[IC] Underdogs [a core dnd game]

Mogro sits excitedly in the circular cauldron... the first time he's been allowed to come to a naga and watch the proceedings. Merga had mentioned some of the things she did when she was allowed to start coming to it (being older that her brother), and now Mogro is getting the chance to experience it for himself. In some ways, the attack of the owlbear might have been considered a rite-of-passage, and now that he's proven his strength and maturity, he's being considered an adult.

Sitting next to his sister he watches Hussik and Urdan finally arrive, and he turns to Merga. "I wonder what Hussik has found out there on the great plain? Do you think he has seen father?"

ic - Underdogs

"I don't know," Merga, in the middle of scanning the crowd for something, snaps back. Then, a little more kindly she adds. "But I'm sure he would have spoken to father if they met. He will pass on any message he has for you, I'm sure.

"Although I think Hussik hunted in the mountains, and I don't think papa is there."

ic - Underdogs

As the flow of people into the cauldron slows to a trickle, Jurhai, one of the Honoured elders, raises his hand. The rumble of conversation around the edges of the cauldron grows silent. A good number of the people of the krel have come tonight. Speculation as to the reason for calling the naga runs rife. The mere return of Hussik would not be enough to warrant a mote by itself. Hussik must have some news.

"Hussik has something to share with us," Jurhai announces simply. Formality does not play a big part in grell proceedings.

Hussik steps forward. "There is a gnoll band in the forest."

The cauldron erupts with noise before Hussik even has a chance to continue. Gnolls are bad news. They are savage scavengers of the worst sort. They live off others, raiding and killing, taking what they want, distroying what they don't. But what marks the gnolls from the others who do the same is that the gnolls seem to enjoy it. Gnolls, it is said, favour intelligent prey because they scream more.

The old hunter is bombarded with questions. Hussik just stands there impassively as the tumult washes over him. You cannot hunt deer without patience, and Hussik is a master of hunting deer. He does not attempt to answer until things settle down somewhat. Much to the annoyance of a few in the crowd. When things do finally settle down, Hussik resumes, slowing answering the main questions as he goes.

"The gnoll band numbers perhaps 30, perhaps more, perhaps less. I saw little. What I know comes mostly from what I heard. They have some of their fighting dogs with them, perhaps half a dozen. There are also elders and pups among its number.

"Four days ago I left to go hunting. I tracked down a stag and was attempting to get close enough for a shot. I was careless. I let my guard down. I was caught by surprise by a dire bore. The boar would have killed me. I was fortunate to escape by falling into a steep sided gully." A rye smile flits across the hunters features. "As it was, the boar wounded me badly, and the fall left me unable to move. For two days and nights I lay where I landed. When the gnolls stumbled across me, I was barely conscious. I didn't realise who had found me until later. I awoke in one of their tents. They patched me up. Enough to keep me alive, but not enough to give me back my strength. But I had something myself, enough to give me the strength to escape."

Which obviously he did.

This time, as Hussik falls silent, there is a period of silence following as the listeners absorb what they have learnt.

Mogro looks around, waiting for some questions to be asked. When none come right away, he tentatively raises his hand and asks one himself. "Why did gnolls heal you? Why did they keep you alive? What was their reason for this?"

Assaq adds, from his position in the back, "Were you followed?"

ic - Underdogs

A kind of surprised silence follows Mogro's questions, followed by a ripple of murmuring around the cauldron. "Its a good question," someone nearby mutters, and his companion agrees.

Hussik shakes his head and shrugs helplessly. "I didn't wait around long enough to ask. I don't speak their language. What I heard told me nothing really.

"But they had plenty of opportunity to do me harm, had they wished."

Out of the corner of his eye, Morgo notices the shaman considering the young fighter intently. The shaman's gaze lingers for a moment after Assaq follows up with a question of his own, which the shaman answers.

"Hussik did what he could to hide his tracks. I placed some hunters to watch the approach to the krel, just in case. We will need some volunteers to take over later, until we decide what to do."

"We gather the warriors and hunters and hunt them down," roars Sanhij, lurching to his feet. Numerous grel stamp their feet and cheer in support of the idea.

"While they circle around and slaughter those who remain," snorts Wassja, matriarch of Given-fall. "We should protect our krel before all else.

And so fault lines in the community are laid bare. Soon another division of opinion rears it head. On both sides of the divide there are some who believe the local lord should be advised, and his aide sought, while others argue vehemently against doing so. Many still simmer with anger at the Duke's recent attempts to assert his authority over the krel's in the region.

Various combinations of the two ideas get brought up and battered back and forth around the cauldron. Occasionally, the question of why the gnoll did not kill Hussik comes up. But it is like a piece of a puzzle that no one can find a place for, and so it gets continually put aside for later.

[sblock=ooc]OK, let me know if your character has any ideas they wish to share, suggestions they wish to make, or positions they wish to support. Feel free to add grel into your posts as well - I'm building a list of those in the krel to go in the RG thread.[/sblock]

Assaq stands to the side, observing the debate impassively, and trying to remember what he knows about gnolls.

[sblock=ooc]Various knowledge checks about gnolls. Not sure what applies, so I'll throw out all the trained kn's I have and you can tell me what I know. Thinking specifically about things like:
* is this normal behavior for gnolls?
* are there any other groups of gnolls within short traveling distance? If not, where did these come from, and why?
* what are gnolls likely to do? Invade? Settle down and keep to themselves and not bother the krel?

checks:
kn(nature): 1d20+7=25
kn(geog): 1d20+4=24 (nat 20)
kn(local): 1d20+2=6
[/sblock]

Mogro listens to the debates rage about what to do about the gnolls, but it's their odd-like behavior when they dealt with the hunter that perplexes Mogro. He doesn't have the brains to think of complex reasons why they did what they did, so all he can do is take things at face value. He then asks the simple questions that no one seems to be asking.

"Gnolls have come to forest near here with their pups. If they wanted to attack us, it would be with a skirmishing band, not with families. They also treated one of us kindly. If they planned to attack us, why would they let us know they were here by leaving someone alive?"

His brow furrows as he tries to figure out what this means.

"Maybe they have been driven here because of other worse people? They need protection for their families like we do here in our krels. An owlbear came out of forest... something might be forcing them this way. I think we should talk to gnolls and find out why they have come."

Mogro said:

"I think we should talk to gnolls and find out why they have come."

Click to expand...

Assaq grunts agreement at this statement.

"So far they have done nothing to harm us," Ershe chips in from where he sits with one hand resting lightly on the head of the big cat that rests purring on its haunches beside him. "Completely the opposite, in fact. I agree with our two owl-bear slayers," he says with a nod of respect to Mogro and Assaq. He rather hopes that a timely reminder of how those two have recently won the krel's respect might help to promote their viewpoint.

"Are we really in a position now to go looking for a fight where one might not be necessary? Aren't we busy enough keeping the goblins in check?"

He knows that some will take it amiss that he has spoken up - already he imagines he can feel the cold glares of his father and his circle. But he's not prepared to let that silence him - he is an adult, and he has a right to speak here just as they do. He is sure that Urdan will approve, and the old shaman is worthier in his eyes than his father and all his cronies put together.