Outside and Angry

Post by **whtknt** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 2:41 pm

The warrior woman merely rolls her eyes. "I am a warrior, not a chieftan," she says with exasperation. "But if my words are to have meaning, then I say we kill them both. I do not doubt they would do no less to us. If they are allowed to go, they may warn our enemy of our plans."

Post by **Galaphile** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 3:09 pm

"I agree with Vulan, if we meet them again, so be it."

Brand, gets ready to leave.

Post by **valinor** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 3:28 pm

"I suggest a test of mettle in survival, bury his body deep till the only part of him up is his head, leave water and bread for him for when he gets out, if not we spared his life and we were fair." bluntly states the half-elf.

Post by **tdsprouse** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:02 pm

"For what its worth, i agree with Leenah. Send the one south, tie up the sarge."

Thanis grabs his reeble, throws his pack over his shoulder, and gives everyone a look that says, 'Well, what's it gonna be?'

Post by **CGM3** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:10 pm

Esias seconds Leenah's proposal.

Post by **valinor** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:16 pm

"As we leave this place, lets dust off our tracks from here in case those dudes come by and thinking we were here." suggests the half-elf.

Post by **klakxor** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:17 pm

Shareev just looks over his shoulder at the rest of the group around Oldin and Vulan.

He turns and waits for them to decide.

Post by **Icefire** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:42 pm

Leenah heals Oldin enough for him to awaken. She then picks up her dagger and turns and moves back to Mayrhu. "Shall I release him, then?" she asks. And if there is a general consensus she releases him from his bonds, hands him a waterskin, a dagger and and a days rations. Readjusting her own pack she asks Jiam, "Do you have Sarge until we are ready to leave him tied?"

Post by **patransom** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:48 pm

Leenah successfully uses the wand on Oldin and the old man gets up.

[I think you've reached consensus on what to do with the prisoners, but I'll validate that on Friday. I'd like to finish this thread with Oldin's exit...]

Post by **beltzclan** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 4:57 pm

Jiam looks at Sarge but answers leenah, "I have this one. We will tie him up away from here. We remove his shoes. We leave a dagger and a skin of water. we will tie him but lossen enough he can free himself over time. After that, if we see him again, he dies."

Post by **shai-hulud** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 5:05 pm

When Oldin awakens, he dusts himself off, looks around, and asks, "Is anyone else hurt?" Since no one else was hurt that Oldin cares about, Oldin begins casting spells to heal himself. He then walks over to Vulan and says, "May I talk to you away from everyone else?"

Post by **Sunbolt** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:25 pm

"If our battle is done, we may speak - if we are to battle again - I would have witnesses to your actions."

(Assuming Oldin confirms that this is just a talk, or even gives lip service to such - Vulan will walk off with him, one hand resting on the pommel of his sword... just in case.)

Post by **shai-hulud** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 11:21 pm

Oldin says, "Witnesses to my actions? My, we forget our crimes quickly, don't we?" At this point, Oldin is fuming, forgetting that he had asked to speak with Vulan privately.

"Vulan, I see now that I was foolish to attack you as I did. You have trained to fight, and I am but an old man who has lived his life in a church. You must feel powerful knowing that you can defeat an old man armed with only his faith. You must feel even more powerful knowing that when he attempts to protect his allies whose lives you so cavalierly disregard with your new weapon that you barely know how to wield, you strike him down as the cowardly son of a snake that you are.

"You see, Vulan, I know what type of man you are. You preach about honor, but you have none of your own. You were a prisoner, and I offered you a chance at redemption. You asked to join this mission, I did not recruit you. Now, when the chips are down, you show your true colors. You are ever the criminal. You have earned the enmity of Seker. He will purge you with his flames, in this life or the next. Of that I am certain.

"I have no fear of your blade. [If Vulan has drawn his sword, Oldin will grab the blade and squeeze so that his hand bleeds. Then continues talking while still grasping the blade.] If you strike me down now, no force in this multiverse will keep you safe from my spirit. I will not travel with you anymore. If the others will, then I shall leave you to your vile acts with them. My duty is to protect Amon. I cannot do that with a criminal like you looking for fights of honor everywhere we go. I have no stomach for your lies. [If Oldin is holding the blade, he releases it and wipes his hand on Vulan.]

"The rest of you must choose. If you wish to travel with Vulan, then I will take my leave. Otherwise, send Vulan on his way. He may join the other criminals in their journey south."

Post by **beltzclan** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 4:53 am

Jiam shakes his head. "Will this ever end?" He says to no one.

Post by **tdsprouse** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:04 am

"I choose to protect my home, and my people, and i expected your help in that, since you helped start this mess. And i dont really care about your reasons or rationals, but currently we are getting nowhere.

So, I am going to Nuathun to do what i can. Those that want to help, can follow, those that don't. Don't.

You see, this isnt about the two of you."

With that, Thains looks at Shareev, pats his shoulder, turns and starts walking home.

Post by **shai-hulud** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:08 am

Oldin says, "No, this doesn't have to go on any more. The faster you all decide who will be remaining with you, the faster you can move on. So far, Thanis has abstained. If the rest of the group decides to travel with Vulan, I will leave. Choose quickly. We all have places to be."

Post by **klakxor** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:14 am

Shareev will start walking back towards Nauthan with Thanis. "This is a shame. I am growing weary of watching these people fight. Perhaps once this is done, we can start hunting down more tech. "

With the last statement, a smile crosses Shareev's face as he imagines what they could go after.

Post by **whtknt** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 9:20 am

Not really understanding about half of what was said, Ruadhnait nevertheless does comprehend the basic intent behind the duel. "I came seeking a way home. Instead, I find myself even further from it. I will travel with those who return me to familiar lands." She turns to follow Thanis.

Post by **valinor** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:24 am

"It seems our group has come to a thorn of a squabble, and not just by words but using both faith and folly." as Aeless shakes his head.

Looking at Oldin, "Do you still hear Seker, and does he approve of your actions?"

He turns his attention to Vulan, "Are you here to find the path to our home and help ourselves in correcting those who need be corrected along the way?"

"Did we save Amon?" asks the half-elf to the arguing two members.

Post by **shai-hulud** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:33 am

Oldin says, "Seker is always with me, yes. We have another two who abstain, so the decision is down to three, Aeless. If another should abstain, I will make the decision for you all. I will go my way and deal with the problems as Seker guides me."

Post by **Icefire** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:53 am

"Oldin don't make me regret using the charge on the wand to heal you. This is getting ridiculous." Leenah sighs and looks at Mayrhu, "Here take this and go." She then turns to Jiam with Sarge and nods towards Thanis and Shareev, "Shall we go?"

Post by **valinor** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 11:01 am

"It seems my question did not receive an answer; I dislike repeating my question, but does Seker approve of your actions and did we save Amon?" asks the half-elf.

Post by **shai-hulud** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 12:39 pm

Oldin says to Aeless, "When I said that Seker is always with me, I did answer your questions. Leenah has decided. Vulan is accepted and I am leaving. Good-bye. I wish things could be different, but I will not travel with that criminal." He hands Aeless his wand of Cure Light Wounds. It contains 17 charges. Oldin begins walking towards Southwest, in the direction of Nauthan, but not with the party.

Post by **valinor** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:03 pm

"Handing this to me, will only give doubts of your actions old friend. We came with you to find Amon and save him from that madman. We did this freely and now you are abandoning us, who has given much to help your cause. Do not do this, we're here for Amon also and that has been the goal of our group, sometimes you just have to find your way out of a maze of contradiction. Give yourself time to adjust and maybe we can all find our solace in ourselves." as Aeless turns to Leenah and give her the wand. He heads back to where his equipments are resting, and states, "Gather everything up, we're to engage the dudes and give relief to the people in Nauthun of this scourge. After that we can hopefully find our way home. Where we all belong."

Post by **Galaphile** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:12 pm

Brand watches Oldin for a few moments as he leaves, shaking his head sadly, he follows after Thanis.

Post by **shai-hulud** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:37 pm

Oldin smiles at Aeless, "You are wise, but travelling with that criminal will not aid Amon, nor will it protect Nauthan from the dudes. He has already caused enough damage. I will do as Seker guides me and clean up his mess. If you wish to join me, I will be very happy to have you along, but Vulan is not welcome. Until he ceases his criminal activities, he will not be welcome."

[OOC - I suggest you just let Oldin go. I have been talking about this with Pat for a while. Either Vulan or Oldin had to go. There was too much friction between the two. I am currently working up another character]

Post by **valinor** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:15 pm

"Although he has great skill in fight, but I'd prefer our criminal than those we're gonna face." as he grin, "Nevertheless Oldin, we'll always be around even if not near you." with that Aeless straps the leather belts of his giant sword upon him.

"Esias, lets dust our tracks off and away from this place. The rest lets move, we have a long trek to go." and waves at Oldin as they part away.

Post by **Sunbolt** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 9:45 pm

(ooc I feel like the game is being punished - and Vulan in particular - because I can't be on at all hours of the day. I'm all for allowing the game to continue - but I just saw the first post of Oldin's "anger" and it's already been said, replied to, the reply replied to etc. so many time I don't even know where to begin. - and all of that while Vulan apparently stood there without a word. -
This is the same thing that took a punch in the gut and turned it into a potential deathmatch duel.
Shai - I realize you're on the board like ten hours a day - but could you slow down a bit so those of us who can only post once or twice on a given day can have a chance?)

When Oldin first has his tirade - (and note - Vulan does not pull his sword unless Oldin casts something.) Vulan simply shakes his head sadly.

"You are right." He interupts, right about the time of the cowardly snake remark. And as he entirely expects that to shock Oldin into a pause he continues.

"And you are wrong."

"And again you do ever attempt to mislead. I have witnessed mages older than you slaughter entire armies. Those who wield this science-magic are hardly unarmed, simply for not having a blade. But enough of this. We can go on for ages with naming and cursing. It amounts to nothing, and my anger was gone when I chose to spare your life at Leenah's wordless request.
"You were beaten, not by my strength nor my skill with this blade. It is your own action that have beaten you this day.
"Casting your spells upon me - involving me in your magic - not thinking I had a right to know what your actions were before you took them, though they included me in the results - this is your crime, Oldin. This is why I harp at you.
"You do not know me - as you think. You know nothing of why I was in prison - worse you have learned less than nothing of me since we came to travel together. Do you really think that following you blindly as you get us further and further from our goals will lead me to redemption?

"The mission was to save a boy - but when we find him - we discover his captor claiming to be freeing him from a demon and promising to heal him with magic as strong as your own. Naturally, we don't believe him. But in moments your magic activates - knocks us all on our asses, and when we awake - the boy is healed as the man said.
"Still, we choose to believe that you were right, and he is the prince of lies. Then you kill these Dudes - and this will be the last time I bring this up - for it is the least of the reasons I was so angry with you - but the easier to defend.
"Now we are at war with a group of people, and we know nothing of them save that they are as lawless as any.
"You accuse me of striking you down with my blade because you are an old man - but you cast first - and repeatedly. I punched you - and you cast again - I fire at you - and you cast again. Over and over. Do you think I will stand for it? Each time you had only to say "enough". Or perhaps, "I'm sorry." But the best you could ever come up with is - "it's fine for you to question my actions."
"Are you so very proud? Is it your noble upbrining? You are only noble because you were born into a powerful house. That house is gone, it's decedents dust -- long ago - and we are trapped in the future of our grand children's great grand children's great grand children for your actions.
Yet, still you act as if you are somehow superior to all of us because of this house that is long dead.
"The shaman who raised me, according to Sanctuary was either deceived or deceiving me - as are you. But it is not lost on me that so too could sanctuary be deceived or else deceiving. As I am certain that you too are a deceiver or else very and deeply deceived. But then, who am I to know if I am not deceived - if we are all not? I am no philosopher, no bardic student! At some point I have to believe in something and someone.
"You can not lead us any longer. The simple truth is I can not trust you to act in the best interests of anyone but yourself and this promise you claim to Amon.
"Nor can I lead us - for I know nothing of this land, and worse you could never bring yourself to follow me. And no - we can not simply allow you to leave. For it may be that only in your knowledge of the magic-science that brought us here that we might find a way home.
So we must choose a new leader - or lead by consensus. I'd say Aeless - if he would do it."
"And again, you were right, you were wrong to cast your spells on me. But it takes no mind reader to know you mean that not because the casting was wrong - but because it lead me to strike you down. You can not win in battle against me in close quarters. You were also right that I want to hold to my honor. But there is no dishonor in striking down a dog - a well bred dog to be sure - because you are stronger than the dog. Allow the dog to bite you enough, and it will tear out your throat.
"But again you are right - I take no pride in having defeated you. I had only hoped, in my victory, it would teach you humility - that you would accept the loss for what it was and allow for a token of honor.
"But you are not raised with honor - you know nothing of the principle no more than these dudes know of it. And as much as I would like to be your teacher in this - I have no patience for the task.
"You and I, Oldin - we are very alike. We live our lives by rules that only we understand - and we are angered when anyone else would dare question our rules.

"I am done with the conflict" And again he sighs but then his voice tightens - "Attack me never again! This is the price of your defeat today in the battle you started and the battle you lost. Accept that, at least, without whining of how unfair it is that I struck you down when you are old - or when you thought I was such a bad shot! I have practiced and mastered these Khuns. (ooc took the exotic weap pro) But you had no way of knowing this - as I have no way of knowing the potency of your spells.
If you try anything in the future to harm me - I will not allow you to breath beyond my revenge. This is no threat - I assure you it is an oath."

He sighs a long heavy time.

"But I do not hide my true motives here. I picked at you over this because I was angry that you cursed us to his place in your vigor and ignorance of your own magics, and that of the prelate. And your words angered me even more - and your actions even more than that. It was with a certain glee that I struck you down. You live for only two reasons - and count them well. One, I do indeed seek redemption. Two, Leenah woke me from my state.

"Oldin - I was once a true barbarian - and in my rage - I'd have been unable to stop myself. This was as close as I ever came to returning to that state. So, clearly I did not strike you down to teach you humility. I only hoped, as I calmed down, that would be the result.

"I am finished with this now. Learn from it what you will, hold a grudge if you must, but live with the knowledge that a mongrel low bred nothing beat you in circumstances of your own devising. And know this: I have learned from this encounter you created a great deal - it will serve me in my personal quest. But what will serve us all is for you and I to work together to find a happy medium - at least until a way home can be found - or we find a way to make this our home. I imagine that will not come until we discover that a way home can not be found else."

Assuming he got the whole of this out without too many interruptions he will continue after others speak -
For example if the part where Shereev or Thains turn to leave - he will ask them not to go.
"To each of you, I owe an apology as well. My ways are not yours, and I know little of your world. Shereev - you might have noticed that every time I railed at Oldin for ... what I have promised not to mention again ... I did not include you - I leveled no accusations at you. The action was as much yours as his - yet, I was only angry with him. This is what helped me realize that the issue is more mine than ours - that I was upset that Oldin trapped us here than I was at the fact that two men were dead. I have no problem killing a man who faces me in combat. And I will not kill a man who is unprepared for his death in drink or prayer or... well, you know.
"Still, every allegation against him, must have also felt as one against you. Please forgive me for that. You two are right, the needs of this group are not about he or I. Your needs, those of your people, our needs to get home, the immediate threat of the dudes - the hidden threat of the Prelate - wherever he is - and so much more is at stake.

I'm sure I'd have other words for some of the others - but they would follow the same lines. Vulan apologizes for wasting their time - and for being stubborn about this - and only explains that his anger at getting stuck here confused him and left him with a one track mind - and Oldin was the main reason for all of it - and so he took the brunt - the only other issue that comes out is the issue of leadership - the group has new priorities now - it's not the mission that Oldin had them sign up for - it's a whole different game - and he might again ask Aeless or one of the others to lead.
Finally, when Aeless asks if they saved Amon, he nods to the man. "The boy is alive and well - if trapped in this place with us - but he is neither prisoner at the hands of a mad-man nor possessed by a demon."

Post by **shai-hulud** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:54 pm

Oldin listens to Vulan's entire speech and his anger is soothed by Vulan's admissions. "You claim that my magic brought us here, but I had nothing to do with that. Jiam's temple, the precursor to this church where you just gained knowledge of Meeher, provided Jiam with an orb. It was that orb which produced the magic that brought us here. Before we left, I had Shah Lyeah's temple, the Gnosophim, run every magical diagnostic they could in the time we had available. Their diagnostics confirmed only what the temple had said, that Jiam could smash the orb against the Prelate's altar, severing him from his power. The Gnosophim was devoted to the study of magic. It was their purpose, and I have a great deal of respect for their teachings, although I have devoted myself to the teachings of Seker. I also respect the teachings of Mycr, or Meeher, although the Unknown One does not hold sway over my heart. His message, though, is a blessing to followers of any god.

"I am not in the habit of forcing others to follow my ways. When we encountered Riverkeeper, I had no intention of converting him to Seker. Had he the desire to learn, I would have gladly taught him all of Seker's praises. Each man has the right and priviledge to believe as they will. All I can do is guide. My acceptance of his faith allowed us to work together, and Riverkeeper aided us in crossing his river.

"On the topic of my nobility, it is my birthright. Whether that family exists today may be in question, but I am still noble. That will never change. I respect your decisions, and I have no desire to lead, but I also will not be led into the trap that you are setting for Nauthan. By allowing Sarge to go free, you are essentially condemning Nauthan to murder at the hands of the dudes. Shareev, Thanis, Sam Tinker, and Sherrif have all indicated that if the dudes discovered a connection between our actions and the leaders of Nauthan, their wrath would destroy the town. Sarge heard Shareev speaking directly to Sam Tinker. Shareev even used Sam's name. The link is quite clear. Letting either of the prisoners go poses the very real threat of condemning Nauthan to death.

"Therefore, while you attend to the dudes at their camp, I will return to Nauthan. I will do the best that I can to let the town know that they may very well fall under attack from the dudes. I will do my best to aid the Nauthanese. If an attack does come, I will fight if I am able, or I will do my sworn duty and protect Amon. He is currently in the town, and if the dudes attack the town, he will fall into danger. Therefore, I will bring him south. If I can ever assure his safety, I will return here to help with the dudes as best as I can. If you are able to deal with the dudes on your own, great. But I cannot be party to this. In your mind, you are granting them mercy. In my mind, you are releasing dangerous criminals who will lead to the destruction of all that Shareev and Thanis hold dear.

"Maybe you will succeed in attacking the dude's camp this very night. But if you fail to kill all of them, where do you think they will take out their anger for their defeat? On you? If you have defeated them, they will know better than to attack you. They will strike out at someone weaker. Especially knowing that it was Nauthan that aided your victory in the first place.

"You claim that I cast magic on you. I did indeed cast magic, but Seker chose to punish the guilty. Seker deemed you as being guilty. I wish I could take credit for it, as I believed it also, but I cannot. I did not bring you here, and while I wished the magics to be directed at you, I could only pray that Seker would do so. Seker could have just as easily burned me with his flames if I were the guilty party. Regardless of what you believe to be true, that is the truth for me, every day. I am nothing without my faith in Seker. Should Seker ever abandon me, I would be no more than an empty shell. But so long as I keep his faith, he will bless me with his power. If I am deceived, I don't want to be shown the truth. But, I know that I am not deceived. I believe it with all of my heart.

"You are free to believe as you will, as well. But that will not change that I must do as my god wills. I have humility about many things, but not about my god. My faith is absolute and unwavering.

"As far as my leadership is concerned, since our arrival, the only leadership role I have assumed has been that of diplomat, as that is my background and training. My diplomacy attempts have nearly been ruined by your inept social abilities. Challenging potential allies to fight for no more than a possibly perceived threat is a danger to us all. Since our arrival, I have looked to Shareev and Thanis for my guidance, as this is their land. When we first encountered the dudes, I followed their example, keeping my head down and ignoring them. It was not until they interrupted our meal that I suggested that Ruadnait teach them not to be rude. I had hoped that she would simply escort them from the eating area, but I was not surprised nor upset when she threw a punch. I will admit that seeing swords and kuhns was a bit of a shock, and now we are in our current predicament.

"I have not led us anywhere recently. I have followed everyone as they have led me around this strange land. I have aided in creating plans, but that is not leading. So, again, your 'retaliation' is misplaced. In the end, you are a criminal. And as a noble-blooded man, it is not your place to 'get to know me'. On the battlefield, you are my better, but as far as dealing with people on a social level, you do not even hold a candle. Aeless, on the other hand, is quite a proficient speaker. But, I would not follow his leadership any more than I would expect you to follow mine. Shareev and Thanis are the leaders in this land, by necessity, not by my choice. By my choice, I would be back in Shah Leayh's palace, enjoying watching Amon whine about not wanting to study. I would never have done the things I have had to do. I would never have known the heartache that this mission has caused all of us.

"You have insulted me, threatened me, endangered me, endangered those around me, and in the end, you were wrong about all of it. A simple, 'I'm sorry,' will not do. I asked Seker to punish the guilty because of all that you had done to be guilty for. I am glad that Seker punished you, and I hope that he will continue to do so. Your actions deserve consequences. Most recently, you were responsible for the prisoners: not by my word, but by your own. You choose to release them and in doing so, make yourself a party to their crimes. That is merely the last in a long list of infractions of which you are guilty. Seker clearly feels the same as I do. I have no doubt that he will punish you, if not in this life, then in the next. Perhaps after you have been purged by his fire, you will be capable of seeing the beauty of his light."

Post by **klakxor** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 1:50 pm

Shareev turns around angrily at Oldin and Vulan. "Enough. I have heard you two argue about your gods and your honor and your nobility. You argue about whose fault it is that you are here. You say you need to stay together to find a way home. I do not need to find a way home. It is in Nauthan and it is now in danger. By my own actions, I admit that some of this has been brought against the town. But I plan on doing something about it. You can stay and argue. You can let your prisoners go or kill them or drag them behind you. You can choose to leave or come. I do not care if someone leads the group or not, all I know is what needs to be done now."

With that Shareev turns back towards Nauthan and starts walking. "Thanis and I are leaving now to protect what we know and what we have. We have a job to do."