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Author Topic: The Marked  (Read 7319 times)

miltonyorkcastle

Re: The Marked
« Reply #80 on: August 26, 2008, 05:31:20 pm »
Two things:

1) I'm about to propose a bold move, one that likely we will need to meet to discuss, if all are not in agreement.

2) Proposal:

After speaking with Sallaron, and piecing together our collective information and considering past proposals and the reasons for them, we came upon an idea that both seems feasable and beneficial on several fronts.

In short, we're considering an assault on Phal with the ultimate goal of killing (or perhaps, if such negotiations prove feasible, recruiting) the dragon there and capturing the Lord of Phal. To do this we will hire an army, possibly from Westgate and the Queen. While the army engages and distracts Phal's forces and the dragon, we will enter the city to pursue capture of the Lord. We'll need to scout the city in advance for our means of entrance and exit. Despite some previous misgivings, I propose recruiting the sorceress Jaelle for the task of scouting Phal.

Benefits:
1) Capture a city and a strategic staging point.
2) Make a show of force that
-would demonstrate our competency and determination.
-could be used to pursue negotiations.
3) Gain a source of information (what we've been trying to do via subterfuge, but keep finding it to be very difficult). The Lord of Phal may or may not be deep into the ranks of the cult, but he reports to someone, and we will find out who, and use that "who" to push closer to the cult's main base of operations. If we can't get any information out of the Lord, we can turn him over to Fisterion.
4) A victory may garner us outside allies (such as Hilm).

Risks:
1) The Lord could die.
2) We could lose the assault.
3) We could fail to kill the dragon or turn it in our favor.
4) As we will be coming out of "nowhere" and assaulting a "peaceful" city, we could face some backlash. Especially if we fail in the assault, the Queen will surely wash her hands of us.
5) We could win the assault but the civilian and soldier population could suffer heavy enough losses so as to make the victory short-lived.

A few things to pursue/confirm before such an endeaver:

As we did with the Queen in Westgate, we should seek an audience with the Lord of Phal. I doubt we will learn any of his true intentions, and he may not even receive us, but we should, at the very least, try to acquire a statement of his allegience to Westgate and the Queen. How the Lord responds to this may give us a better idea of how to react.

I might also suggest we request an audience with his dragon.

Should we go through with this assult, aside from hiring an army, we may consider requesting Fisterion to send us draconic support of our own. Moreover, we should stage this so that we surround the city, and are able to issue a demand for surrender, giving the city that option. I prefer to attack without warning, but the backlash will be bad enough even with the warning, that some show of a fair fight and chance for negotiation must be offered. Really, if we can force the Lord of Phal into negotiations with us while we lay siege to the city, all the better, so long as the negotiations don't take so long that the cult can mount a counter attack and flank us.

Also, should we manage to kill Phal's dragon, we should use that moment to again demand a surrender. The death of their champion should demoralize the troops enough that they consider our demands and we can avoid further attrition on both sides.

We must, absolutely must, recruit outside adventuring help, and those who would follow through with relief and aid for the city after the battle is over. We must show that we are not interested in crushing the city and its citizens, but rather in stopping the cult. The common man likely won't even understand or know of the cult as we understand it, but he will understand food and clothing.

This would be a massive undertaking, but may be the direct move we need to make. I am not discounting previous proposals, including the most recent to search for the Tear, and would pursue any we agree to do that seems it would give us a boon. We may not even need to go this route, but we need to be prepared to do so.

I will begin the preparations for a meeting with the Lord of Phal.
 

Script Wrecked

Re: The Marked
« Reply #81 on: August 27, 2008, 05:11:47 am »
*Argali lets out a long, low, audible sigh.*

"Zorry, Argali was being polite beforre. But the next perrson who iz zuggesting we arre ztarrting the warr, she iz beating arround the head with the blunt object!" *she snorts indignantly*

*She looks around at the others, giving a stern look to any who would meet her gaze.*

"WARR..."

*she pauses a moment*

"Warr... iz not zomething you make when you have the otherr options. Warr iz not just the question of turrning up to the field of the battle with the zoldierrs. Warr iz planned and fought and won beforre the firrst warrior iz ztepping onto the battlefield." *each point hammered out as though striking an anvil*

"If you arre thinking the warr iz like the biggerr fight in the dungeon, you arre zadly miztaken.

"Arre you even knowing what forrces the Phalians have to brring to bearr? Orr, arre you just using zis hirred arrmy as the fodderr?!

"If yourr goal iz to zneak into the city to capturre the Lorrd of the Phal, then do that. Therre iz no need to make the warr as the distrraction!" *she spits vehemently*

"And if you arre wanting to kill the Bastion, then do that. Drraw him into the fight, orr strrike at him in his lairr. But zis talk of warr iz showing the zingularr lack of the imagination and the little regarrd forr the consequences!"

*Argali fairly bristles in her tirade, her hands squarely on her hips, her stance holding her firmly planted where she stands.*
 

LordCove

Re: The Marked
« Reply #82 on: August 27, 2008, 08:15:31 am »
* Sallaron sighs a little and shrugs slightly*

Hell.. you all know me. Going to war sure as hell aint something I look for or... even contemplate... or even want anything to bloody do with.

But unless ya all forget whats happened in Tulam and Tamil...
... we're already at war.
People are already dying.... and I dare say they'll continue to... until one of two things happen.

The Cult is stopped....
... or the Cult controls all of Kuhl.

And hell... once its got Kuhl... who says it'll stop there?

The only thing we need to consider is this. Whats better?
Letting the Cult take control of what it wants peacefully... without bloodshed?

Or... well... *he shrugs again*... or not?


I aint saying its a good idea. But lets smooth it out then.
 

miltonyorkcastle

Re: The Marked
« Reply #83 on: August 27, 2008, 09:16:54 am »
As Sallaron stated. We're already at war. I said this is an option we need to be prepared for, not one we must pursue at this very moment. As it stands, Fisterion is getting ancy about wanting something physical to show up in his hands, Tear or Scion.

One way or another, we still need to meet with the Lord of Phal.
 

Script Wrecked

Re: The Marked
« Reply #84 on: August 27, 2008, 12:39:03 pm »
"Pfft. We arre not at warr. You do not know what warr iz. If you arre only going to rush into zis conflict in your naivety then you arre going to make things worrse. That iz the one thing Argali iz thinking that we should have learrnt by now not to be doing.

"And then when things arre made the worrse, what will you do, make the biggerr warr?"

*Argali gives each a stern look.*

"Zo, instead of crracking the walnut with the sledge hammer, how about using the guile and wit instead? At zis meeting you arre planning with the Lorrd of the Phal, why do we not take him then? Then therre iz no need forr zis 'distrraction' you arre feeling iz zo necessarry.

"As forr Fisterion," *Argali snorts her disgust, then barely mutters a long string of words harshly spoken in dwarven that leave little wonder as to her feeling.*

"Iz Argali the only one who iz thinking that he iz parrt of the prroblem?

*shes pauses momentarily*

"You arre all realising that we are only the grrist to his mill, no?"
 

LordCove

Re: The Marked
« Reply #85 on: September 06, 2008, 05:49:22 am »
It occured to me the other day... we may be missing a huge chunk of something.

Why take the Tear from Fisty? What was the point?
Travelling all that way to arrange to steal it from a well-fortified island, when from what we've discovered... there was one availble for the taking in their back-yard.... possibly "easier" to take.
Why risk it with Fisty?

And these Drachs.... they "cant" be cross-breeds... since with the change with Aerdin... as Im well bloody aware.. thats just "not" possible.
So... they're not crossbreeds? Somewhere in there... they're full bloods? Just... changed?

Somehow... I'm not so sure talking to the Lord of Phall is gonna help anymore.

Its stupid... crazy.... idiotic... but I honestly think we need to be in Northern Kuhl... but instead of roaming around looking for a Tear, I think we need to be looking for a Dragon's Lair instead... a certain... shadowy one, who from what we've been told, has the "other" Tear.... and seems to be the one to gain the most by having two.
And unlike the Tear.... I think we may be able to get a vague idea of where to look too.
 

Script Wrecked

Re: The Marked
« Reply #86 on: September 06, 2008, 12:33:44 pm »
"The dog Fisterrion himself said the Drragon Cult is having the Tearr of the Ausirr, orr do you not recall?" *she rubs at her chest in discomfort*

"If you arre saying zis Shadow Drragon iz having them both, zis could be meaning the Shadrrixkayl iz parrt of, if not behind, the Drragon Cult, no?"

*Argali squinches an eye closed as she pauses to think, and then speaks almost to herself*

"... though zis iz not the first time she has hearrd that said."

*she then continues*

"Zis would alzo make sense of the alliance being offerred to those drragons who arre not liking the Fisterrion dog."

*she pauses again in recollection*

"As for its lairr, Argali believes we would have to look, not in the forrests," *a touch of trepidation resonates in her voice* "but in the deep places..."
 

miltonyorkcastle

Re: The Marked
« Reply #87 on: September 06, 2008, 07:33:44 pm »
*chuckles* Into the dragon's lair again. So be it. But we'll need reinforcements.

Not to mention, directions.
 

LordCove

Re: The Marked
« Reply #88 on: September 08, 2008, 04:14:14 am »
If any comes across Storold or Jacchri.... they may know where the Lair is.

After some poking and questioning, it seems Jacchri has been to the lair once... and Storold, well, Storold always seems to know something about something. It was him who told me months ago that Shady was reported to have "last" had the Ausir Tear.

Be diplomatic if you come across them, but honest. We could probably use their help to get down there if they're willing.

And now may be a good time to call in any favour's from friends that would be useful. Just "us" venturing there and delving that deep, quite simply, we wont last long.
 

Script Wrecked

Re: The Marked
« Reply #89 on: September 08, 2008, 05:20:37 am »
"Zo, once we undertake such a perrilous journey to get therre, what arre we doing? Argali underrstands we arre trrying to prrevent anotherr attack like the Lerringarrd, but what iz the plan?

"Arre we asking the Shadow Drragon nicely if we can be having the Tearr back?

"Do we take the Tearr by the forrce orr the trrickerry orr in exchange with zomething?

"Orr... do we side with zis drragon in its efforrts to uzurrp the dog Fisterrion?"
 

miltonyorkcastle

Re: The Marked
« Reply #90 on: September 08, 2008, 02:08:39 pm »
We need to convince this dragon to give us an audience. We need to confirm whether or not he has the Tear. We need to decide whether he is, at this moment, an enemy or an ally. This includes probing his knowledge of the cult, and the Tear we stole from Fisterion.

How we will accomplish these tasks, is the real question. My guess is we'll need to bring something as a "gift" in order to gain an audience. Beyond that, we may have to "prove" our worth by performing some task. And even with all that the odds are the dragon will lie about the Tear and the cult. What we need is a way to track this dragon, to watch it. If we can get close, perhaps we can get a piece of it, a scale, a hair, something that we can try use to attempt to magically watch it. The problem comes if the beast notices. Another route, and slightly less dangerous than scrying the beast itself, is to take with us pieces of the beast's lair, and simply watch the location, rather than the beast itself. We won't be able to do much more than watch, but if we can identify even one other person that meets with this dragon, the effort may be worth it.

Otherwise, we don't know the territory or this dragon well enough to know if we even stand a chance in stealing the other Tear. Also, we don't have another group of people distracting it like with Fisterion.

We could test the waters a bit, so to speak, by sending some to this dragon in the cult costumes to see how he reacts, followed by others going in not showing affiliation to the cult.
 

Script Wrecked

Re: The Marked
« Reply #91 on: September 08, 2008, 11:11:56 pm »
"The prroblem iz if the drragon reacts unfavorrably to those in the garrb of the Drragon Cult, orr zpots them as the interrloperrs, no?"  *she makes a small grin*

"Watching the lairr of the beast seems the good starrting place, if it can be done.

"Alzo, Argali has the scale of the Shadow Drragon, but she does not know frrom wherre, orr which drragon, it iz coming. Iz therre morre than one Shadow Drragon?"
 

LordCove

Re: The Marked
« Reply #92 on: September 15, 2008, 06:14:32 am »
* Sall slaps a scroll down on the table at the next meeting*

Well... there it is. It aint perfect and even spotlessly accurate...
... but that map will give us a general idea of where her lair is... and how to get into it from the Great Forest.

The Question is... are we so sure we wanna do this... go and, raid a lair just to take a peek? This aint gonna be fun. And who we gonna take with us?

Lemme know what ya thinking.

But I'll leave ya with one last thought I came up with.

We really, truly, absolutely sure it was the Cult who took the Tear?

We totally sure Arwal worked for the Cult?

Arwal warned us and asked us to interfere with a supposed ritual Fisty was doing... doing so would have broke the Alliance.
Later... he's made us raid Fisty's island for the Tear... doing so.. has broke the Alliance.

I aint so sure the Cult even stole the bloody Tear in the first place.
 

Script Wrecked

Re: The Marked
« Reply #93 on: September 15, 2008, 07:35:30 am »
"It was the dog Fisterrion who was blaming the Drragon Stealerrs. But he alzo mentioned the Shadow Drragon.

"She was going to request herr Masterr to accompany us, and perrhaps Masterr Grrohin and Masterr Kobal, but she wanted zomething morre than zis flimsy "we arre just having the look" prretext with which to involve them."
 

LordCove

Re: The Marked
« Reply #94 on: September 15, 2008, 08:14:12 am »
*Sall frowns and tosses the map to Shadrixy's lair into the midst of them*

Then I'm done with this.
My gut tell's me the Tear's there... as well as answers to all kinds of bloody questions. But people aint gonna listen to a "gut" feeling.

I'm getting married soon... and I so wanna wash my hands of all this real soon.
So if we don't go.... then we don't go.
If we can't get people to help... then we don't go.

And soon... when blood and wings fall from the sky and the truth of everything comes out, we'll probably sit and groan and say " You know... if only we'd done this.... and that... and this"

*he shrugs and wanders off*
 

Script Wrecked

Re: The Marked
« Reply #95 on: September 15, 2008, 09:55:17 am »
*as Sallaron wanders away*

"Argali iz only saying that she wanted to give them zomething morre definitive beforre asking. Be that as it may, visiting the Shadow Drragon iz the logical  courrse, flimsy excuse orr no. It iz just unforrtunate that therre may be the high prrice to pay forr the tentative ztep.

"Of courrse, what we arre actually doing once we get therre iz the harrd parrt. Zis iz wherre that wonderrful sight of the hind will be laterr telling us wherre we arre going wrrong.

"But her questions still remain, if the Shadow Drragon iz having the Tearr, do we take it frrom it, err... herr. Herr?"

*she thinks a moment*

"If zis Shadrrixkayl iz anything like the dog Fisterrion in powerr then forrce will not be the option. The interresting question iz, if she iz having the Tearrs, why the dog does not just take them frrom herr..."

*deep in thought, she carefully unrolls the map, and pours over it*
 

miltonyorkcastle

Re: The Marked
« Reply #96 on: September 15, 2008, 04:53:42 pm »
I'll summon forces to march into the Deep.

As for where the Tear that we "stole" truly is, we have no more proof that the Cult has it than we do that the shadow dragon has it, or for that matter, that Fisterion staged the whole event himself. The same is true for the other Tear. Each of the above instances has validity, and I can argue for the plausibility and possibility of all three. In all three cases, we are dealing with identities of far more power and facility than we can likely muster. So we have a choice to make, and our options are as follows: Be Fisterion's pawns, be the shadows dragon's pawns, be the cult's pawns, or try to muck up anything and everything we come across having to do with all three. We could try to play one against the other, but in essence, that is option four. Fisterion has a trump card on us, and settling that affair would be nice, but I'll honestly forfeit that if a more lucrative option arises. Because I don't like being a pawn. I choose the fourth option. At least for now.

To that end, I'm all for exploring the Deep for this shadow dragon, or kidnapping the Lord of Phal, or even cutting a deal with the Cult. Because I don't know enough information, and none of those entities respect me enough to give me the information, involvement in one way is as dangerous and promising as involvement in any other way. And I won't ignore this mess, though I suppose that is an option, at least until Fisterion chooses to breathe down my neck.

Everything we want we're going to have to take for ourselves. It will not be offered. Not unless we get very lucky.

In a war, things aren't settled until one or more sides are dead or gives up. Usually the former. We had best be prepared to kill a dragon or two, or an army of cultists, or all the above. And since we don't know which side is the lesser evil, I say let's just kill them all.
 

Script Wrecked

Re: The Marked
« Reply #97 on: September 15, 2008, 07:47:25 pm »
*Argali can't help but grin at Steel's last comment.*
 

miltonyorkcastle

Re: The Marked
« Reply #98 on: September 16, 2008, 12:10:55 am »
Let's see what kind of army we get.

*Steel spreads a flyer out on the table*
 

Dezza

Re: The Marked
« Reply #99 on: September 26, 2008, 02:08:57 am »
*After some time and considerable talk Sasha leans forward.*

"I have an audacious plan. Lord Alexander and General Telos can handle the army side of things. We need to tip the scales and get a certain bugbear off our back (Fisty). We also need some sort of advantage over the cult, some means of getting ahead or at least being able to hold our own instead of suffering loss after loss and being driven back further and futher."

*She looks around at any who had gathered.*

"While I admit some of my schemes are the result of my quick temper and frustration but I beg you hear me out on this one.  

Shadrix'kayll we know has a Tear, the cult we know has a Tear. Evidence hints that Shadrix'kayll may be allied with the cult. Regardless of that fact if the cult have left him alonethen it stands to reason he's in league with them. if you consider Ractrafieroz, hes not tainted and he helped the Cult. The cult is stemming from lands in which Shadrix'kayll is said to have the entrance to his lair. I know of a few people who know where that entrance lies."

*She licks her lips letting the import of her words sink in and before people can disway her, continues.*

"I say we find Shadrix'kayll and do not negotiate, we just go in a let him know we are meaning business, there will be no parlay until he is either near death or captured. That way we put him in a position where he has to negotiate. We demand that he gives us his Tear or....he tells us where the Cult have their Tear... otherwise we will either kill or imprison him. He already hates humans anyway so there is no love lost. Either way we hold his Tear as surety until we have the Cults Tear in our hands then we will give it back to him...this way he has to play ball and cant just sell us out after we leave.

If he tells us where the Cult have their Tear we go in, get it, give Shaddy his Tear back and use the Tear ourselves while we can to pinpoint main cult centres of power. Fisty can get it back when we are finished with it.

So...what do you think? Its not something they would be expecting..we attack from a completely different angle to what they suspect. Can we do it?"

*Sasha sits back into the resounding silence seeing conflicting thoughts running across everyones mind. The main one she suspects is that people are thinking shes now gone completely mad."