Auger whispers to Amistan, "Granophyre made mention of outrunning problems. If need be can we outrun these... Imperials, with our carriages and them riding hyenas?"

Quote from Zzozz___ >>

Auger whispers to Amistan, "Granophyre made mention of outrunning problems. If need be can we outrun these... Imperials, with our carriages and them riding hyenas?"

 

 Amistan thinks for a moment. 
“There is a bridge, one mile away, maybe farther. This creek falls off into a deep chasm as the plain gently rises. We cross over on the bridge. No other way across for many miles. On the other side is a chimp town. Maybe...we could cut bridge behind us. Horses are faster than hyenas. But with the carriage...I don’t know. May be able to outrun them. May not.”

Varielky turns to the others. "Do we pay them? How much are we willing to give, if at all?" Varielky then turns to the Orcs, speaking to them while waiting for a response from the others. "And how much gold would grant us a peaceful passage through this land?"

Quote from FireCat5 >>

Varielky turns to the others. "Do we pay them? How much are we willing to give, if at all?" Varielky then turns to the Orcs, speaking to them while waiting for a response from the others. "And how much gold would grant us a peaceful passage through this land?"

Ednyss will find that the purse holds 50 platinum pieces. (OOC: to negotiate a price lets have one each deception and insight checks. Those will be compared against the other negotiator’s deception and insight rolls and that will result in a figure. However if someone wants to RP that out to some degree, it might help. Who wants to make the rolls and state your case for a smaller tithe?)

Ednyss tries his best to do an evaluation of the Orc's minimum figure based on their general appearance and demeanor and steps up to Varielky's side whispering his assessment to her.

(OOC: Offering the help to Varielky's insight check if she is the one that is doing the negotiating?)

Quote from The_Mathemagician >>

(OOC: Offering the help to Varielky's insight check if she is the one that is doing the negotiating?)

(Certainly. The two orcs you’re negotiating with are also exchanging sidelong glances, helping each other in the same way.)

Noticing the Orc's having a similar conversation, Ednyss decides to take it one step further and murmurs an incantation as he taps Varielky on the shoulder, offering her some divine assistance in her negotiations.

As the negotiations commence Auger keeps an eye on things, switching his perception between what his own senses tell him and what Py notices up above. Auger is watching to see the comportment of the Orcs. They appear to be ready but are they... itching for a fight, bored, distracted, intently watching, relaxing, etc. Anything that might clue him as to what will happen next. As Py he takes advantage of the view from the heights and occasionally checks the surrounding area, are there any other surprises in store?

Py Perception (if needed): 12

Auger Perception (if needed): 13

Varielky isn't sure about what a "reasonable" price would be, if any price at all is considered reasonable in this scenario, and so she starts with the first option that comes into mind. "Would one Jenghen gold piece per head of ours suffice?"

Insight: 17
Persuasion: 15
Guidance: 3 added to the Persuasion check.

The orc slowly turns his head to the side, spits, locks eyes with the one beside him for a moment. “How many heads. In carriage. Show us.” The shouted reply echoes down the canyon. 

"There are ten of us total. Will you trust my word for it?" It will be a problem if they come to check, most likely. Once they see the various things the party was carrying, they might demand higher pay, or perhaps just choose to kill all and take everything. A chance for a good fight? Maybe, but that was not her goal now. At least she tried to convince herself so.

Quote from Zzozz___ >>

As the negotiations commence Auger keeps an eye on things, switching his perception between what his own senses tell him and what Py notices up above. Auger is watching to see the comportment of the Orcs. They appear to be ready but are they... itching for a fight, bored, distracted, intently watching, relaxing, etc. Anything that might clue him as to what will happen next. As Py he takes advantage of the view from the heights and occasionally checks the surrounding area, are there any other surprises in store?

Py Perception (if needed): 12

Auger Perception (if needed): 13

 

 The Orcs are hard to read. Auger's guess, based on what orcs he has seen -- very few, barbaric, rampaging killers in the south -- is that this group is very well disciplined. The hyenas are fidgety, the orcs are not. Py sees nothing else, except he notes that the creek falls into a deeper canyon, and your path will take you another mile or mile-and-a-half, to a bridge over a 40' chasm. The bridge is not defended, but there does appear to be a fair-sized walled settlement beyond it another mile or so, which Py can see when he buzzes up a few hundred feet.

 The orc spits again. "Thirty gold. Per head. Bring to me."

Varielky calculates in her head for a second. It was less than what Granophyre gave them, yet it was quite a lot. In fact, it was nearly her pay for a month of fighting various kinds of monsters. It seemed unjust to have the scholar pay this much for simply passing through. "Five gold per head! We didn't bring all our life savings with us on this journey! Fifty gold pieces is enough to buy a good suit of Scale Male armour for one of you - I know that much - and if you ask me that's a great reward for a single passing cart!"

The orc frowns deeply, looks up at the leader. The leaders motions for one of the other orcs on the canyon to approach him, then says something to him you can’t hear. It takes a few seconds. That orc nods firmly, then his hyena carefully slides down the slope’s canyon edge down toward the two in front of you. The new arrival takes a moment to speak to the negotiating orc. He nods. The new arrival moves to the side. 
“Fifty gold for passage. And,” he continues, looking directly at Varielky. “Jen Ghessa need less. Because you become wife of chief. Empire pay to make young Jenghen. You. And her,” he says, indicating Benita, who up until that moment was barely concealing raucous laughter on behalf of her friend. At this, her expression snaps to measured fury. She stands akimbo and Varielky can see she’s about to lose her temper and knows her to have a quick and biting tongue. Does she stop her?

Varielky needs to control herself, but her self-discipline is better than Benita's. "Wait." She tells Benita before raising her voice to the Orcs once again. "Unfortunately, you cannot have me. My body belongs to the gods, and the gods alone. If you want me, you'd have to negotiate with them first." But, that doesn't help Benita, and Varielky can't have her taken away. "And she stays with me." Is the best thing she manages to think of to add. She wasn't sure how they'd react to these statements, but she was ready to prove her words were true if needed.

Ednyss looks a bit worried when the Orcs mention taking Varielky and Benita and if the Orcs do not back off at Varielky's statement, he slams his War Pick into the ground and shouts towards them, "The woman has spoken. You will not have her. Take the 50 gold and grant us passage as that is the will of the gods." As he says this, he lifts his shield and shows the gem inlaid face of it covered in the runes of Takal Demesh.

Intimidation: 22 (Only if necessary)

The orcs remain unstirred by these statements. The words echo down the low canyon and back. Benita glares and Varielky can imagine how hard she is biting her tongue.

The chief solemnly raises his open hand above his head, seemingly a signal to the others to hold in place. Perhaps, you all suppose, he will allow you to pass. All eyes are upon him. Then, in a muscular gesture, the fingers close into a fist, which the chief pumps upward once, firmly. 

Upon this signal, several of the hyenas on the ridge yip their laughing bark. The hyenas in front of you, still facing you, then step away backwards, slowly making way for the carriage. Except for the negotiator, who does not move until the others are clear. Then he slowly advances, stopping 5 yards in front and to the side of Varielky, facing her directly. When the hyena’s motions cease, the negotiator holds out one hand, upward-curling fingers with their dirty, pointed nails spread wide, palm open and waiting.

The breeze has stopped and there is now almost total silence, save for the horses, which are snorting nervously with the massive hyena so close upon their flanks.

“50 GOLD,” shouts the orc, eyes drilling into Varielky. 

It might be a good idea to indicate positions at this point, just in case.

Here is a thumbnail of the carriage on the canyon floor. Where are each of you right now?

As a reminder, here is a sketch of the carriage. The inside seats four. The driver's bucket seats 2. The rear-facing bucket seats 2. The forward-facing top passenger bucket seats 2.

(I'm not sure which side faces the negotiator, so I can't choose the spot exactly. Either E-2, K-4, F-7 or the square marked as "5" - depending on the direction the negotiator is.)

When the hyenas start closing in, Varielky reaches back for her shield and dons it. When the negotiator comes to take the money, with her empty hand, Varielky reaches her hand towards Ednyss, waiting for him to hand over the coins. If he does, she'll hand 5 of the platinum coins to the Orc. "There, as agreed. Now clear the way." She's also wary of any sudden movements, ready to fight if the Orcs do not behave themselves.