Quest #19 "Mapping Out The Jungle"

[OGRE MAGE]

OM... does he? Do I need to roll for some knowledge on this?

They look like normal standing stones to Liam.

I don't think he would have any specific knowledge about them.

[Bluehorse]

Liam

he shakes his head apologetically. They look like rocks to me until the mouth appeared. I am afraid the warning was quite clear that we are not welcome, however, if we want to explore any chance at diplomacy... this may well be the route we need to go. Perhaps if we had some indicator that we came in peace? A white flag? A gift of some kind on display?

[OGRE MAGE]

Loggers Trail
Godsday, 9th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Warm, Humid, Buggy

Nehru takes a few more steps back away from the 4 tall stones. "Captain Quark would NOT have brought these bastards here without telling me anything about them. That blasted Bing is the more likely culprit." He looks around nervously once Bonnie pulls out her bow. "Do these stones have anything to do with our meeting? If not, then I say we press on now and deal with this later. I do NOT want to be out here after nightfall, for very good reason!"

Hrothgar stays alert but makes no comments one way or the other. He takes a long pull off of his water skin while they talk, looking at the remainder of the contents suspiciously.

Liam suggests using a white flag or a gift to get by the stones, still hoping for the chance to parlay, even after the gruff, matter-of-fact way they were treated by the dwarves on the beach.

map:
viewtopic.php?f=446&t=6346#p366477

Actions?

[Monsieur Rose]

Bonnie

"I only wanted to impress upon you the seriousness of the situation." Bonnie purses her lips at Liam's suggestion of a peace offering. "Maybe. Or maybe that would be looked at as weak. Never could deal with dwarves. Cultural differences."

She puts her bow away as Nehru steps back from the stones. "Let's keep going. Liam, there's a logging hut and small clearing up ahead, let's take a reading there and take a short rest." She swats away yet another bug and watches Hrothgar take a pull of water. "Hey. Did that repellant work at all?" She takes a small drink from her waterskin as well, not as long as Hrothgar's.

[Bluehorse]

Liam

Looks up the logging trail and then down the marked one for the dwarves. Bonnie... Tell me... what do you call our purpose on this trip. It seems we have all been sold on different ideas.

[Monsieur Rose]

Bonnie

Bonnie stops and looks at Liam for a few seconds. She seems to be deciding something and she finally speaks. "You feel like I haven't told you everything." She nods and looks up the trail. She lets the moment hang.

"That's fair. We do have multiple reasons for the hike. You are here to help map out this trail, as a start to getting a proper map together. I'd like to continue that if we can. The other reason demands a bit of discretion."

Bonnie looks at Liam directly and pulls her sword.

"To be honest, I'm not sure I trust you yet. I was hoping to build that along the way. Tell me. What do you know of Captain Bing?"

Drama!

[OGRE MAGE]

Oh, hell yes.

This is where the DM gets to put down the dice and grab some popcorn.

Enjoy!

[Bluehorse]

Liam

Raises a hand defensively ever as his other shrugs off his pack and reaches for his handaxe at his hip. Now take it easy lass... no need for that. We are civilized people here.
Let's. Talk. there was pleading as well as warming in his voice.

[Monsieur Rose]

Bonnie

Bonnie glances at Liam's hand and smiles. "Don't."
"I'd love to talk. But I did ask a question, so in the spirit of civility, you answer." She pauses. "You were the one who forced this."

"I'll give you an easier one. How long have you been working for Bing?"

[Bluehorse]

Liam

You've got to be kidding me... he sounds exasperated. What you see is what you get. I'm just the black sheep of a low rate noble family that heard people needed help and so I came with a plan to set up food and resources. End of story. Now I thought we were coming here to map the trail, and discuss a plan to establish some kind of diplomatic relations with the dwarves. And that is it. Now.
Lower your sword, please.

[Monsieur Rose]

Bonnie

Bonnie looks at Liam for a long couple of seconds, then smiles and chuckles. "Yeah. It didn't feel right, but there were enough signs that worried me. You showing up to create a firmer hold on Beachtown right at the time when we've been warned to leave, your knowledge of dwarven. I thought you were calling me out a moment ago."

She lowers the sword but doesn't seem to relax. "Someone in town is working for Bing. Maybe a few people. I didn't want to risk his spies knowing what we're doing, so I didn't tell you everything."

"Good? Then let's keep moving." She motions for everyone to get moving as she leads the way.

[OGRE MAGE]

Mr. Nehru keeps his distance from the conversation, willing to wait to see how it turns out.

Hrothgar appears to become a bit more concerned with the ongoing argument, though he also keeps out of it for the time being. He eventually asks....

"Bing is the pirate, ya? The guy that was using the natives as slave labor? So, who hired that guy in the first place?"

Mr. Nehru hangs his head and doesn't reply.

[Bluehorse]

Liam

Somehow is able to keep his hand on his axe while standing clearly at the ready while looking completely nonchalant while doing so. You would think he were conversing about the weather, not standing ready for a fight. Maybe there was more to him? Maybe not. I will tell you what I do know... he says calmly. Drawing a sword on anyone is not the best way to begin asking questions.
Now... if you will kindly put that away. I agree that there could be a mole within the town, and I admit that the timing of my arrival seems convenient all things considered. I would hold myself suspect, now that you mention it if I were viewing it from your side of things. And seeing as I have often said there is no such thing as coincidence, I will ask you this. What do I need to do to convince you of my innocence in this matter? As to Bing, the only time I have seen the man was as he sailed by a few days ago, but you have no obligation to believe that either. Now I will also afford you this, that when it was mentioned about moving the town, I was part of that conversation with Mr. Nehru here, along with others. I hope you will forgive the stereotype, madam elf, but as an elf I am sure you are in tune with nature enough to see that at the current location, there is going to be little we can do, in the long term, to improve the farming conditions.
I for one am willing to try, and have been working with the locals to find new and natural ways of making this work, such as collecting the manure from my animals and turning them loose to graze on harvested fields both to fatten them up and to further fertilize the soil. But I think when it is said and done, we will need to move the people to a better ground or find easy access to more fertile locations. Perhaps this liberated plantation, the recent group brought news of. I am simply open to options.

Next... what about this little mission of ours? The right now. Are you seeking to bring me out here for questioning, where you call yourself judge, jury, and executioner? Or do you have a point for all this? Also, did you take into account that Fiona has potioned herself quite nicely behind you, meaning that at my word, you will have her on your back and me at your front, I beg you. Do not turn this into a bloodbath. I hate violence. I think it is debasing and vile. It turns good people into monsters... but that does not mean that I am not familiar with it. So I ask you again. Put away your sword, and let us speak like civilized people. My cards are on the table, so to speak.

[Monsieur Rose]

Bonnie

Bonnie turns back to Liam. She cocks her head to one side and sighs. "You are surprising, aren't you? A bold choice to make. Not denying anything, agreeing that you are worthy of suspicion, then threatening someone you don't know who already has a sword out." She shakes her head. "You say I brought you out here for questioning and a trial. I did not. I brought you here to map. Feeling you out was secondary. You were the one who demanded a confrontation."

She bends down to pet Fiona. "Good girl. I wonder if your master is insulted enough to start a fight, not just posture." She stands up and smiles at Liam. "You say you come from minor nobility, I wonder if that's where you get this easily bruised pride. A word of advice, from one to another. Learn when someone is bluffing."

"Now. You asked me to put away my sword. Fine. It was just for effect, anyway. I wanted to see your reaction, and you did not disappoint." She winks at Liam.

"Unfortunately, I don't think you trust me now if you ever did. Shame. I like you Liam. You have a mysterious quality. It's intriguing. Anyway, I'd like to continue on to the loggers' shack and mark it on the map. Do you think you can refrain from killing me until then?"

Bonnie puts her sword away. "How about my bow? Not for you, but for others."

[Bluehorse]

Liam

Bonnie

Bonnie turns back to Liam. She cocks her head to one side and sighs. "You are surprising, aren't you? A bold choice to make. Not denying anything, agreeing that you are worthy of suspicion, then threatening someone you don't know who already has a sword out." She shakes her head. "You say I brought you out here for questioning and a trial. I did not. I brought you here to map. Feeling you out was secondary. You were the one who demanded a confrontation."

She bends down to pet Fiona. "Good girl. I wonder if your master is insulted enough to start a fight, not just posture." She stands up and smiles at Liam. "You say you come from minor nobility, I wonder if that's where you get this easily bruised pride. A word of advice, from one to another. Learn when someone is bluffing."

"Now. You asked me to put away my sword. Fine. It was just for effect, anyway. I wanted to see your reaction, and you did not disappoint." She winks at Liam.

"Unfortunately, I don't think you trust me now if you ever did. Shame. I like you Liam. You have a mysterious quality. It's intriguing. Anyway, I'd like to continue on to the loggers' shack and mark it on the map. Do you think you can refrain from killing me until then?"

Bonnie puts her sword away. "How about my bow? Not for you, but for others."

He takes his hand away from his axe the moment the sword is put away, making it clear he has no intention of fighting. Despite any mystery anyone may feel towards me, I promise I prefer to speak plainly. As for demanding confrontation, I only meant to clarify with words. You were the one that drew the sword, effect or not. Long as you keep the pointy end away from the four of us, I see no problem or reason to distrust you. Especially out here where we need each other to watch each other's backs. I can overlook a lot in that somewhat clear and present danger. As for my reaction, I am happy to oblige, though I am curious of what you find not disappointing. Please, understand that though I am young by comparison to your elven years, that I am getting to be an old man and cannot afford to fight fair. I simply don't have it in me anymore. As far as trusting you? It isn't fair to judge right now when the blood is flowing like this. Ask me again when this trip is over and we are back in town. Let's simply make an oath of you don't kill me I don't kill you and see where that takes us, hmm?

If what we are doing is indeed mapping, Then fine. But I still want to know what purpose you gave to Mr. N and Mr. H here to get them to come along. I am hoping everything is open and honest here, but I get the impression that neither of them was brought here under the pretense of mapping this trail, but I am willing to be proven wrong on that.

The big gray dog looked up at Bonnie and gave a wolfish grin and chuff as she was petted still seeming like a big deadly puppy.

[OGRE MAGE]

Loggers Trail
Godsday, 9th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Warm, Humid, Buggy

Mr. Nehru looks back and forth as the conversation ebbs and flows, keeping his mouth closed the whole time.

Hrothgar has finally heard enough. He draws his massive sword and lays the flat of the blade on the top of his own helmed head. Pulling down on it with the blade in one hand and the hilt in the other, he bends the blade in a disturbing fashion before finally speaking.

"Look! I don't give a shit about who trusts who! I was hired on to this mission as security. After watching all this ridiculous posturing, I would say that you folks are damn lucky to have me along too. Now lets either check out these stones, keep moving along to this rest area, or shut the hell up and go back to town. I didn't come out here just to get eaten by insects! I would actually like to find something good! But if you two are gonna keep bitchin at each other, I think I've heard enough already."

Actions?

[Monsieur Rose]

Bonnie

Bonnie watches as Hrothgar expresses his feelings. "I knew I liked you. We're going up the trail. Let's go."

She motions for Liam. "Coming?"

[Bluehorse]

Liam

Coming she says... Fiona... I get a feeling we should have stayed home with the goats. He picks up his pack and shoulders it, looking at Mr, Nehu. Thoughts? as he begins walking up the trail again.

[OGRE MAGE]

Loggers Trail
Godsday, 9th of Goodmonth
Late Morning, Warm, Humid, Buggy

Mr. Nehru shrugs his shoulders at Liam's question.

"It would seem that we were indeed brought out here for varying reasons, but we have come this far already and I would like to get this unpleasant meeting out of the way so we can get back out of these damn clouds of bugs!" The thin man wanders over to Bonnie and politely asks for a drink of her water.

Hrothgar sheathes his sword again, ready to continue the march north, when Fiona begins to growl softly. The huge dog keeps its eyes trained on the trail to the west, searching the jungle as if something dangerous were approaching from that direction. There is no change in the 4 standing stone trail markers.

Actions?

[Bluehorse]

Liam

Once again offers the bug repellant to everyone. When he sees Fiona's reaction he points it out. I trust this hound more than my own eyes and ears... Perhaps we should heed her warning and hide on the opposite side of the trail... Without waiting for the others he pets the large dog and moves into the underbrush opposite the trail to find a good hiding spot where he can keep an eye one whatever is coming.