[Lakelands] Six For Adventure

[Samuel Leming]

???? That's a strange statement. I'm also interpreting the plan hidden in the parable. What else would I be doing?

OOC: I was just saying it wasn’t my plan and I’m wasn’t trying to do anything creative with it. I’m not seeing the trap setting concept in the parable because all the wolf did was passively bide his time. It was the raven that trapped himself once he thought he no longer needed to be cautious.

My post was pretty garbled, so I guess I didn't make myself clear. In the parable, we are the wolf and the manticore is the raven. What this statement:

is asking is where the deer carcass is.

OOC: The deer carcass is whatever the manticore is going after. From what we know, it wants the entire area around Kell’s Reach as a hunting ground.

If we leave, the manticore feels safe. But where is the manticore going to lair now? It might go back to the Dwarfie Run, but it might not. If we storm back to Kell's Reach and into the Dwarfie Run, the manticore knows we're back and we're right where we started.

What I was asking was how to we set things up so that we can guarantee the location of the manticore when we sneak back. Not saying this is possible, just throwing the thought out there.

I hope I've made my point more clearly.

OCC: All your posts were clear, we’re just not agreeing on the last 20% or 30% percent of this thing.

We don’t need to know where the manticore will be, we just need to know we can find him. He was fairly easy to find the first time. Next time we sneak in and find the manticore before he finds us. This is something our group should be good at, at least on paper.

What happened this time to alert the manticore to our presence?

"What if it means that the time to strike is now. With respect to the attack last night. The manticore seems to have gorged himself on poor Eorth's family. He may be so full and confident in his supreme position in the area that he is still at the farm, resting in a false state of security. It is something to ponder."

"And, in the morning, it told him to go to the church, and left."

OCC: As you see, the manticore’s already left. From the demand for our departure I’m concluding that he’s suffering more from yellow-belly than overconfidence.

Maybe the manticore really IS too stuffed to fly. I can just picture him frantically waddling down the road searching for cover.

Sam

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

OOC:Hi Sam

Let me try this one last time; I don't want to bog down this thread with our dream interpretations.

I’m not seeing the trap setting concept in the parable because all the wolf did was passively bide his time. It was the raven that trapped himself once he thought he no longer needed to be cautious.

wolf = us
raven = manticore
deer = something we both want.. Kell's Reach, or the lives of the folk in the area.. choose one, doesn't matter to the explanation

The parable (layer one):

the wolf tries to keep the manticore away from the deer --> us protecting the village from the manticore

the wolf takes damage from the raven, but the raven can't get at the deer --> stalemate.. the manticore can pick off stray villagers, but we're still on its tail, making its life difficult

the wolf leaves the deer to the raven, and the raven gorges --> the manticore develops a false sense of security, thinking we've left

the wolf return and kills the raven --> the raven's gorging and inability to fly away to escape the wolf is a metaphor for the manticore's aforementioned false sense of security

The parable (layer two):

In layer one, the deer symbolised something fairly abstract, like Kell's Reach or the lives of the folk of the Lakelands. What if we now have the deer represent something more concrete? Like the specific means (read bait) for trapping and killing the manticore? You can interpret the deer as the direct downfall of the raven. Gragnor could be indicating that we should lull the manticore into thinking it can act unhindered (i.e. making it think we've left the area), but in reality we've laid a trap for it, as the wolf did for the raven (i.e. it left the deer to the raven knowing that this would render the raven helpless).

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

"Ho, Dain!" Horsom called to the dwarf as he made his way out of their sleeping quarters. "I'm all for returning to the mill too, but let's give Maldordo some time to finish his scouting. The miller called his assembly for noon, which is still a little ways off. If Maldordo isn't back by then, then we can head for the mill." He got to his feet with a smile. "In the meantime, I've got another idea. You and Kregor have had the same interpretation of this dream.. maybe it does mean that the beast will be tired after gorging itself, and maybe its resting at the farmhouse right now." He reached for his mail shirt and paused before slipping over his head. "It's worth a visit anyway. Even if it isn't still at the farmhouse, it might be too full to fly and may have walked somewhere to hide until it recuperates. Selanil can track the beast on land much more easily than if it was aflight. The five us could be back before noon and sit in on the miller's meeting, if that's what we still want to do."

 

[maddmic]

Kregor nods at Horsom's suggestion. "That may be the best idea. The Manticore could verywell be over full and ripe for the slaying.

Kregor pauses for a bit, furrows his brow, and then shakes his head. "Although, here's another possibility. The Manticore could be lying in wait to see our next move. If we move to the farmhouse, that may signify to it that we're not leaving. However, if we wait and listen to what the miller has to say, then perhaps that could play into our advantage. In my opinion, this could be the trap that we're looking for. Maldordo can spy in his cat form and go mostly unnoticed by the villagers and the manticore. We should NOT attend his gathering. Instead, we should tell Amalric to go in our stead and notify the people that we have left the area. If there are any agents of the manticore there, then they will potentially believe that we are indeed gone. Amalric should then suggest to have a service for the miller's son as the sun sets, requesting all of the villagers to attend so that their prayers for protection would be heard. Perhaps this kind of a gathering would persuade the manticore to feast on the people as a group, afterall this is when the beast hunts. We could lie in wait hiding in either the church, or some farmhouse and then spring the trap when the time comes. I hate to condemn these poor souls to their death, but something must be done to stop this creature while there is still a town worth saving. What do you all think?"

 

[wolfheart]

"This second line of thinking of Kregor's has some merit. Even if the Beast is fatted and lying prone at the farm, we should still have time to catch him after the miller's pathetic display. I would that we send Amalric, but we do not know if he will return from his errand with Eorth in time. We could send young Horsom, disguised in priestly vestments from the church here. Just keep your hood pulled low and stay on the edge of the crowd." Dain was starting to get on a roll and began talking faster and sputtering. "The rest of us we wait here at the church unseen. Brother Hengist should go about and conceal any signs of our being here such as the cart. Close the horses up inside the stables and we lie low and wait. It is the best I can think of on an empty stomach." With that, Dain heads for the Kitchen to rummage for some more food.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

"Agents of the manticore, eh? That's interesting.." Horsom paused to think. "Dain, I like the idea of one of us spying on the miller's meeting. Between a goblin, an elf, a half-orc, a dwarf, and a human, I guess I'm the best option to blend into the crowd. The only problem is if I go alone, even disguised in a robe, people will question me, then recognise me. It is a small village where everyone knows everyone else, and I have met many of the villagers yesterday while quizzing them about the manticore."

"Having said that, the villagers know that Brother Hengist and his assistants are staying with Amalric. What if I go, but in the company of Amalric, as Kregor suggests, and Hengist? I would be presented as one of Hengist's assistants. Amalric could use the opportunity to announce that we have left the village. In the meantime, Brother Tillo can hide our horses. There's no need to hide the cart, as that is the means that Hengist, Tillo, and Elidor arrived in town."

"If there is a spy at the gathering, and he or she leaves to alert the manticore (presuming it has no other means of alerting it), we should be alerted of this. What if Selanil sneaks out of the village and lies in wait, observing anyone who comes and goes from the town, especially in a rush, and especially if they move northward towards the site of last night's attack?"

"The other possibility is that Selanil investigates the area around the farmhouse alone, but that might be beyond foolhardy. Using his tracking skills, he could probably ascertain if the manticore was still there, but then again, the manticore might be able to ascertain that Selanil was close by."

"What do you think? Is this a good combination of our ideas? Selanil and Glom, anything to add?"

"I love it when a plan comes together, eh, team?"

OOC: Sorry, couldn't resist that last comment.

Edit: Forgot to mention that in case anyone is spying on us, the rest of the group can take the horses and leave town, but hide nearby. After the miller's meeting, Horsom can go to meet you and Maldordo can get directions from Brother Tillo at the church when he returns.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Waiting for a Concensus

OOG: I am waiting for a clear directive as to what you are doing before continuing.....unless, of course, you wait long enough, in which case events will continue while you are deciding.

RC

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

OOC: As per Dain's suggestion, I'll go to the miller's meeting accompanied by Amalric or Hengist or both, posing as one of Hengist's acolytes.

 

[Samuel Leming]

Maldordo maintains his meticulously wary watch upon the maliciously malificent miller.

 

[maddmic]

Kregor listens to Horsom and ponders for a minute. "I don't believe it would be necessary for you to go if Maldordo is already there, it may bring more attention to you than necessary. Clos knit communities like this tend to know when one is among them that is not from here. If we leave the church to do anything, then I think that we should leave as a group in plain site so that the others are convinced by what Amalric will tell them. Otherwise, somebody might see one of us snooping around and the ruse might not work as well as anticipated."