The Unseen Servant forums

Mordred

"Thank you for your help"

Terri cocks an eyebrow. "So, does that mean you're taking me up on my offer then?"

Mordred

"If you ever need my help, let me know - I will answer after I know what it is you need"

"That is not what I'm offering here Mr. Wizard," says Terri. "I help protect your caravan tonight, and on the trek back to the Wall tomorrow. In exchange, you owe me a comparable favor in the future. Possibly dangerous, but not beyond your capabilities, and nothing that will divide your loyalties."

Mordred

"I will answer when you call, but I will not commit to a task beforehand" - he shrugged - "It makes no sense"
"If it will not divide my loyalties, then you have nothing to be concerned about"

"So that's a no then." Terri looks at Corvin. "And you, Corvin? Are you interested in my offer, or would you prefer to rely on luck?"

Corvin

"How about this. You stay with us tonight and to the wall, and in return we will answer any more questions you have. If the group is attacked during that time and you help defend us then we will owe you an equivalent debt."

He looks at Mordred and then Terri.

Mordred

"Sorry Corvin, I will never accept a task in advance without knowing what it is" - he shook his head - "I will commit to listening when the time comes, and then decide whether I will help or not" - he turned to Terri - "Not because of being afraid, or any self preservation instinct, but because I need to know the nature of the task. I am not willing to do everything for you"

Corvin

"Ah! I understand. It's not so much owing the favour in principle, but being forced into a task without knowing it's nature, without the choice."

Mordred

"Exactly"

"Sorry dearies. You don't live as long as I have by putting yourself in harm's way lightly, and I've done so once, for free just to prove that I'm for real, and acting in good faith," says Terri. "I'm not doing it again for a 'maybe.' Either you agree to help me or you don't. If you don't, then you're on your own tonight and tomorrow. Hopefully my air elemental won't have drawn any undue attention."

Mordred

"We already said we will answer your summons, but your terms are starting to sound suspiciously... Strict" - Mordred offered - "Let me guess, next you will ask us to swear over that coin, or use some sort of specific wording?"

"Oh no, the coin would allow me to find you," says Terri. "That's all. After all, how am I supposed to ask a favor if I don't know where you are? And of course I'm being strict, Sir Wizard. I am putting myself at risk here. I am very dangerous, but there are plenty of things out there that are just as or more dangerous than myself. And plenty of things less dangerous that could still injure or kill me if they got lucky. I am also completely fulfilling my end of the bargain without any guarantee that you will hold up your end when the time comes. Just your word. A word that I have very little reason to trust seeing as we've known each other for all of an hour. Seems to me that the risk I'm taking is just as great as yours, perhaps greater, no?"

Mordred

“I have said my piece” - he said, more to Corvin than Terri.

Corvin

Corvin looks at Mordred, then Terri, shakes his head and sighs.

"I'm sorry Terri. Despite our arguments earlier we are a team and if Mordred isn't happy then it's a no from me too. This doesn't mean we aren't interested in helping you with jobs in the future, but you'd have to come and see if we're interested. Now, I know we all appreciate your help with the gargoyles, and you did ask some questions about the kinslayers lieutenants that didn't get an answer to so I'll do what I can now... Viper has claimed the Great Green and a minion of hers called Mamba is active in this area. As far as I know none of the lieutenants are openly moving against The Refuge. There are rumours that the forces of Malice and Dread have clashed, but I don't know how reliable this is. "

Sebastian shakes his head. Kasper looks relieved. Astrid's face is carefully neutral.

"Oh I very seriously doubt we will see much of each other," says Terri, smiling. If she is at all disappointed by the group's refusal, there is no sign. "Good luck."

With that Terri gives them a wave, and walks off into the trees. She vanishes as quickly as she first appeared.

"So, what's our next step?" asks Astrid, looking about the temple. "Anything we want to do to fortify the temple?"

Corvin

Corvin shakes his head slightly as he watches Terri leave.

archolewa wrote: ↑Tue May 13, 2025 6:58 pm "So, what's our next step?" asks Astrid, looking about the temple. "Anything we want to do to fortify the temple?"

Corvin turns to Astrid. "Keep everyone together and I guess we need to barricade entrances where we can and set a watch."

"Does anyone have an axe or something?" asks Astrid, looking around again. "All the furniture in here seems to be grown from the building itself. I didn't see any doors on the temple entrance either."

Corvin

"I didn't notice that. It feels kind of wrong to chop it up."

Do the cells have doors? What about the office and library?

Corvin remembers the office had a door, probably to give the Abbot/Abbess some privacy when monastery business demanded it. The other rooms had wooden bars above the doorways that likely once held privacy curtains, but the curtains are long gone.