CH. 16: Homecoming

[Nuke]

Val points to Mist then points to the rays and gestures around to her back, the clasps her hands together. Solo on Mist, Val speeds to the outside of their range and continues until the follow her. As the do, she turns Mist directly away from the strong hold, circling around in a wide arc, back to the rest of the group.

OOC: Sorry my posting rate has been a little slow.

[Breila]

"Maybe we try someplace else and one of us asks the question with a silver handshake?" Ouragana suggests in a soft voice.

[Chris1234]

{OOC: @Nuke, It wasn't a prod at you, more like just a generic viewpoint.}
Naras replies, "Ok, Val, sounds like we have a plan. Good luck."
Switching to merspeak, she adds, "Good luck all."

[BishGada]

When they see Draska from afar, Baeros raises the Cannon issue again, "You said Val and the dwarf jumped after some mermen right? If we drop the cannon to the water they might find it and then you think it would be better? Can't Thaddeuse just protect him with some powerful magic so no one but him or Sierra and Terra would be able to use it?"
When they land in the harbor and feeling the looks turned to Jocelyn Baeros stands tall takes a defensive step in front of Jocelyn and put his hands on his swords hilts. With one glance around his eyes falls on the Ogres and his rage starts to build. "Here are your beloved Oni cousins. Causing troubles, planning to destroy all good things." he grunts. His instincts tell him to go after the Ogres and kill them. He almost feels himself forced to do it. 'They are threat to us and to others. They must be removed.' he thinks to himself. Only the obvious hostility towards Jocelyn makes him stay close to her. 'Not that she cares so much if I'm around her, but I'll keep her safe. No matter what.' He gives few more dreadful looks at the Ogres, wishing them to die on spot, and goes with the group.
As they see the two would be murderers running after their victim he asks Jocelyn, "Shouldn't we intervene and stop them? That guy is dead in a minute if we won't do something." but since no one cares he follows the others, his shoulder and stand somewhat bowed and his moral low. 'Since when we leave the weak to themselves?' he thinks to himself glumly.
When Jocelyn asks for information in the bar he feels an urge to stand up and say loudly, "The woman asked you something!" drawing his swords high, but he remembers the wounded person they just left for his doom few moments ago, and this urge dissipates. Baeros just waits to see what will happen.

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(OOC: Sorry I wasn't here to post earlier. And sorry I post in past time. I had two pages of posts to catch up and constantly got interrupted. I find it hard to believe no one wanted to help the wounded guy. Maybe it was overlooked?
Also, is a Ranger forced to enter combat with the creatures he hates? Was my play aligned with the situation or should I have gone after them? Since the timeline is much ahead I tried to fit my actions retroactively to where we stand.
)

[JadedDM]

Jocelyn, Ouragana, Baeros, Gallath and Drav (Enott Harbor/Sardonx 15th, 4 PM)
Back on the ship, Baeros had continued to argue over the fate of the cannon. Sierra had explained to him that the ocean was big. Really big. The odds of anyone, especially Val and Naras, ever finding the cannon by accident were astronomical. The ocean, in fact, is so big that the island they found the cannon on had been lost for over 300 years. And that was a whole island! A cannon is far smaller.

Terra also pointed out that if the merfolk found it, it would be useless to them. Fireballs don't work underwater. Thaddeus added that there were many powerful artifacts in the ocean; remnants of Infinity and the Eonian Empire that were probably even more powerful than the cannon. The merfolk couldn't use them, and generally don't mess with them.

Thaddeus also couldn't do anything like Baeros described. He didn't have that sort of power (he's only level 4). In any case, it didn't matter. Sierra had made her decision and threatened to toss him in the brig if he didn't drop it, so the ranger had no choice.

Once on shore, he felt pulled in several different directions. He wanted to fight every ogre he saw (and he saw plenty of them), help everyone in danger (quite a few of them, as well), and stay to protect Jocelyn.

At Jocelyn's dilemma, Brock offers to help. "I can rough her up for you, if you want." He cracks his knuckles, eying the bartender.

Naishe adds, "These pirates you are looking for...they frequent here often? So the people here probably won't give them up easily. If not out of respect for them, than for fear. You might need a lot more than just a silver."

(OOC: Baeros can go after the wounded guy or attack the ogres if he wants, although that does mean leaving Jocelyn behind with only a mere five bodyguards instead of 6.

Also, as a ranger, he is not compelled to fight any ogre he sees. Unless you want him to.)

Val and Naras (Under the Sea/Sardonx 12th, 1 PM)
(OOC: So is Val performing her maneuver while Naras is doing her own, or instead of?)

[Chris1234]

{OOC: So Val wanted to be the distraction? OK. Thought she was like the cavalry}
"OK Val, we go with your plan," she says belatedly, retracing her steps.

[HorizonsDream]

"She's right," Jocelyn says, motioning to Naishe. She places her hand on Brock's shoulder, and shakes her head towards him. "We going to have to do this smart. I'm most likely not going to get any information out of anyone. The rest of you might be able to learn something, though. There are other taverns we can try, but I shouldn't be with you when you are asking for information."

[JadedDM]

Jocelyn, Ouragana, Baeros, Gallath and Drav (Enott Harbor/Sardonx 15th, 4 PM)
"The question is, can we do this without you?" asks Naishe. "Aren't you the only one here that knows this place at all? Also, are any of your bodyguards willing to leave you to go look for you? That reminds me, how do you inspire so much loyalty without baring any thigh or cleavage at all?" he asks.

Val and Naras (Under the Sea/Sardonx 12th, 1 PM)
Val rides Mist toward the cavern mouth, to get the attention of the Ixitxachitl. However, they do not make any attempt to follow her. Instead, one of them disappears into the cavern while the other remains behind.

"Damn it, they've sent for reinforcements!" Serenna says. "We have to attack now, before more show up! Charge!" She and her brothers begin swimming toward the cavern entrance as fast as they can.

[Chris1234]

Naras casts "Magical Vestment" and then runs for all she's worth at the Ixitxachitl, equipping her spear on the move.

[spyguy1503]

Gallath smirks at Naishe's question. "The ranger is loyal." he says, leaving it at that. "Baeros, she should be fine with a few less bodyguards." He privately asks Naishe if they should drop Penta off here.

[HorizonsDream]

"I'm pretty sure that this group can ask questions, even though they are being oddly quiet right now," Jocelyn says. "I can lead you guys where you need to go to ask the questions. As for loyalty, I don't have an answer to that question," she admits.

[BishGada]

"We can disguise you. You can wear wig, different cloth, something that they won't recognize you. In any case I'm not the speech guy, so I'll stay with Jocelyn while you go investigate."

[Breila]

"Jocelyn would be safe on the Bullring while we go out with our questions" Ouragana points out. "Unfortunately, I'm so out of my way here that I don't know how to asks the right questions, I would need a lot of more briefing." She looks a littlr forlorn.

[JadedDM]

Jocelyn, Ouragana, Baeros, Gallath and Drav (Enott Harbor/Sardonx 15th, 4 PM)
Naishe snickers at Gallath's remark. "Loyal to what's in his pants, at any rate," she agrees. When the elf pulls her aside and asks about Penta, she responds, "This might be a good place to leave her. There's so much crime and injustice here, she might get distracted enough to forget about us for awhile. If nothing else, maybe she'll get herself stabbed in the back a few times and won't be our problem anymore."

"Wherever the pastor goes, I go," Brock insists.

Val and Naras (Under the Sea/Sardonx 12th, 1 PM)
(OOC: Just a note, but Magical Vestment has a casting time of 1 round. So Naras will have to spend the first round casting, and nothing else. Then start running on the second round. And since the entrance is 300 feet away (100 yards), it will take her several more rounds to reach it. Is that okay?)

[Chris1234]

{OOC: Ahh, I missed that- have never actually used that spell before. Would have cast it while we waited. Never mind. Yes, cast it then run as fast as her legs will carry her.}