

So we just got relieved of duty, because of the hat trick?

Arnulf looks pointedly at Hellebore.

"Well done. Now what?"

[Zhym]

"Y'all sure you're diplomats?" asks Angus with a hint of a grin. "Cause if you think Hellebore's cranky, you're in for a treat when you meet Jorbin!"

When Hellebore has gone into the woods and the group of delegates talk of riding off alone, Angus turns deadly serious. "I apologize for the godless witch's's behavior," he says—dare one suggest?—diplomatically. "It was uncalled for and disrespectful to folks of your stations. Now, y'all can ride off in a huff if you want. Might even get to Sambord without getting ambushed by orcs. Or the dragon. Or whatever sent them bats looking for us. But if y'all want to reach Sambord tonight with your asses still in your britches, I'd stick close to us. I'll see that the tree witch treats y'all with the respect fitting your stations. Or lays off some, at least. But we're all better off hanging together until we reach the fort."

We seem to have gone straight from "Hellebore channels Elf Bitch" to "delegates are gone" awfully quickly without an opportunity for interaction. Can we work this in before the delegates leave, giving Angus a chance to maybe not have the delegation ride off alone?

[AleBelly]

Alright, but I don't going to assume you want to use a spell unless you explicitly say so...or at least indicate that you're casting a spell.

Zhym, we can RP that if you want, but it's going to be difficult to recover from that move. I was trying to avoid another drawn out argument with an NPC. Your call, guys. Let's just say the eagle's lucky it didn't get plugged with arrows.

[Zhym]

Can we at least get a reaction check?

I mean, unless everyone in this damn world is just stubborn and impervious to logic, I think Angus's apology and arguments about sticking together being safer ought to have *some* chance of swaying the diplomats from riding off on their own .

[AleBelly]

But would they really feel safer with the party around? I don't think having an eagle swoop down on one of the diplomats is going to engender any trust, nor reassure them that the party will have their backs if they encounter danger.

Both of these situations arose from some pretty provocative moves. The Jobin situation arose from a party member casting a spell without warning. How would the party react to such an event? Especially if the other party wouldn't agree to a reciprocal spell? That would have played out much differently. Angus was every bit as stubborn as Jobin in that situation.

In this instance, Hellebore's move was hilarious, but the NPCs in my game have their own motivations and desires. They aren't going to take kindly to something like that.

[Zhym]

Here's my problem with this: it implies that talking is useless. We can affect the world with combat or with spells, but not with words. Once people have made up their minds, nothing you say will change that. Attempting to sway an NPC's actions through talk is wasting time. Charisma is a junk stat.

Am I mischaracterizing how things work?

[AleBelly]

Talking does have an effect. Talk worked in patching things up with the Sambords after the battle in their bunker. But it's much less effective after a provocative move.

I can't recall when, but Hellebore's charisma has worked in her favor before (and to Chet's detriment). But I generally apply this to initial impressions...to set a baseline. What happens after that is subject to how things are role played.

[Marullus]

I am not complaining about the consequences. Hellebore is a fae thing of the woods and the more she sees of true Allborgians the less she likes them. Her neutral is shifting and she wants them wary of her forests. She seldom aims for funny -- she hoped to scare them into some humility rather than pomposity but their reaction is sensible and reinforces their negative personality traits appropriately. It will have more consequences in and for Hellebore as well, but I am letting everyone else play their own reactions and will take my lumps.

What does everyone else do if they don't listen to reason and keep going onward?

[Marullus]

Alright, but I don't going to assume you want to use a spell unless you explicitly say so...or at least indicate that you're casting a spell.

Got it. This is the plan.

We set out SW. When we reach the perimeter, Hellebore sends her eagle to spot Sambord, which should be visible to an eagle's eyes from above the perimeter, and scouts ahead with the rest of us following. We can use the eagle to keep us on track. Odds of getting lost should be very low that way, especially since most of the trip is within the safe zone.

. I'm game with Zhym's plan and happy to fast forward to the point of arrival or action. Cue the montage!

She calls to the eagle, who begins leading west to the fort, sends the Raven flapping up to scout for ambushes, and disappears into the foliage ahead of them, the bushes shifting to conceal where she went.

From past precident, I assumed I couldn't pull that off without a spell, because it isn't a trick.

[AleBelly]

Not a knock on Hellebore, by the way. I think it's fabulous how you're playing her.

[Zhym]

So how are reactions determined? Do you make reaction rolls, or just decide?

It seems to me that the diplomats could have reacted in a number of ways. Hellebore's plan to scare some sense into them might have worked, and I'd hope that her charisma would have weighted their response in that direction. And I'd also like to think that there would be a chance for the rest of us to salvage the situation.

[Zorroroaster]

Personally, I thought their reaction to the incident was entirely plausible. And he did use an ooc block to signal that he was rolling, so I assumed it was a reaction check of some kind. Hellebore's action complicates things sure, but we've never been the model of civility.

I found it interesting.

[Zhym]

BTW, my complaint is not with the plausibility of the reaction. What bothers me is we went from Hellebore's hat trick to the delegation being gone without a chance for the rest of us to affect events in any way. For Angus, we went straight from "Time for Hellebore to scout ahead" to "The delegation is gone." Seems to me that's a bit of an event (actually, two events, including the eagle attack), and maybe it would make sense to let anyone else do something in that interval.

[AleBelly]

Zorro got it right. I try to remember to annotate where I rolled, but it doesn't always work. Sometimes I do roll, other times I think the reactions should be pretty obvious.

Other business:
The group also changed course past the safe zone after the bat encounter. The party's less likely to get lost with Angus in the party since they've already been in the area (and with the birds leading the way).

Regarding not having a change to affect events, but again, after provocative moves, PCs aren't necessarily going to have a chance to change what the other party does.

Please let me know if the party decides to follow Hellebore. Thanks.

[Zhym]

In that case:

Angus looks up with a start as Hellebore's eagle dives toward the party. Grabbing Bloody Useless, he shouts, "Yer buzzard's gone cookoo!"

"Defend the delegation!"

Not sure if Angus gets one shot or two:
Initiative: [1d6] = 4
Short bow (THAC0 18): TH: [1d20] = 3, Dmg: [1d6] = 1, Crit: [1d100] = 48
Short bow (THAC0 18): TH: [1d20] = 15, Dmg: [1d6] = 5, Crit: [1d100] = 65

[Marullus]

The plan isn't "go west," it was: use Speak with Animals with the eagle so he understands we want him to show us the way back to the fort, then follow the eagle.

Hellebore was only scouting the necessary distance in font of the group, as she had each expedition... if nobody is following her, she doesn't keep going.

...Hellebore walked about 100' and stopped.

I was waiting for everyone to get an action reacting to the event.

Again, Hellebore is NOT walking off alone. She can't prevent the diplomats huffing off undiplomaticly but neither is she letting them get lost. She keeps a bearing with the eagle and if necessary will tail the diplomat party. If they encounter trouble she will aid them and if she realizes they are off course she will tackle that social encounter at that time.

I wasn't intending to lead-off the conversation, but if there is consternation over "what to do next" this is what she explains to the party. They are encouraged to tail the eagle (and her) if they choose, or they can be more direct in insisting to accompany the diplomats, or their own course.

Unless their paladin is willing to come to blows, there's not much they can do to refuse the group's escort if the others insist. I expect everyone else to have the opportunity to declare their own actions before the other group is gone.

[onlyme]

Dandelion will immediately attempt to apologize to the leader of the party, hoping to not get fired yet again.

[AleBelly]

Okay. We're going to back things up a bit here. Zhym indicated a desire to counteract the eagle attack. Since I'm not generally in favor of letting controling the action based on who posts more quickly, and there are intended actions at cross-purposes, I'm going to let initiative rule this.

Hellebore, please roll for your eagle.

Anyone else, please post actions, though it's perfectly fine to stand on the sidelines and not get involved. I'll update tomorrow late morning east coast US time.

Sorry if this causes confusion. I mistaken assumed that this wouldn't actively be opposed, and took that right away from other players.

Thanks.

[Zorroroaster]

Please read my disclaimer in the OOC thread before reading. Thank you.
Initiative: [1d6] = 1

Arnulf watches in horror as his team completely falls apart in front of his eyes. His face turns bright red, and his fists curl up into fat angry balls.

"Stop it! Both of you! Have you lost your damned minds? We were given a job to do: escort the dignitaries to the Fort. Not teach them a lesson! Hellebore, how long have we been trying to get them out here to meet with the Sambords? It finally happens and you choose this moment to completely undo all the work we've done? Are you mad? Hey, I have an idea. Let's all go back to Castleman right now, and I'll take a big steaming shit on his desk, because that couldn't make things any worse than they are now. You thought we had enemies before?"

He wheels and spears Angus with an apoplectic glare.

"And you! Point that damned thing at me. Right now, point it at me. Now, pull back the string and shoot me in the eye. Go ahead! Why not, when shooting at Hellebore's bird is the SAME THING! You realize that, right? She sees those animals as family, as equals to us. Firing arrows at them isn't going to make anything better, it'll just make it worse!"

Quivering with rage, the pudgy boy Mage grabs the reins of his pony and makes to haul after the dignitaries.

"Come on, let's see if we can't salvage what's left of this wreckage."

[Marullus]

Initiative [1d6] = 5 (for eagle, or +2=7 for Hellebore)