Those of you who want to take up the offered hospitality of William Indigo follow him to his townhouse. It is a small, but decent looking two-story building in, what appears to be, a better area of the town. The patrolling guards treat you with a certain measure of respect, and your reach the house without any incident. Those of you, who did not want to join are given the address of Mr. Indigo and are send on their way, but told that they might join later, if they wish so.
Once you arrive William ushers you into his living room, offers you refreshments and lights the fireplace. He has arrange some chairs in a circle around the warming timbers, and you eat and drink well. After you have settled down he turns to you and says: “Maybe we should have a little chat to offer you some perspective on this whole situation? And rest assured, your words here will not leave this room.” As he talks he makes a gesture with his pen, as if drawing a large circle around the heavy armchairs you are sitting in, and you see how runes inscribed on the chairs’ armrests emit a weak glow.
(Disclaimer: This is a DM approve role-playing situation. Your words and actions can both lead to valuable information, or actual changes in the world, or the disposition of people and factions towards you. Please also try to use first person speech, and try to stay in character. Please refrain from meta-discussion)
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Oooh, Latin!
ReplyDeleteGratias ago deus pro google!
:)
Indigo waits for a while, then sights. "I guess if no one will start, I have to take the initiative here. Let me ask you a question. When you imagine a possible world without the dragon, purely hypothetical of course, what is your vision?"
ReplyDelete"First off - thanks for the accommodation William. It is good to have connections in a city like this.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I'm not really sure what you are getting at - A world without the dragon would be a world ruled by a pit-fiend. What we need is balance. Though it is true that the dragon's power has already gone too far in this region.
If I were to change anything it would be to reduce the dragon's stranglehold over these lands and put some power back in the hands of the people. But surely it is folly for a small group to think that they have any chance against an army.
So, maybe a bit of perspective /is/ needed William. Is there an army that can stand against the dragon? Or are there just a raggle-taggle group of men in tights?"
"You are welcome in my house Dorkan, and I shall not desire any of your money. But perhaps we can help each other in another way.
ReplyDeleteA world without the dragon is indeed a far removed from our current abilities, but I wanted to know what your vision of Utopia is. I got the feeling that some of your were having undue hopes towards the acts of Robert Inwood. He is, as I have said before, a bandit. No one, no man, woman or child, ever survives his raids, he takes from everyone, and he does not care about the well being of the people.
The people of Rottingham hat to pay their taxes trice this year, and they sufferd for it. And the sheriff collected them nonetheless, because he knew, that the alternative was worse. Robert Inwood will bring the wrath of the dragon down on the common people, and what will the gain for it? Their freedom? Liberty? No, Robert will just replace one evil with another. He must be stopped."
"Also, Inwood`s actions draw attention to those who desire real change. Those who believe that the happyness and well being of all sentients should be the prime concern in a state."
ReplyDelete"Who are these people who desire 'real change'? Do they really exist? Or are they a construct of this hypothetical discussion?"
ReplyDelete"Yes, they are real, but as to who they are, let us just say that they enjoy their privacy. They might not be an army that could crush the dragon, but they might be the grain of sand that stops the dwarven clockwork, the comma in a legal document that voids it meaning. And, most importantly, they act for the right reasons, liberty, equality and solidarity."
ReplyDeleteIndigo pauses and takes a deep breath. For a few seconds he looks into each of your faces, waiting for some reaction.
"I can understand that you are cautious towards me; in an autocratic society trust is a commodity hard to come by. But have you ever wondered why I should trust you?"
"Yes, trust is not something that can be bought, it has to be earned."
ReplyDelete"Do you think that these people who desire 'happyness' are looking for something in particular that needs to be done to help bring about change?"
Dokan smiles and then says : "Of course, if it is something that a bunch of adventuring mercenaries are suited to doing, then maybe there is something in it for all of us."
"I believe one of our long term goals that is in agreement with your interests is the removal of Rob InWood. His victory would just mean another tyrany, and his loss would bring down the dragons retribution, hard. Also his methods are those of a brutal and merciless robber, and dont just take my word for it. Ask around and see if you find survivors of his attacks, or talk to people who found the dwellings he depopulated.
ReplyDeleteBut this might not be immediatly achievable, even by a formidable band of freelancers as yourself. But if you are interested I could get you in contact with involved parties in Rottingham, who I believe would appreciate your help once I would relay your views and interests. There you could then ask about opportunities to serve the commong good," Indigo says and now looks at Vogir who has been silent for a while "or talk about possible compensation."
Money's good, but unfortunately Vogir's not there.
ReplyDelete---- yes, Vogir pointedly did not join us for this discussion. See the "Wasted Opportunity" post.
ReplyDeleteDokan:
"Rottingham? We may have upset a number of the people there."
"It is clear that there are many there who are on Inwood's side. Moreover the sheriff has already said he would pay us for Inwoods head. Who exactly would you talk to?"
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"My mistake, so the name of your Dragonborn associate is not Mr. Vogir? I shall have to correct my notes then.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, I am surprised. What makes you think that there is great public support for Robert Inwood? And alas, I fear that I am in no position to divulge the name of my contact. But as i offered, I am sure I could arrange a meeting.
Incidentally I am planning to travel to Rottingham anyways. Maybe you are interested to accompany me?"
No indeed, this is Ghanash a Warlord of extraordinary stature and one I am proud to call my friend. However, he like Orestes are not ones to talk without much consideration.
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I would like to get out of Vornak as soon as possible and making my way back to Rottingham with a possibility of getting through to Inwood would seem a good option.
"It seems, unless others present would like to object, that you are the `de facto` representative of your little group. So, if there are not questions left to answer, apart from those I regret to be unable to answer, we should deciede on how to proceed? Given that my affairs here are in order, would you agree to an early departure time, around noon tomorrow?
ReplyDeleteOr are there any questions left?"
You speak much but you say little. Killing Inwood would just open the door for another just like him.
ReplyDeleteEither way, I don't care. I'm tired of this region and the pointless politics. If the coin is good enough and the adventure is dangerous enough I'd journey into Hell itself to test my mettle.
Stop all this prattling. Speak clearly and tell us what you wish us to do and for what rewards.
"Ah, the considerat Mr. Ghanash has finally spoken. But i am surprised, have I not been as clear as a well crafted piece of legal document? Did I not tell you what my motives are, what I want you to do, and what will happen then? I have taken considerable risk by saying all this to you, and what of substance have you told me, nothing?
ReplyDeleteLet me try to rephrase my earlier utterings. I suggest we go to Rottingham. In Rottingham we go to meeting. In this meeting you can talk with person in charge. Person in charge can offer you job and money.
I wish I could commit to more, but not any random person you meet on the street can offer you a life`s quest and a king`s ransom. Unfortunately reality is sometimes more nuanced.
I especially find your comment in regard to Rob Inwood quite naive. If this was the case, why would anyone fight evil at all. It might be true that eventually one has to attack the problems by its core, but the reality for the people who have to live in this tiresome region, and engage in "pointless politics" is quite hard. And while this might bore you they have to worry about little problems, such as not being killed by a robber baron"
Good and Evil are relative. Being a lawyer I'd have thought you knew that. You're as much a mercenary as I am.
ReplyDeleteFine. We'll go to this meeting with your mystery man and hear what they have to say, but I'll not commit to anything yet.
Furthermore, you'll be stood next to me the whole time and if you double-cross us like that son of a bitch Alan I'll cut you down in the blink of an eye.
Dokan agrees to meet Indigo the next day at noon for want of a better plan and resolves to seek out Vogir in the morning and get together with him, Orestes, Ghanash and Rhudda-An prior to the rendezvous to discuss next steps.
ReplyDelete