The Proposal
After a palate cleansing salad of greens and a simple, but pleasant dressing, a dessert is next. A rich confection of chocolate, heavy cream and pastry with strong coffee and a sweet dessert wine concludes the meal.
Snifters of brandy are poured and the dishes cleared. "I hope you gentlemen have enjoyed my hospitality. Now I shall tell you what I offer. I hold several of your men. I will have my people return them to your ship just after dawn fed, rested and unharmed as long as you do not return to this house or try to free them before that time. However, there is a catch to this deal. If you wish to have these men returned safely, you'll have to participate in a little sport. I plan a hunt on the other side of the wall tonight. The quarry will either be your men or yourselves. If you choose not to participate I shall see you returned to your ships safely. The island will move and it is highly unlikely that you will ever be able to find it again. I shall hunt your men, but I don't expect it will be very good sport. It is very unlikely that they will survive. You gentlemen I expect will make much more interesting sport. The rules are simple. It is now nine-thirty. You will leave this room and proceed downstairs where you will find three tunnels leading to the other side of the wall. Beyond the wall the island is wild and stocked with a variety of game. Some of these you might well call monsters. You need only survive until dawn, at which time you will be allowed to return to your ship. If you survive I will even let you pick a treasure from among the things I have recovered from previous such hunts. I shall not begin my hunt until the stroke of midnight. The sun should rise just after 6 in the morning. I will be assisted by my nephew, my master of the hunt, two additional orc gameskeepers so that there our five hunters and five hunted and of course the hounds. The rules are simple, I encourage you to use any tricks and powers you might have, but you may not leave the walled portion of the island by means magical or physical, nor may you enlist any help from your ships. If you have summoning magics that call creatures that is acceptable. You may not return to this side of the wall and the house or attempt to free your men. You may not attack any of my gamesmen who are not part of the hunt. They will not be on the other side of the wall anyway. Any violation of the spirit of these rules will result in the death of your men. The three tunnels lead to three different places on the island and each presents a unique challenge to be overcome. I will not know which way you took and will come through the gate rather than a tunnel fording you a chance to hide should you chose that approach. There are several dangerous creatures on the island and I do not know or exactly what they will be. So my own efforts will be hampered as well lest you feel you do not have a sporting chance. Are there any questions before we begin? What is your choice? Will you join me in this bit of sport or abandon your men?"
