Well this may cost you another form, but I am curious to know what is going on with those bodies. Dive down and touch them. Use your sight to see if it will help us learn something of them and their nature. I will stay with you.
Keeping his perceptions with Py, Auger says out loud to the others, "Py has found what may be a few dead bodies under the water it-- uhh we-- are investigating them."
OOC Details:
Auger still has his seeing and hearing passed to Py, but he is still sitting on the boat, so I hope the out loud communication to the others is fine.
Py will dive down and touch a body and then use its Heartsight to see if it can learn anything about them.
Some intentions if DM needs them to describe what happens next.
After learning what it can of the bodies, Auger intends to snatch Py back to him. Note that depending on how fast the boat is moving, Auger may move out of range from Py to maintain the sense-sharing connection.
If the investigation of the bodies concludes safely then Auger will turn his attention to the sail(s?) and begin mending them, if possible.
If Py is destroyed, Auger will be unable to recreate it until he finds a proper wood (RP) and spends the requisite hour carving him out (ritual cast of Find Familiar). Auger will start this process after mending the sail. Finding the proper wood might call for a stop.
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DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow once again listens to Varielky speak the Dreyen tongue, determined to ask about it when next they had a moment. He is quite taken aback by the lights in her eyes as she turns to him, he thought Auger was the magical one of the two.
"No problem", he replies to Auger not realising he can't hear him, "we'll get moving as soon as Varielky is aboard. We may have to limp to the next village so it may take a while mind".
Assuming Varielky is still tied to the mooring rope he will attempt to help her back by hauling it in, and then cast his gust charm and get them moving as best he can.
Seeing no threat, Varielky sheathes her sword, at which point the mark on her forehead disappears, and the lights in her eyes extinguish. She unstraps her shield from her arm, then swims back to the boat. "Let's press for the village. I'll row if required." Varielky prepares to row. She's been finding the task rather repetitive, which allows her to do it absent-mindedly. Moreover, she realises the hard work is not as tiring as she assumed it will be. She realises just how much she's improved during this short journey, in comparison to how little she did during her entire boring service in the Jenghen brigades.
Varielky makes it back to the sloop in a few strong strokes, and Granophyre helps to counterbalance the boat as she pulls herself onboard.
The nagas are no longer in view.
‘Yes, Master,’ Py responds to Auger’s instructions. With a slight flip of its wings, the tiny familiar submerges itself, slowly approaches the bodies. Auger, through its eyes, sees two men and a woman, but his darkvision does not function through Py, and details are still hard to see. Py slowly circles down to within inches of them. One of the men wears pale imperial livery. The other man and the woman wear Shian street clothes; all three of their heads and faces are bare, at least of clothing.
They are held in place on the riverbed — their arms and legs — by a semi-transparent gelatinous substance. The same substance covers their chins and lips, which are each sealed around long reeds. Py draws slightly closer. A few tiny bubbles escape from the reeds. ‘The humans are breathing?,’ it asks. Py draws closer yet. Now it is immediately in front of the imperial.
Suddenly, the man’s eye blinks open, sees Py! The man struggles helplessly, his face pleading for a long moment before he loses focus, drifts into a stupor, stops moving again.
Py, which had darted back a foot at the shock of the man’s sudden revival — though temporary — flicks its wings again and drifts down to settle on his chest.
‘He is not the worthiest of souls, Master. But he lives.’
A few moments later, ‘The others are alive too, and possess kind hearts.’
Augers senses snap back to himself and he quickly explains what he has seen to the others. "Three humans are held underwater in the reeds over there, for what purpose I cannot tell. They are alive. It is in the area that the one you dueled Varielky, Chiss, swam to." Held underwater. It reminds Auger of an old recurring nightmare. If only he could transport others and not just himself. There is so much he does not know.
Can you see a way to free them?
"I think we should help them. I suspect it means we will have to defeat all of these Naga. If willing, can you bring the boat over towards those reeds, Snow?"
Looking at Snow a thought passes across Auger's mind. One wears imperial livery. Complications everywhere. Well that would have to be understood after freedom is obtained.
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DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
”They are alive under the water? Captive? That’s horrible!”, he says.
”I agree we should try to help, but I am not sure I can take another blast from that creature. Although I think the one responsible for that might leave us alone, as long as I am concentrating on my magic. I am not so sure about the other though”, he adds.
He looks to Varielky and Strewn, “What say you both?”
"I don't like chasing after fleeing enemies, and I acknowledge that they need to eat, too." Varielky sighs. If only they had killed their prey immediately, it would be much simpler. "But we cannot leave them to die there now, can we? I will call to them first, offer them a chance to leave peacefully instead of fighting again."
Granophyre answers, his sagacious basso thick with horror, “No!, I cannot leave them behind! But facing the nagas head on… could be calamitous, for they have shown us only a fraction of their powers, I suspect.”
“Varielky… I can enlarge you, as when we first met Shulong Xurl. You can quickly reach down under the water and lift the captives up to us, if we row closer to the shore. We can hope that simple expediency is enough.”
“Or… we could moor the boat upriver and come back on foot, avoiding a direct confrontation on the open water.”
"I think the Naga are distracted and now is our chance."Auger looks to Varielky, wondering what she will think of Granophyre's idea.
Stay with them. Try to free any bonds that hold them. If you become trapped yourself let me know and I will summon you away.
From the boat Auger keeps his eyes on the area where Py is, attempting to discern where Chiss had gone, and then assists with any rowing as best as he can. For the others Augers adds, "Perhaps I should draw forth another Fog Cloud to cover our actions from the Naga."
Intentions:
If the others agree Auger will attempt to create a Fog Cloud that is between the boat and the naga, directly obscuring neither group but impeding the view of each other. Center should be around a9 in the Round 6 map. If Auger can tell that is insufficient he will upcast to L2 and create a much bigger Fog Cloud, that would center around b14. Auger does not want the Naga to really notice the sudden cloud if possible and so would use that judgement in its placement and size determination.
If Augers hands are free he will attempt to start mending the sail (1 minute casting to fix one hole if it is under 1 sq ft)
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DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Alas, Auger cannot see the nagas, so cannot know if a regular fog cloud at a9 is enough. However, he can slow its creation a bit to give it a more natural appearance. I'll await word from the others as to whether the spell is cast.
Auger also discovers that mending will not help the sail: a weaver or tailor or stronger spell will be needed, as some of the sail was disintegrated by the lightning blasts. (After rereading the spell description, I find that Mending cannot recreate that which no longer exists. It can only refasten parts of a whole which have been sundered.) That said, the holes are not enormous, and the sail can still function at around 80% efficacy.
‘I cannot free them,’ sends Py, ‘I am not strong enough.’
"It might work, but I will not attack an enemy is not prepared. Especially not after they think we've left. If you were hoping on a surprise attack, I will not participate. Otherwise..." Varielky prepares to put on her shield again.
“It seems that direct confrontation is out of the question, which leaves stealth”, Snow says thoughtfully.
”That is something I can help with, but it would mean releasing my charm on the one creature. If we sail a little upriver and moor out of sight, as you suggested Strewn, I think we could make it back undetected”.
If there is agreement he will sail a little way upriver and moor the Animu Borongo, the fog cloud should mean this doesn’t take them far.
One half mile upriver, around a bend, you happen upon a small functioning pier on the eastern bank leading to an old, burned out barn, which in its heyday was, you might assess, poorly built, while now it is a prisoner’s drawing on a dark cave wall: a jumble of weathered slats barely fastened together. Just on the far side of the barn, a farmer’s road follows the river’s eastern bank.
Night is falling, stars are beginning to peek out, and the quarter-moon is not yet visible above the eastern Bantus, while only a splash of steel gray above the western peaks hints at the sun’s recent passage.
Last autumn’s fallen leaves form a soft carpet on the moist earth, the fresh smell of cedars floats on a cool breeze, and tree frogs chorus softly nearby.
Auger steps off the Animu Borongo and on to the dock to help moor the craft. To the others he says, "Py waits with the prisoners. When we are within a short distance I will be able to communicate with it again and can whisper any thing it has learned while we have been away. Py does not see as well in the dark as I do so it may not be able to tell us much about the surrounding area."
Thinking back to an attempted ambush in the dark that went poorly, Auger continues, "I do not move very quietly but I have other skills. If, for example, Granophyre were to make one of you large sized, I could make the same individual invisible and if you are quiet, you might be able to scoop the 3 out of the water. Alternatively I could bring forth a cloud of fog and ensure the area where they are held is not easily observed. I can only do one of these things at a time. What do you all think? How shall we proceed?"
While speaking Auger looks at the area around the dock and at the broken down barn. Anything could be hiding in there, he thinks.
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DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow nods at Auger’s suggestions, getting quite used the capabilities of the group he has become a part of.
“I think between the four of us we could work together to get this done. If Strewn can enlarge you Varielky and you can make her invisible Auger, I can enhance all our abilities to remain undetected, including the captives, as long as I am close enough. Within, say, 30 feet”, he says thinking out loud.
”It should be a simple case of Varielky wading through the water as we move along the bank in close range, she grabs them and we leave as quickly and quietly as possible”, he finishes.
”My magic will last for an hour, how long does the enlargement and invisibility last?”
"That would work, I am certain," Varielky interjects, "but I will not take part in it, so you'll have to do it yourself. As I've said, I will not harm an opponent who is not aware of me, and taking their food... even if that means saving people, is equal to harming them, as far as I'm concerned. If we do it - if I do it - it will only be after my presence was revealed, after giving them a chance to go unharmed, or fight for what's theirs. The last time we had to do something similar, while saving Benita, it was bad enough. We had no choice facing thousands of Orcs then, but we do have one at this moment." She pauses, making sure all understand her words. "What's your choice?"
Snow frowns a little, looking thoughtfully at Varielky. “I do not claim to understand this reasoning, but if this is your code then so be it. Having someone look after the boat and keep our friend safe would not be the worst thing anyway”, he says motioning at Strewn.
He looks to Auger, “I am probably the best option for the stealthy approach, which I think is still the safest option if we are going through with this rescue. Tell me more about what to expect. How deep is it there? How are they bound? Are they well enough to move if freed?”
Auger does his best to relay what he can based on what Py told him, that the prisoners are held underwater by some gelatinous substance, that at least one is awake, that they are breathing through reeds attached to their mouths. "Can they walk on their own? Will they react well to our appearance and be quiet? I cannot say. I know I can make you invisible for some time, perhaps an hour, but only if I can maintain the spell, which I have found difficult to do when bothered or attacked. When we get closer I can resummon Py and it can sit on your shoulder to guide you. I will stay back and out of the way while you approach invisibly."
To Varielky Auger adds, "Perhaps if you stayed back with me, and if the Naga become aware of us somehow, then I'm sure we will have a fair and challenging fight for you."
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DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Granophyre clears his throat. “How are we to know, Varielky, what purpose those three pour souls serve in their current fragile position?”
“Food? Perhaps. Slaves? Perhaps. Some other purpose? Who can say? If you are certain your honor is called into question by saving these lives without inciting danger, then so be it. But, let us see if your certainty stands the test of exploration. Can you explain why you believe the three captives are to be eaten, rather than used for some other purpose?” The old sage regards the shield-maiden calmly and without irony.
"I assume that it is food, though for no particular reason. I do not claim to understand those creatures, so I assume the simplest answer. However, whether I am right or not does not matter at all." Varielky answers in the same manner. "As I said, even when freeing Benita the way we did it felt wrong to me. I understood how futile it would be to fight thousands of Orcs head on then, but I do not understand the risk of fighting three of these creatures now. They might not even try to fight us - maybe they'll choose to let us free their captives without resisting." She's well aware that's probably not going to happen. "So, if we follow your plan, we are put in a situation where we do an honourable act, for a seemingly righteous cause, except we do not even know whose lives we are saving. They could be innocent souls or ones tainted far beyond redemption. And even if we could tell and discover they are innocent, you should ask yourself: Does the end justify the means?"
Well this may cost you another form, but I am curious to know what is going on with those bodies. Dive down and touch them. Use your sight to see if it will help us learn something of them and their nature. I will stay with you.
Keeping his perceptions with Py, Auger says out loud to the others, "Py has found what may be a few dead bodies under the water it-- uhh we-- are investigating them."
OOC Details:
Some intentions if DM needs them to describe what happens next.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow once again listens to Varielky speak the Dreyen tongue, determined to ask about it when next they had a moment. He is quite taken aback by the lights in her eyes as she turns to him, he thought Auger was the magical one of the two.
"No problem", he replies to Auger not realising he can't hear him, "we'll get moving as soon as Varielky is aboard. We may have to limp to the next village so it may take a while mind".
Assuming Varielky is still tied to the mooring rope he will attempt to help her back by hauling it in, and then cast his gust charm and get them moving as best he can.
Seeing no threat, Varielky sheathes her sword, at which point the mark on her forehead disappears, and the lights in her eyes extinguish. She unstraps her shield from her arm, then swims back to the boat. "Let's press for the village. I'll row if required." Varielky prepares to row. She's been finding the task rather repetitive, which allows her to do it absent-mindedly. Moreover, she realises the hard work is not as tiring as she assumed it will be. She realises just how much she's improved during this short journey, in comparison to how little she did during her entire boring service in the Jenghen brigades.
Varielky
Varielky makes it back to the sloop in a few strong strokes, and Granophyre helps to counterbalance the boat as she pulls herself onboard.
The nagas are no longer in view.
‘Yes, Master,’ Py responds to Auger’s instructions. With a slight flip of its wings, the tiny familiar submerges itself, slowly approaches the bodies. Auger, through its eyes, sees two men and a woman, but his darkvision does not function through Py, and details are still hard to see. Py slowly circles down to within inches of them. One of the men wears pale imperial livery. The other man and the woman wear Shian street clothes; all three of their heads and faces are bare, at least of clothing.
They are held in place on the riverbed — their arms and legs — by a semi-transparent gelatinous substance. The same substance covers their chins and lips, which are each sealed around long reeds. Py draws slightly closer. A few tiny bubbles escape from the reeds. ‘The humans are breathing?,’ it asks. Py draws closer yet. Now it is immediately in front of the imperial.
Suddenly, the man’s eye blinks open, sees Py! The man struggles helplessly, his face pleading for a long moment before he loses focus, drifts into a stupor, stops moving again.
Py, which had darted back a foot at the shock of the man’s sudden revival — though temporary — flicks its wings again and drifts down to settle on his chest.
‘He is not the worthiest of souls, Master. But he lives.’
A few moments later, ‘The others are alive too, and possess kind hearts.’
(OOC: holding here for Auger’s response.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Augers senses snap back to himself and he quickly explains what he has seen to the others. "Three humans are held underwater in the reeds over there, for what purpose I cannot tell. They are alive. It is in the area that the one you dueled Varielky, Chiss, swam to." Held underwater. It reminds Auger of an old recurring nightmare. If only he could transport others and not just himself. There is so much he does not know.
Can you see a way to free them?
"I think we should help them. I suspect it means we will have to defeat all of these Naga. If willing, can you bring the boat over towards those reeds, Snow?"
Looking at Snow a thought passes across Auger's mind. One wears imperial livery. Complications everywhere. Well that would have to be understood after freedom is obtained.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow looks at Auger in a little bit of shock.
”They are alive under the water? Captive? That’s horrible!”, he says.
”I agree we should try to help, but I am not sure I can take another blast from that creature. Although I think the one responsible for that might leave us alone, as long as I am concentrating on my magic. I am not so sure about the other though”, he adds.
He looks to Varielky and Strewn, “What say you both?”
"I don't like chasing after fleeing enemies, and I acknowledge that they need to eat, too." Varielky sighs. If only they had killed their prey immediately, it would be much simpler. "But we cannot leave them to die there now, can we? I will call to them first, offer them a chance to leave peacefully instead of fighting again."
Varielky
Granophyre answers, his sagacious basso thick with horror, “No!, I cannot leave them behind! But facing the nagas head on… could be calamitous, for they have shown us only a fraction of their powers, I suspect.”
“Varielky… I can enlarge you, as when we first met Shulong Xurl. You can quickly reach down under the water and lift the captives up to us, if we row closer to the shore. We can hope that simple expediency is enough.”
“Or… we could moor the boat upriver and come back on foot, avoiding a direct confrontation on the open water.”
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"I think the Naga are distracted and now is our chance." Auger looks to Varielky, wondering what she will think of Granophyre's idea.
Stay with them. Try to free any bonds that hold them. If you become trapped yourself let me know and I will summon you away.
From the boat Auger keeps his eyes on the area where Py is, attempting to discern where Chiss had gone, and then assists with any rowing as best as he can. For the others Augers adds, "Perhaps I should draw forth another Fog Cloud to cover our actions from the Naga."
Intentions:
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Alas, Auger cannot see the nagas, so cannot know if a regular fog cloud at a9 is enough. However, he can slow its creation a bit to give it a more natural appearance. I'll await word from the others as to whether the spell is cast.
Auger also discovers that mending will not help the sail: a weaver or tailor or stronger spell will be needed, as some of the sail was disintegrated by the lightning blasts. (After rereading the spell description, I find that Mending cannot recreate that which no longer exists. It can only refasten parts of a whole which have been sundered.) That said, the holes are not enormous, and the sail can still function at around 80% efficacy.
‘I cannot free them,’ sends Py, ‘I am not strong enough.’
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"It might work, but I will not attack an enemy is not prepared. Especially not after they think we've left. If you were hoping on a surprise attack, I will not participate. Otherwise..." Varielky prepares to put on her shield again.
Varielky
“It seems that direct confrontation is out of the question, which leaves stealth”, Snow says thoughtfully.
”That is something I can help with, but it would mean releasing my charm on the one creature. If we sail a little upriver and moor out of sight, as you suggested Strewn, I think we could make it back undetected”.
If there is agreement he will sail a little way upriver and moor the Animu Borongo, the fog cloud should mean this doesn’t take them far.
One half mile upriver, around a bend, you happen upon a small functioning pier on the eastern bank leading to an old, burned out barn, which in its heyday was, you might assess, poorly built, while now it is a prisoner’s drawing on a dark cave wall: a jumble of weathered slats barely fastened together. Just on the far side of the barn, a farmer’s road follows the river’s eastern bank.
Night is falling, stars are beginning to peek out, and the quarter-moon is not yet visible above the eastern Bantus, while only a splash of steel gray above the western peaks hints at the sun’s recent passage.
Last autumn’s fallen leaves form a soft carpet on the moist earth, the fresh smell of cedars floats on a cool breeze, and tree frogs chorus softly nearby.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Auger steps off the Animu Borongo and on to the dock to help moor the craft. To the others he says, "Py waits with the prisoners. When we are within a short distance I will be able to communicate with it again and can whisper any thing it has learned while we have been away. Py does not see as well in the dark as I do so it may not be able to tell us much about the surrounding area."
Thinking back to an attempted ambush in the dark that went poorly, Auger continues, "I do not move very quietly but I have other skills. If, for example, Granophyre were to make one of you large sized, I could make the same individual invisible and if you are quiet, you might be able to scoop the 3 out of the water. Alternatively I could bring forth a cloud of fog and ensure the area where they are held is not easily observed. I can only do one of these things at a time. What do you all think? How shall we proceed?"
While speaking Auger looks at the area around the dock and at the broken down barn. Anything could be hiding in there, he thinks.
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Snow nods at Auger’s suggestions, getting quite used the capabilities of the group he has become a part of.
“I think between the four of us we could work together to get this done. If Strewn can enlarge you Varielky and you can make her invisible Auger, I can enhance all our abilities to remain undetected, including the captives, as long as I am close enough. Within, say, 30 feet”, he says thinking out loud.
”It should be a simple case of Varielky wading through the water as we move along the bank in close range, she grabs them and we leave as quickly and quietly as possible”, he finishes.
”My magic will last for an hour, how long does the enlargement and invisibility last?”
"That would work, I am certain," Varielky interjects, "but I will not take part in it, so you'll have to do it yourself. As I've said, I will not harm an opponent who is not aware of me, and taking their food... even if that means saving people, is equal to harming them, as far as I'm concerned. If we do it - if I do it - it will only be after my presence was revealed, after giving them a chance to go unharmed, or fight for what's theirs. The last time we had to do something similar, while saving Benita, it was bad enough. We had no choice facing thousands of Orcs then, but we do have one at this moment." She pauses, making sure all understand her words. "What's your choice?"
Varielky
Snow frowns a little, looking thoughtfully at Varielky. “I do not claim to understand this reasoning, but if this is your code then so be it. Having someone look after the boat and keep our friend safe would not be the worst thing anyway”, he says motioning at Strewn.
He looks to Auger, “I am probably the best option for the stealthy approach, which I think is still the safest option if we are going through with this rescue. Tell me more about what to expect. How deep is it there? How are they bound? Are they well enough to move if freed?”
Auger does his best to relay what he can based on what Py told him, that the prisoners are held underwater by some gelatinous substance, that at least one is awake, that they are breathing through reeds attached to their mouths. "Can they walk on their own? Will they react well to our appearance and be quiet? I cannot say. I know I can make you invisible for some time, perhaps an hour, but only if I can maintain the spell, which I have found difficult to do when bothered or attacked. When we get closer I can resummon Py and it can sit on your shoulder to guide you. I will stay back and out of the way while you approach invisibly."
To Varielky Auger adds, "Perhaps if you stayed back with me, and if the Naga become aware of us somehow, then I'm sure we will have a fair and challenging fight for you."
DM of RotFM | AUGER the Warlock (Archfey & the Chain) / Shadow Sorcerer in Age of Resurgence | Rahui & Javier in Sea of Memory
Granophyre clears his throat. “How are we to know, Varielky, what purpose those three pour souls serve in their current fragile position?”
“Food? Perhaps. Slaves? Perhaps. Some other purpose? Who can say? If you are certain your honor is called into question by saving these lives without inciting danger, then so be it. But, let us see if your certainty stands the test of exploration. Can you explain why you believe the three captives are to be eaten, rather than used for some other purpose?” The old sage regards the shield-maiden calmly and without irony.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"I assume that it is food, though for no particular reason. I do not claim to understand those creatures, so I assume the simplest answer. However, whether I am right or not does not matter at all." Varielky answers in the same manner. "As I said, even when freeing Benita the way we did it felt wrong to me. I understood how futile it would be to fight thousands of Orcs head on then, but I do not understand the risk of fighting three of these creatures now. They might not even try to fight us - maybe they'll choose to let us free their captives without resisting." She's well aware that's probably not going to happen. "So, if we follow your plan, we are put in a situation where we do an honourable act, for a seemingly righteous cause, except we do not even know whose lives we are saving. They could be innocent souls or ones tainted far beyond redemption. And even if we could tell and discover they are innocent, you should ask yourself: Does the end justify the means?"
Varielky