D1: Ashin's Commission (El Jefe judging)

[ajanders]

(OOC: Michael has 1 rank in ride, no Mounted Combat, and a bad relationship with his horse. He's not mounting up if there's any chance of going into combat.)

Michael leads his horse after Ironwolf, who hopefully knows where his familiar rock is.
"Are we just going to tell them to leave the rock alone and to take us to their leader? Or should we skip the negotations this time and move straight to pounding on them?"
He sounds rueful.
"Since our best negotiation so far involved us getting thrown out of town, I suppose I wouldn't blame people for starting off with the pounding this time."

 

[Rystil Arden]

"These guards have been oppressing the townsfolk and making their lives worse by force of arms. They grabbed the stone instead of attempting to parlay. Clearly, they must be defeated. If we don't go in fighting, we're just giving them a better chance to attack us first and continue oppressing."

 

[ajanders]

Michael raises an eyebrow, suspicious of Zaeryl's moral arguments and concern for his fellow-beings.
"Have you considered signing back up with the gladiators? The murders have stopped and you could just hit things."

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Signing back up? We don't recall becoming a gladiator in the first place. As to hitting things at random, that just seems pointless."

 

[Patlin]

"I intend to demand the crystal back first. Even if Fallon is responsible for everything going on here, which we don't know for sure, the common soldiers in its service are probably just regular folks. I'd rather not stick a sword through them unless they force me to. Surely with Zaeryl's nigh-godlike powers, even limited by his current vessel, the advantage of surprise would be superflous anyway. Right Zaeryl?"

 

[ajanders]

"So I'll just leap out and call on them to release the stone in the name of Sela. If it goes well, they will, and we can talk. Or with my luck, they'll fall over laughing and then Ironwolf can disarm them."

Michael stops to push a branch aside.
"And if neither of those work, then we're back to fighting."

 

[Patlin]

"You would like to issue the challenge, then? Very well, I shall remain silent."

 

[ajanders]

"I'm a Selan priest. People expect me to be a little strange about rocks. And I'm still working on the premise that you, my friend, have a few more blessings from Sela than you think you do, so I'd better go defend that rock from harm.
Besides, do you want to spend half an hour trying to explain your psicrystal to them?"

 

[Rystil Arden]

"Foolishness. We shall not lose to these soldiers, but one of more may escape and alert the main growth of their cancerous infestation, and that would be worse. If you want to talk to them, just leave them alive after a surprise attack."

 

[Patlin]

Since Michael is walking his horse, Ironwolf will ride slightly ahead and find a convenient tree to tie Dream to. Hopefully, he'll have finished the knot before Michael catches up and then he can walk alongside the Cleric.