Dragon of Icespire Peak ***CLOSED***

(assuming Tabesha'l shouts this out loud)

Connak looks at Tabesha'l while shaking his head and follows up with, "She means: Do either of you speak their language?"

"Well why is she not having saying that?", he wonders out loud.

Vaxis looks to the others, hopeful a translator is amongst them and hoping the orc simply speaks common.

(Did the orc accept the water offered by Brutus?)

Brutus will speak in Giant in an attempt to communicate. Plopping down next to the orc with legs stretched out he says “Fro chu lok ta boktar u duphren”. 

Turning to the others. “When we are ready to leave we should let this one go back to his tribe, he will bear the shame in defeat.”

“If it is merciful death you wish me to have, then releasing me to return home is the worst thing you could do...” says the orc, in remarkably well-spoken Common. “...and orcs don’t speak giant, you idiot...they speak ORC!” he riffs sharply at Brutus, his sour disgust clearly evident.

The orc’s yellow eyes pierce through Brutus and he then bows his head as is he is waiting for the executioner’s axe to fall upon him.

“Where would you go instead”, completely ignoring the harsh words coming from the Orc.  “No axe will even graze your chin today.  I promise it.”

Not an axe on the chin... an arrow in the forehead,  Connak thinks to himself.

Tabesha'l stops in surprise as she hears the orc converse in perfectly good Common with the firblog tribesman. Pointing her index finger at Brutus, she sends her whispers into the big furry barbarian's mind:

"Perhaps we should bring our prisoner in the confines of yon temple. That wyrm, infant as it may well be, still would make short work of us if it should fall upon our little party out in the open. Furthermore, I desire to converse with our orcish ward. Couldst thou please be so kind as to carry him to me, friend Brutus ? In advance, my kindest thanks."

Brutus looks around and over his shoulder for a brief moment.  He takes the orcs by his bound hands, “let us go inside, we don’t want to be out here if the dragon comes back.”

Vaxis follows behind, out of earshot of Brutus. Once he gets near Connak and Barric, he stops.

"He may have a point. Orcs I assume would not allow him to live. If he truly wishes to die, I believe you two are having that honor. But before you do so, I will be having appreciation you telling me. I would like to conduct Last Rites on the unfortunate soul so that his spirit may find peace in the afterlife."

Connak shrugs.  "Best to not risk breaking an arrow.  Barric can cut him and be done with it.  Now, while you are all questioning an orc, I'm going to go see if I can find more secret rooms in the ruins."

Vaxis seems to look sick at the thought of Connak going back into the ruins.

"I would prefer you not. The dark dwarven deity still dwells here, and I wish to return to town as soon as possible. But if you do...Pay no heed his influence. Do not be greedy, and keep the gods in your prayers.

The party to include the dwarves and the orc prisoner are able to safely retreat to the confines of the temple without further incident. The orc, though indignant, does not resist his captors and instead walks silently with his head low behind Brutus.

Once the group has fully re-entered the temple, the orc looks about with curiosity and then plops down into a seated position. “Damned dragon...” he mutters under his breath.

Tabesha'l points her finger at Brutus once more, as the faint whisper of her voice comes fluttering in his ear:

" Methinks thou art more than qualified to question yon orcish ward. Me and my kindred do not have the best relations with his denizens, as much bloodied deeds mar our common histories. Do try to make him speak further on the subject of said-wyrm, and also of the surrounding humanoid tribes and dangers we may fall upon while traveling these inhospitable lands..."

Brutus looks around once more, then nods his head..  sitting down next to the orc once more.  “You speak of this dragon like you’ve met him before.  How often does it come around?”

(follow up question to save time)

”how have the other tribes and groups been fairing, anything we need to worry about?.... you never said where you will go after we release you.” 

Brutus is stringing some more teeth and claws on his necklace as he is talking.

Connak will look around for more secret passages as the party takes the time to question the orc.

Perception: 7

Barric lounges against a wall of the ruin, still catching his breath, watching with a bemused expression as the orc is 'Questioned'. 

(Barric will take a short rest if possible. He does not plan to question the orc or look around the ruins further)

Vaxis stands near the Orc, and begins a lengthy ritual verse. He mutters the prayer quietly, so as to not alarm anyone or interrupt the questioning. He begins conducting Last Rites.

"Bahamut, Oh great Platinum Wyrm, I beseech your aid. Guide this poor soul to the afterlife. Uplift his spirit through your benevolence, Your visage the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. Oh Angel of the Seven Heavens, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. Oh Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Io as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!"

“Release me?”the orc questions Brutus indignantly. “Is that why your dragonborn friend here is saying the last rites of his damnable draconian god over my head? Because you plan to...release me? Unless of course you mean to release my head from the rest of my body. Humph...still better than filling a dragon’s gut or having my own torn out by my fellow hordesmen. The young white appeared suddenly a few weeks ago. Chased us out of the ruined castle atop Icespire Peak, forced us to move into the lowlands and begin raiding to survive. For months the only resistance we encountered was a bothersome manticore. Now the horde has fragmented across the land. Pockets of us here and there struggle to survive.”

The orc falls silent again for a while as if making peace with some higher power then glances back at Brutus: “Nowhere is safe from this wyrm. You may have killed my fellow hordesmen, and you may kill me, but you won’t kill the horde. My people will continue to press in upon Phandalin so long as Cryovain takes wing in the skies above.”

He then turns to Tabesha’l, whom he has noticed watching him with curiosity. “Luskan. I learned Common in Luskan as a pirate aboard the fifth fleet.” He then looks at Vaxis and spits at his feet, “Save your breath priest...you’ll be needin’ it to scream...”

The orc again falls silent and glares at the floor with a scowl on his face.

(OOC: the party is granted a short rest - please roll your hit dice in a post if you plan to use them. Also, Connak finds no additional hidden doors or passageways in the temple.)

Brutus’s nostrils flare facing Vaxis and the rest of the group. “Performing last rites?  You hear that, though?  The only reason they are down here is due to that dragon out of necessity and survival.  You make them out to be monsters,  so they are monsters.  You kill to fill your belly, to protect the clan, not to cast down one unarmed man just because.  You want to solve the problem, we need to go after that dragon!”  Now standing and yelling out “You’re all so quick to pass judgement and don’t give a single thought of the bigger picture and how the rest of the world is effected.”  Turning back to the orc “AND YOU!”  Grasping the orc by the collar and hoisting him up.  “You want to play the victim, then follow with threats and insults while bound?!  We didn’t set out to harm you or your people, you were aggressive towards us!  You want to fix this place and go back to your home?  Band together and work for what’s right, not simple raiding, bloodshed, and thievery.”  Dropping the orc back onto the ground.  Now talking aloud to anyone to listen “Bravery, Effort, and Honor over birth. The tribe's honor over yours. The blood of the runt is the blood of a king.Give a thousand for nothing. Truth is the honor of the tribe.”  With that Brutus storms out of the Temple to outside.  

Connak looks at Brutus with some respect.  "At least he has convictions.  There's nothing left to find here, and that dragon's belly won't stay full for very long.  Let's get back to Phandalin and warn them about the orcs, if they don't already know."