CF - Volo's Adventurers' Guild - PbP Campaign

Araynia makes short work of collecting further bounty tokens from the fallen foes. As she does so she sighs and says, "These brutes have been nothing but a blight upon our people. They give no quarter. Just ask any who have managed to escape their raids: those that have not been killed outright by the orc band were often captured and taken back to this cave, never to be seen again." She shudders a moment and continues, "And I don't think they kept captives as slaves if that is what you are thinking. So, no, I have no problem eliminating this band of monsters. There may be civil orcs out there in the world, but this band surely is not."

[So she killed the sleeping Orcs?]

Banjo feels relief when the scout takes matters into her own hands and kills the Orcs.  Then he immediately feels guilty... he is only happy to have kept his own hands clean.  I must be better than that, he thinks, his hand absent-mindedly touching his cousin's old journal through his pack.

Eager to change the subject and not dwell on this ugliness, he looks around the room.  "Where to next?"

Quote from Bartjeebus >>

[So she killed the sleeping Orcs?]

Banjo feels relief when the scout takes matters into her own hands and kills the Orcs.  Then he immediately feels guilty... he is only happy to have kept his own hands clean.  I must be better than that, he thinks, his hand absent-mindedly touching his cousin's old journal through his pack.

Eager to change the subject and not dwell on this ugliness, he looks around the room.  "Where to next?"

 ((She would have taken what she could off of the dead ones but knows enough not to wake a sleeping Orc, by trying to remove its ear or otherwise...  No the sleeping orcs are still sleeping.))

Serena nods at Araynia, still feeling uncomfortable with killing the sleeping orcs but also seeing no other way to deal with them right now, then looking to Tresvar, hoping she would have it in her to finish the grisly work. "What do you say Tresvar, are you prepared to finish this before we move on?" She says, motioning to the sleeping orcs.

"But doesn't it occur to you that if we kill everything in our path, we'll be the ones considered merciless brutes? Came in, slaughtered everything, stole whatever riches they had - even if they stole it first themselves - and then left to find the next victim. I don't like the thought. You can kill them if you find it just, but I will not. At this moment, sleeping and unarmed, they pose us no danger. Moreover, perhaps... perhaps by sparing them we could spark the flame of change in them. Maybe they'll realise there are other ways, ones which don't involve mindless slaughter." However, it doesn't occur to Livia that she is being naive. After all, her only experience with Orcs is with the Orcs in these caves, which as far as she understands, have only been defending their home. 

Serena gives Livia a weak smile for her innocence. "I would like to think as you do Livia, and I wouldn't claim to have more experience fighting orcs than you do, but I believe Aranyia is right about this, these orcs are ruthless and I don't think sparing them here will in any way change their ways. It is good that you and Banjo can be our conscience on our missions but I honestly don't see us letting these orcs go. I suppose we could take them back for justice in Blasingdell but I fear they would only be put to the blade for the atrocities they have committed." She says then turning to Araynia for her thoughts.

Araynia looks at the party wrestling with the dilemma. She sighs again and says, "Do we have any idea how many orcs are still in this cave? We could bind these and see if they will talk when they wake. If we want to bring them back to town, how do you propose we do so? We could start walking them out only to run into a bunch more orcs intent on freeing them - or more likely, killing us. We could leave them bound here and come back once we have scoured the rest of the cave if that is what we want to do. What I do know is that unless you severely diminish their numbers, a band of orcs is not just going to leave peacefully. Even then, they will likely replenish their numbers and be back soon. Right now, we are not in danger, so as your hired scout, I will follow your wishes. These are just my thoughts and observations. Take them or leave them."

Araynia shrugs and pulls out some rope. She does her best to tie up the unconscious orcs.

Survival check: 22

"Now that they are tied up. What should we do with them?"

((I added some text after and that caused it to retrigger? Never saw that before - original roll was 13))

Araynia asks "Maybe we should move all these bodies into the bunk room? Just be careful of that pressure plate - I think I heard it reset."

"Sure." Serena says and starts to help with moving the bodies as Araynia suggested, taking care to not step on the pressure plate. "So, do we need to recuperate again or can we continue to search this level before returning to the grey dwarves. I think Tresvar is in dire need of healing." She says looking to the others.

Araynia nods to Serena, "Did we check any of the orcs we have taken out? Maybe they have some medical supplies? Do you think they would keep any in their bunk room?"

((I recall that Banjo listed a healing potion in the things looted from the last set of orcs))

"I think storing one of them in the bunk room and the other in a separate place... perhaps the Ogre's room... is safest.  It prevents them working in concert to free one another."

He will take a few more minutes to search the bunk room.  Not only looking for useful items, but also trying to get a feel for how many Orcs may have been sleeping here.  Investigation: 12

Serena nods to Banjo and checks the orcs they just fought.
Investigation: 22
She then helps out with moving the prisoners as Banjo suggested.
She then looks to Tresvar and the others. "Are we ready to continue? There might not be so many orcs left here now."

"Let us proceed then," Livia agrees, and tries to help the others as well. "But let's be mindful of more traps, please," she suggests.

Going forward, Livia begins to wonder why anyone would place traps in their own home. At the entrance, maybe, but once already inside, it seems strange. After all, it's enough they forget about it just once andcthe result could be lethal.

Quote from Bartjeebus >>

"I think storing one of them in the bunk room and the other in a separate place... perhaps the Ogre's room... is safest.  It prevents them working in concert to free one another."

He will take a few more minutes to search the bunk room.  Not only looking for useful items, but also trying to get a feel for how many Orcs may have been sleeping here.  Investigation: 21

 This chamber is filled with rough-hewn bunks, tables, and chairs, and the floor is strewn with filthy pelts. At first glance it appears that a dozen or so humanoids might use this area as a sleeping quarters.

Banjo goes well beyond first glance however, and gives the room a thorough searching. His attentive investigation reveals a loose stone on the south wall, concealing a sack that holds 250 sp and 40 gp.

Similarly, in checking the pockets of the orcs they just defeated, Serena finds 66sp and 11gp.

Motivated by finding treasure and Banjo having found it in a secret compartment, Serena helps to redouble the search.

In doing so, they think they may have discovered an unused secret door on the west wall.

Serena hands the coins she found on the orcs to Banjo before helping him with searching the room. "Hey look at this." She says as she notices the secret door, listening at it and then opening it up to peek beyond it.

Perception with help from Flappy: 7

[Updated treasure haul:

• 511 gp
• 2336 sp
• Orc plate armor
• Key
• +1 Rapier
• Healing potion
• Unidentified potion (The potion is separated into brown, silver, and gray layers resembling bands of stone. Shaking the bottle fails to mix the colors.)

• 2 flasks of alchemists fire]

(Thanks Bartjeebus, Serena grabbed the Rapier +1 though, so you know :-)

((and I believe Tresvar has donned the plate))

Listening to the door Serena hears nothing. After clearing away some crates and broken barrels from near the threshold, she tries the door. While it appears a massive slab of stone wall, after a couple attempts, Serena finds just the right spot to apply force and the stone pivots easily away revealing a dark, narrow tunnel with steps leading up. The length of abandon of the tunnel can only be measured in the layers of gossamer bunting cobwebs draping the walls.