The Legonater Posted March 20, 2014 Posted March 20, 2014 Well, I can't say I expected this all to be easy, but it certainly changes things. I may be missing something here, but who exactly are these Red Lizards?
Vash the Stampede Posted March 21, 2014 Posted March 21, 2014 (edited) Well, I can't say I expected this all to be easy, but it certainly changes things. I may be missing something here, but who exactly are these Red Lizards? "The high kingdom is made of two main factions, the Red Lizards and the Four Boulders. That sum it up for you?" Edited March 21, 2014 by Vash the Stampede
CMP Posted March 21, 2014 Author Posted March 21, 2014 "We have brought your brother as a trade." Bastala gazed at Cinna blankly for a moment before sipping her wine. "I watched my brothers die during the viking attack trying to protect my father." "What?" Alexandre looks around. "Do the orcs want a war or not? The only way for peace is to be diplomatic and let the man go for crying out loud." "They've gotten along fine without their king for some time. If I let him go, there's no telling what he would do in retaliation. As long as he's here, we have leverage over the Kingdoms. It's that kind of leverage that keeps them from crossing the bridge, at least for the time being."
Purpearljellyblob Posted March 21, 2014 Posted March 21, 2014 (edited) "They've gotten along fine without their king for some time. If I let him go, there's no telling what he would do in retaliation. As long as he's here, we have leverage over the Kingdoms. It's that kind of leverage that keeps them from crossing the bridge, at least for the time being." "My apologies for our sudden intrusion, your highness. Do you have any terms of release of your prized possession?" Purpearl speaks, slightly intimidated by the armoured orc as well as other unfamiliar faces in the palace. Edited March 21, 2014 by Purpearljellyblob
Scubacarrot Posted March 21, 2014 Posted March 21, 2014 "Now, excuse me if I am wrong, but wasn't it her father you clowns brought, not het brother?"
The Legonater Posted March 21, 2014 Posted March 21, 2014 "The high kingdom is made of two main factions, the Red Lizards and the Four Boulders. That sum it up for you?" Ah, yes, that sounds familiar now. Has it been that long already? Wow... Bastala, you're thinking short term. That's going to get you killed, or worse. The King may work as leverage for now, but how long will that last? Eventually he will die, of age or elsewise, and suddenly your leverage is gone. If you want the Kingdoms to hold off, you'll have to talk to them. Create peace, or your country will be ripped apart by war.
Scorpiox Posted March 21, 2014 Posted March 21, 2014 Ah, yes, that sounds familiar now. Has it been that long already? Wow... Bastala, you're thinking short term. That's going to get you killed, or worse. The King may work as leverage for now, but how long will that last? Eventually he will die, of age or elsewise, and suddenly your leverage is gone. If you want the Kingdoms to hold off, you'll have to talk to them. Create peace, or your country will be ripped apart by war. "And if Bastala hands him back now what's stopping the kingdoms from clubbing every orc they can reach as retaliation?" He turned to the other heroes. "Do what you like, I ain't gonna be advocating for his release. You got to work with the tools you have - Valentino's pretty bloody good insurance to keep the kingdoms away from where we stand, in the absence of any word from them."
Vash the Stampede Posted March 22, 2014 Posted March 22, 2014 "Now, excuse me if I am wrong, but wasn't it her father you clowns brought, not het brother?" "It was indeed but some have better memory than others."
Darkdragon Posted March 22, 2014 Posted March 22, 2014 Cinna looked around embarrassed by her mistake. "I do apologize, the battle had me confused."
Capt.JohnPaul Posted March 22, 2014 Posted March 22, 2014 "Do what you like, I ain't gonna be advocating for his release. You got to work with the tools you have - Valentino's pretty bloody good insurance to keep the kingdoms away from where we stand, in the absence of any word from them." "I agree with Haldor but I also find it hard to accept that we're holding Valentino hostage at the same time. I think it's best if we don't let anyone know that we know what Bastala's been doing."
CMP Posted March 22, 2014 Author Posted March 22, 2014 "My apologies for our sudden intrusion, your highness. Do you have any terms of release of your prized possession?" "Yes; he's set to be released over my dead body." Bastala, you're thinking short term. That's going to get you killed, or worse. The King may work as leverage for now, but how long will that last? Eventually he will die, of age or elsewise, and suddenly your leverage is gone. If you want the Kingdoms to hold off, you'll have to talk to them. Create peace, or your country will be ripped apart by war. "Are you insane? We've held their beloved king prisoner for a matter of months - what possible reason could they have for not killing us as soon as we give him back?" Bastala seemed to be getting genuinely annoyed for once. "And if Bastala hands him back now what's stopping the kingdoms from clubbing every orc they can reach as retaliation?" He turned to the other heroes. "Do what you like, I ain't gonna be advocating for his release. You got to work with the tools you have - Valentino's pretty bloody good insurance to keep the kingdoms away from where we stand, in the absence of any word from them." "The voice of reason! I knew I'd find you somewhere. Had a feeling it'd be you, too," she adds, sipping her wine once more. "You're going to have to give me something beyond valuable if you want the old man back, heroes."
The Legonater Posted March 23, 2014 Posted March 23, 2014 "Are you insane? We've held their beloved king prisoner for a matter of months - what possible reason could they have for not killing us as soon as we give him back?" Bastala seemed to be getting genuinely annoyed for once. And what possible reason could they have for not killing you when he eventually dies in his cell? You've found yourself in a no-win scenario, unless you're willing to trust the Kingdoms in any fashion, which you clearly are not.
Purpearljellyblob Posted March 23, 2014 Posted March 23, 2014 "Your highness is capable and intelligent. Nothing in this world is beyond your reach and desire. We prevented an attempt on your life just outside the palace, at the barricade. I suppose your highness value life more than anything. Perhaps if we could bring back your lost kin, in exchange for the old man."
Vash the Stampede Posted March 23, 2014 Posted March 23, 2014 Why the hell is everyone here tiptoeing around? Is it that hard to string a simple sentence together? "This is getting a tad drawn out for my liking so hows this, you let Valentino go and we give you your father Grishnod back. Deal?"
StickFig Posted March 23, 2014 Posted March 23, 2014 (edited) "you let Valentino go and we give you your father Grishnod back. Deal?" Matthias nods his agreement. The debate has gone on too long. He can't believe that the party seems about to split and come to blows once again. "Clan Irlaz gets Grishnod, we get Valentino and take him back to the Red Lizards, nobody goes to war. This should be easy." Edited May 13, 2014 by nstickney
Waterbrick Down Posted March 23, 2014 Posted March 23, 2014 (edited) Grishnod steps out from behind one of the columns, it seems the rest of the circus stayed outside the palace. The orc addresses the heroes. "And what's to stop my daughter and my people from slaughtering you all here and now? You're in no place to make demands. I'll thank you for the transportation, but this is war and I made no request to be rescued, come to think of it, it was more like stepping from one pair of chains into another. We need Valentino here, it is the only thing buying us time to deal with the bridge." Grishnod nods to his daughter, "Bastala. Good to see you're doing well. Love how you've redecorated the city with plenty of foreigners but we can discuss that matter at another time." Edited March 23, 2014 by Waterbrick Down
The Legonater Posted March 23, 2014 Posted March 23, 2014 ...So what you're saying is once the bridge is dealt with, you can turn over Valentino?
Vash the Stampede Posted March 23, 2014 Posted March 23, 2014 Grishnod steps out from behind one of the columns, it seems the rest of the circus stayed outside the palace. The orc addresses the heroes. "And what's to stop my daughter and my people from slaughtering you all here and now? You're in no place to make demands. I'll thank you for the transportation, but this is war and I made no request to be rescued, come to think of it, it was more like stepping from one pair of chains into another. We need Valentino here, it is the only thing buying us time to deal with the bridge." "Perhaps some form of thanks that we did get you here even in chains. And if your people had the strength to slaughter us I think you could have dealt with those rebels a bit easier. And is it that hard to perhaps discuss with Valentino that the terms of his release are giving you back and him not interfering with the bridge building? Why everyone today seems to want to ignore the elephant in the room rather than lead it out the door with a bag of food is beyond me."
Purpearljellyblob Posted March 23, 2014 Posted March 23, 2014 Grishnod steps out from behind one of the columns, it seems the rest of the circus stayed outside the palace. The orc addresses the heroes. "And what's to stop my daughter and my people from slaughtering you all here and now? You're in no place to make demands. I'll thank you for the transportation, but this is war and I made no request to be rescued, come to think of it, it was more like stepping from one pair of chains into another. We need Valentino here, it is the only thing buying us time to deal with the bridge." "I apologise for any indiscretions we might have caused and please pardon our eagerness in our choice of words. We didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Surely it is not in your interest to wage war and so do we. But from our viewpoint, there wouldn't be long lasting peace if King Valentino continues to be a guest on this side of the river. We wouldn't know for sure if King Valentino will retaliate once he's freed, but the Humans will surely retaliate sooner or later to save their King if he continues to be held captive. It is a delicate situation and the longer this situation persist, the harder it is to remedy it. Sometimes one has to take the leap of faith first, the trust part comes later."
Scorpiox Posted March 23, 2014 Posted March 23, 2014 And what possible reason could they have for not killing you when he eventually dies in his cell? You've found yourself in a no-win scenario, unless you're willing to trust the Kingdoms in any fashion, which you clearly are not. "None, of course. But having Valentino here buys the clan time until something turns up, it's better to give it a shot instead of opting for assured destruction." He steps forwards. "We - that's my party, came here to do a job. We're here to unite the clans, and quite frankly I don't give a damn about this boulder-head or whatever king. I'm with Bastala, and now that you've kindly brought Grishnod here to the keep you're in no position to take him away if your offer is refused. You've backed yourselves into a corner, heroes."
Scubacarrot Posted March 23, 2014 Posted March 23, 2014 "I'm with Haldor. We're here for the orcs. We've got Clan Irlaz' support, we should move on the last one. The sooner we have got all of them, the better."
Cryos Posted March 23, 2014 Posted March 23, 2014 A cold contentment strings across the barbarians face, He knows he's supposed to feel devastated that the plan didn't work out, but he couldn't resist the satisfaction of being right all along, being the only one who was against bringing the orc here in the first place. "Maybe you all listen to me next time." He interjected throwing a side glance at Cinna.
Capt.JohnPaul Posted March 23, 2014 Posted March 23, 2014 "Of course we don't release Valentino right now. But what do we say when we do have to let him go?"
CMP Posted March 23, 2014 Author Posted March 23, 2014 And what possible reason could they have for not killing you when he eventually dies in his cell? You've found yourself in a no-win scenario, unless you're willing to trust the Kingdoms in any fashion, which you clearly are not. "That could be fifty years from now for all we know. We're lucky we have a short term plan, I'm not willing to throw that away for a chance at a long term one." ...So what you're saying is once the bridge is dealt with, you can turn over Valentino? "Of course we don't release Valentino right now. But what do we say when we do have to let him go?" "Unless you plan to destroy the bridge or throw the first stone in a war, there's still nothing keeping him from coming back to inflict his revenge on us. I took him as leverage. Turning him into a bargaining chip is not a good idea." "We - that's my party, came here to do a job. We're here to unite the clans, and quite frankly I don't give a damn about this boulder-head or whatever king. I'm with Bastala, and now that you've kindly brought Grishnod here to the keep you're in no position to take him away if your offer is refused. You've backed yourselves into a corner, heroes." "I'm with Haldor. We're here for the orcs. We've got Clan Irlaz' support, we should move on the last one. The sooner we have got all of them, the better." Bastala raises her goblet. "Thank you." "This is getting a tad drawn out for my liking so hows this, you let Valentino go and we give you your father Grishnod back. Deal?" "You expect me to believe-" "And what's to stop my daughter and my people from slaughtering you all here and now? You're in no place to make demands. I'll thank you for the transportation, but this is war and I made no request to be rescued, come to think of it, it was more like stepping from one pair of chains into another. We need Valentino here, it is the only thing buying us time to deal with the bridge." Grishnod nods to his daughter, "Bastala. Good to see you're doing well. Love how you've redecorated the city with plenty of foreigners but we can discuss that matter at another time." Bastala stares as her father steps into view, a look of disbelief and surprise crossing her face. Her wine goblet slips from her hand. Garhon blinks, looking between Bastala and Grishnod. "....I...father? What're you doing here? How are you-..." She glances sideways at Cinna's party for a moment, then turns her eyes onto Grishnod again. ".....I'm...it's good to have you back, father, but......my policies are none of your business. I'm the leader of this clan, and I'll handle this situation." Her voice seems to have hardened somewhat as she turns to the heroes. "You have my sincerest thanks for returning my father to me....however, this is a trade that's just too costly for Clan Irlaz. You're not getting Valentino. Father....you're welcome to stay, but I'm the one in charge of things around here from now on. Your time has passed." Her harsh words put an end to all conversation in the room, momentarily, as she sinks back into her throne. Before anyone can speak again, another orc bursts into the palace. He walks up to the throne quickly, bowing to Bastala briefly. "...I apologize for the intrusion, clan leader...and, uh, everyone...but I bring urgent tidings from Clan Musalnav. The capital of Imaestym is under attack." Olmstyr looks up from his spot leaning against a wall, standing straight immediately. "What??" "Not four hours ago scouts spotted High Kingdoms soldiers crossing the bridge. They were quick to alert clan leader Karstaal, but he never anticipated such a sudden attack, and Imaestym's defenses were minimal. Clan Tarokin had been patrolling the area just in case of such an assault, but it was a small force, and they were all killed buying time. Their army...it's not a full-out attack, our predictions of their numbers have always been much higher, but nonetheless they stormed the city easily. We estimate as many as fifteen hundred dead already, mostly civilians, and they're still pillaging the city-" Olmstyr wheeled around to face his party, a grim and hard expression on his face. "We need to go there. Now." "...I see..." Bastala rubs the side of her head, looking out the window for a moment. "Olmstyr, go to the stables and tell the master you've come for my Charisian Red, he'll lend you our fastest horses. They're not aepyorni, but you should make good time with them." He nodded. Bastala turned to Garohn. "...Garohn. Prepare the reserve company. I doubt Imaestym will hold out long enough for us to get there in time, but...well." She paused. "...If worst comes to worst, Baltarok will know Clan Irlaz didn't sit idly by while the Kingdoms overran our country." "Yes, clean leader." He looked between her and Grishnod briefly, giving a conflicted nod to the latter and walking out. Olmstyr looked towards his party, expression pained. "If you have anything else to say to your friends, now's the time. Otherwise, get ready to leave." Bastala, meanwhile, looked over at Cinna's group, with a sigh. "Is there anything else you need?"
Scorpiox Posted March 23, 2014 Posted March 23, 2014 Haldor bowed. "It has been an honour to meet you once more, my lady. May the gods favour you when all of this shit starts coming to a head." He knelt and kissed the chieftain's hand. "I hope I get to see you again, but without so much wars and other crap going on in the background. If you ever find yourself needing any maidens saved or bastards killed in the future, it's not like I'll have anything else to do." The nord rose and checked to see that all of his equipment was in order; his hand running loosely over the hilt of one of his sceptres. "When do we go?"
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