Storms of Change, Part 2

[silentspace]

Getting silk rope from Zanock, Dunathar hog-ties the half-orc, ripping some cloth from his tunic and stuffing it in his mouth, securing the gag with more rope. The dwarven rogue then dumps the half-orc unceremoniously into the footlocker.

The third door down the hallway is on the left. It is unlocked and untrapped, and opens onto a kitchen. The room contains a cooking pit with a large spit over it, big enough to cook a deer or pig. There is another small cooking hearth against the far wall, and several tables, shelves, boxes, crates, and barrels. Kitchen utensils are arrayed about the room. The shelves are lined with large loaves of bread. On the central table is half a loaf of bread, and a large slab of cooked meat, sliced open, with a carving knife and fork nearby.

 

[Verbatim]

Walking up to the table, Dunathar grabbed the knife and cut out a hefty chunk of meat before ripping off an equally large piece of bread from the half loaf. Taking bites from each as he walked around the kitchen, Dunathar looked in the boxes to see what other manner of food stuffs were available.

"Ye all might as well get something to eat while ye have the chance. Who knows when our next meal may be."

OOC: Search check of the room as he goes.

 

[Seonaid]

Rowyn watches the others as they discuss the half-orc's fate, and then follows them to the kitchen. She sniffs the bread, and if it smells okay, takes a hunk and gnaws on it as she also studies the room.

 

[Manzanita]

Manzanita

"We should just kill him." Manzanita says about the half orc. THen she turns to Zanock. "I would think the Hextorites would try to ally with the orcs. Many orcs believe in the might makes right philosohpy. Do you have some reason to think this would not be so?"

 

[GPEKO]

Bert

Filbert sighs at Manzanita's comment. What happened to her ? She's always looking for blood, for confrontation. For a dwarf, like Dunathar, it's not really surprising but Manzanita is not even a warrior ...

Filbert enters the kitchen with more caution than the others. "All this food, ready to be eaten, left here without anybody around ? This place continues to be ... somewhat deserted." Filbert searches the room for an hidden cook or something. If he finds nothing, he'll help himself to some food too. "I guess it would be a waste to let good food rot."

 

[silentspace]

“Might makes right?” asks Zanock, turning to the elf female. His eyes get a misty, far-away look as he speaks. “My tribe follows Gruumsh. We believe in Orc might! The elders teach that in the past orcs ruled vast territories - the open plains, the forests, and the mountains too.”

Zanock’s eyes narrow and his voice turns hard. “But our lands were stolen! Elves infest the forests, dwarves the mountains, and humans cover the world like a plague. But orcs survive, not just in wild lands, but throughout the world, even inside lands claimed by elves, or dwarves, or humans. They say one day a great orc leader will arise to unify the scattered tribes, and we orcs will restore the world to its natural state.”

Zanock’s eyes hold a fiery intensity for a moment, then he seems to return to normal, his gruff voice softening and his eyes relaxing. “So the elders say. Orcs are strong. Many want to ally with orcs. Hextorites too? Why not?”

 

[silentspace]

The meat, which Dunathar recognizes as deer meat, is freshly killed and cooked well. The bread is thick and hearty, somewhere between normal bread and trail bread. The boxes and crates contain all sorts of less perishable foodstuffs. Mostly flour, hard biscuits, salted jerky, and hard cheese, but also smaller quantities of nuts and dried fruits. The barrels contain water and cheap ale.

It’s a lot of food. Perhaps enough to feed an army.

 

[Seonaid]

Rowyn speaks quietly. "Let us take some of these supplies for our own use, and continue on. I do not like being in the middle of what may turn out to be a fortress."

 

[Verbatim]

Finishing his quick meal, Dunathar moves towards the others and listens as Zanock speaks of his people's beliefs and tries to keep the scowl off of his face.

"I'm hoping if we ever part ways Zanock, you don't decide to take up that banner. I would find no pleasure in adding you to the list of people that are dead in my eyes."

As Rowyn speaks of moving on, Dunathar nods his head in agreement.

"Aye, let us scout out this place and be gone. I also have no desire to fight a battle that cannot be won this day."

 

[Manzanita]

Manzanita

Manzanita nods diplomatically at Zanock's speech, making a mental note to discuss with the others whether he should be here with them at all.

The food also distresses her. "Where are those who cooked this, and who is coming to dinner? These bandits are very well funded. I fear we may be out of our league. Dunathor, perhaps you could scout ahead a bit."

OOC: Can the party determine approximately how many people the prepared food would feed, as this might help determine how many people currently dwell here?