The Undying Dragons - Campaign Thread

((Do they look bad??…))

“Ughh… <sigh>.. uh… I can… maybe… do something about this…”.

”Make sure it won’t… kill us… at least… Might take a hot minute though…”.

Ula sighs again and starts work on a ritual. “Someone tell them…”. She indicated the other tribes…

((begins ritual casting purify food and drink. Takes 10 minutes))

Ignoring Xanthe, Marrin says to the orcs,

"Well played boys. When Haguur has a moment, we'd like to talk."

She nods to one of the containers without a gross chicken and says to Ava,

"Ava, can you help me carry this over to the goblins."

They'll trade them their empty for the half full.

As Xanthe's question hangs unanswered, Ethel imagines a response is necessary.

"We were forced into a silly game in the arena.  One of the Hargrove's - Gertrude - announced an outcome that would result in all the spectators receiving discounted alcohol at their tavern afterward.  We saw to it that this outcome came to pass, to great fanfare.  This outcome also likely cost the Hargrove's hundreds of goldpieces in lost liquor income.  It seems that, in their pettiness, they have put us on half-rations as a passive-aggressive punishment."

Though she doesn't say anything about this, Ethel is troubled that all the prisoners will receive less food.  She helped spearhead the 'half-price drinks' operation and feels directly responsible.  She will wait to take last pick of the food, even going without if there is nothing left after the other slaves have eaten.

Avaria looks disheartened by the pettiness of the Hargroves.  She sighs and heads over to help Marrin with the one she is dragging over to the goblins.  "'Spose we should let the hobgoblins know that their rations came early as well.  Don't suppose we could do anything with the fact there are double the amount of containers now in the caverns?  No idea what though."

The two orcs look at Marrin when she mentions talking to Haguur. They don’t respond but one does nod back over his head towards the entrance to the orc area.

 Four goblins meet Ava and Marrin at the nexus between the two caverns. They take the offered bin without saying anything about the reduced rations. They turn to go back but find their way temporarily blocked.

The two bugbears you had seen in the hobgoblin cavern arrive as the goblins try to return to their cavern. One of the bugbears barks at the goblins, causing them to shrink back against the wall. The other bugbear carries an empty food bin and starts pushing towards the main entrance.

The two bugbears stop when they see Ula doing something by the food. They watch her carefully for a moment. One says something quietly to the other.

Xanthe watches the arrival of the bugbears and orcs carefully.

“They may try to take ours as well,” Xanthe says. “It would be better if it was two of the hobgoblins instead of the bugbears.”

She looks at Ethel.

"It happens from time to time," she begins. "The Hargroves exert their control through food. It was likely one of the parents or more likely the brother. Gertrude would not have shortened the rations."

Then she nods at orcs and bugbears.

"But they don't like to be short changed."

Ava stands with Marrin at the entrance to the goblin cave and as they all stand there watching the bugbears drag their empty container into their cavern, she leans over and whispers to Marrin, "Should we try and go talk to one of the hobgoblins now that their guards are busy here?"

 Marrin whispers back,

"Nah, he knows we want to talk. Running in while the guards are out makes us look desperate to get to him."

She watches the bugbears,

"Let's see how this goes then I think we have a meeting with Haguur."

The goblins don't wait around to see what happens, they're already on the move with the bin they were giving, not bothering to complain about the amount there was.

Orc 3 reaches into one of the bins and scoops up some old root vegetables and moves to place them in another bin.

Both bugbears let out rumbling growls.

Orc 3 looks up and frowns. He gestures at the last remaining bin, one that has not had any food taken from it or any extra added to it. "Yours."

The bugbears look at each other and then nod. They leave their empty bin there and take the new untouched bin and start back towards the other caverns. 

Orc 3 takes another scoop of food out of the one bin and puts it in the other. 

"No. You can't." Xanthe finally says. "It's not fair."

Neither orc pays her any attention. They lift up the bin with the extra food and start back towards their cavern.

The goblins are gone with their half ration bin, the bugbears are leaving with theirs, and the orcs are leaving with something more akin to a three-quarters ration bin, leaving a quarter ration bin behind for your cavern.

"Nope. Ava, I think we will need to have that chat now."

Marrin waves for Avaria to come with her as she interposes herself between the orcs and their entrance.

"Jan, Ula."

She gives Ethel a meaningful glance and a nod to the entrance behind her (Marrin). Before opening her arms welcomingly and smiling with as much menace as she can muster,

"Time for another round? Put it back."

Intimidation: 11

Ethel laughs in irritation.  "They don't like to be shortchanged?  I guess they missed the part about beggars not getting to be choosers."

She sighs and goes to stand beside Marrin.  She makes eye contact with Orc 3, the one she put to sleep in the arena.  She wiggles her fingers at him in an exaggerated spell casting motion.  "This is no reason to make me put you back into nap-nap time.  They shorted us on food... all of us.  You'll get the same amount of food as these folk, and not a turnip more."

Orc 4 looks at Marrin and frowns a little at her words but nothing in his body language indicates that he or the once sleeping orc feel intimidated.

Orc 3 looks at Ethel and looks confused for a moment. He may only now be connecting his sudden bout of snoozing to something Ethel had done before.

”Why?” he finally asks Ethel. He points a finger at the five if you. “Why share with them?”

He indicates the rest of the cavern.

When you look around, for the most part the inhabitants are weak and burnt out. Except maybe for Hammerdasher, no one would be able to put up much of a fight for the food.

”There’s enough for you.” The orc says, again indicating the five of you. “Eat then come talk to Haguur.”

The two start to move towards the or cavern entrance again.

Jan sidles up to Marrin, whispering in her ear just loud enough that the orcs should be able to overhear.

"That's the bin that that Hargroves tainted, wasn't it? I say we let them take that one. I'd rather less food, than bad food. And if their boss Haguur gets mad at them, not our problem."

Deception: 12

She will wrap her other arm around Marrin's waist to help disguise her finger movements as she then casts to cause the bin of food to have a sour stink to it.

"جنونی"

Sleight of Hand: 15

Avaria, not used to confrontation such as this, stands with Marrin and just as she was about ready to intimidate them herself, she overhears Jan's deception and holds her breath hoping it'll work.  She stands her ground while she waits.

8  

The two orcs look at Jan's hand as she moves it, but neither seem to make the connection between that and what's going on with the food bins.

They look into the bin and wrinkle their noses.

Do orcs find the same smells unpleasant? 

They both lean back up and frown.

Orc 3 grabs hold of the closest bystander, which happens to be Geffroi Desbiens, your bookish scholar companion from the Rose Marie. The orc fishes a chunk of sour smelling turnip from the bin and shoves it at Geffroi.

"Eat," the orc demands.

Geffroi looks around at the five of you, his eyes going wide.

With the orcs looking in Geffroi's direction, Jan gives him an encouraging nod and a wink and pantomimes gagging.

Geffroi takes a deep breath and then chews on the old turnip. He chews for a couple of moments, with the orcs watching him intently. He looks to start swallowing but then suddenly bends over and starts retching. Masticated turnip bits spray all over the ground. Both orcs jump back to avoid getting it on their boots.

Geffroi slumps to his knees, still gagging.

Xanthe moves to his side and places a hand on his back.

The orcs look at each other and nod. 

Orc 3 dumps the contents of the bin out on the ground and Orc 4 picks out a couple of pieces of food that don't look too bad and puts them in the bin they had stolen from before. They then take that bin and start heading for the entrance to the orc cavern.

Marrin moves to the side to let them pass.

Once they are gone she gives Jan a pat on the back,

"Well done!"

She'll say to Geff,

"You too!"

She'll start scooping things back into the bin and prestidigitating them clean. When she's done she'll grab one and toss it to Avaria before asking,

"How's your face feeling?"

While they are eating she'll try to talk to the group quietly,

"Chat with Haguur now? Ula, you still busy with your swimming?"