CH 4: Heart of Darkness

[Jenara]

Arei appears from the open doorway, her face hidden by her hat. "Stop!" She orders, "I am sorry, I did not fully appreciate the ordeal you have been through, and this woman was part of it. But I am not going to kill a whole race to get a gem, or so you can get justice."

"Where is this Gem? Leave her, help us, and you can start to get closure." She keeps her head low, but her voice is clear.

[JadedDM]

Andar halts, glancing between Areilon and Maua. After a moment's hesitation, he lowers his hands and relaxes. "It has been far too long since I've been among the civilized," he admits. "But know this. These 'people' are as evil as they are mad. Their is no virtue in saving them. Rather, wiping them out would only be a boon to mankind. That is all I have to say on that."

"Hmm," Dalaim says. "How well guarded is the heart?"

"Very well," Andar says, turning away from Maua.

"But it sounds like it would be worth a fortune. It could make this whole expedition worthwhile, in terms of profit. What say the rest of you?" the old dwarf asks.

[Jenara]

"Thank you." Arei responds, head still low. "You must think the worst of me." Touching the man's arm gently she frowns.

"I will go, because I swore to keep you alive, but I do it under duress, even if these people are Monsters, killing them seems.... Wrong." She shrugs, "But needs must."

[Nuke]

Val continues to listen to this whole exchange as she holds Maua silent. She listens as he describes a eirily familiar scene. As 'that' man explains what he has seen, she seems somewhat distant as she surveys the scene. After what she has been through for a few of the Dwarf's gold, she reaches a decision.

With a quick move of her grip, there is an audible 'POP' as she both pushes an twists Maua's neck. Releasing the druid, the body almost slides to the ground. She releases it as if it no more than a burden before scanning her group.

"I will not die for your 'principles'."

Turning to Dalaim she asks, "The heart is worth more than our current pay." she says flatly.

[HorizonsDream]

Jocelyn simply stares at the now dead Manu before she looks to Val with a rather calm look on her face. "I'm on her side on this one. I'm not going to be captured to make babies for these people," she said. "And if this group of people is wiped out, then I say good riddance. There is no reasoning with them."

[Breila]

Ouragana just stands there for a moment, mouth agape. "I don't know who is the Savage here! You are no better than them!" she shouts at Val and the others and bursts into tears. Sobbing, she turns away and leans with her back to the building's wall, listless.

[Jenara]

Arei responded quickly to Val's actions, yet not quick enough, she can only stand there stunned as she watches Maua fall to the ground.

"And so... We know where we stand." She says outloud, leaning down she collects the Stiletto from the ground, before looking up, her eyes fixed on the Half Orc.

"My people once called humans savages, they treated them like slaves, because they didn't understand them." Sighing she closes the Druids eyes, whispering a soft prayer.

"I thought the aim of this mission was to find out about these people, to understand this culture. How can you understand what you destroy?" Standing she walks over to the mage, moving her round and embracing her softly.

"We would not survive alone, thus we have no choice to follow... My blade will sing with regret.." Shaking her head she keeps her head covered with the hat.

[Jenara]

"Unless..." She adds, looking at the wall, "I would like to report back to the ship, tell them what we have found. Who will go with me?" She asks, not focusing on the group.

[Breila]

"I will come with you" Ouragana whispers. "I cannot stand this massacre"

[Jenara]

"Well then." Arei turns back to the group. "I want no blood money, my hands are dirty enough already." Taking one last look at Maua she strides off slowly. "Farewell for now."

[Breila]

Ouragana follows Arei, with a last look at Maua she whispers "Farewell. May your soul rest in peace, Maua."

[JadedDM]

"That woman," Andar says, pointing to Maua, "was a monster. She does not deserve your mourning."

"Hold now," Dalaim interrupts before Areilon and Ouragana leave. "If you two can put a cap on your self-righteousness for a moment, this is something we should discuss as a group."

[Jenara]

Arei halts slightly. "I am listening." She looks at Andar for a second. "They are trying to survive, I do not support the means, but...." She trails off.

[Breila]

Ouragana heats up, shouting at Dalaim.
"OK, call it self-righteousness if you wish. I do not serve any so-called "God of Knowledge" but am looking for knowledge just for its own sake. And I do not need a God to have ethical rules. One of them is that gathering knowledge does not justify killings. Or disturbing the rest of the dead. Killing in self-defence cannot always be avoided, and so I did not object to the deaths when we were attacked, or when we saw the camp. But we had a way to gather knowledge without bloodshed once we had a captive. It would have taken time, that is true. But you have waited for so long, you had told me, what would a few days, weeks or month have mattered?
Maybe the real monster is residing in that heart, holding the natives here captive, warping their minds. Maybe, if we take it, we are the next to be enslaved? You are looking for loot, not knowledge, ready to kill off an entire population, with all their knowledge, just to get what you want!"

[JadedDM]

Dalaim frowns. "If this is how you speak to your employers, I see now why you have such trouble finding work, Storm Sorcerer. But you should consider that I am blameless in the death of that woman. It was your companion who slew her, not me. But what is done is done, and there's no bringing her back. You can always take another captive if you like. The unconscious man we left back at their campsite, for instance, is probably still there."

"Hold now," Andar intervenes. "I know I am not of your group, and so my opinion matters naught. But I must speak up. That plan is doomed to fail. The people here are not interested in reason. They do not seek to exchange knowledge with others. They do not know peace or understanding. They are brutal, murderous savages. They attacked us without reason, slaughtered my companions, and hung their bodies from trees. They used me as if I were livestock, beating me into submission and then using their healing magic to restore me, only to start the process over again. They worship a demon that devours souls and regularly sacrifice their own people to him. I have spent a month in their clutches, and have picked up some of their language. I have witnessed the atrocities they commit personally. They are monsters, plain and simple."

"That's great and all," Oren says. "But all of this arguing isn't really getting us anywhere."

"He's right," Dalaim agrees. "I hired you all to perform a job, not to moralize me and my methods. Now I say that we should retrieve the heart. Monetary value aside, it is surely worthy of study, if nothing else. But if it is as well-protected as Andar says, then I'll need all of you to pull this off. That's why I'm putting this to a vote. If you are all backing out now, well...like she said, I've waited this long. I can return to Vaneil, acquire more funding, and hire a larger group to return for it. I doubt it's going anywhere in the interim."