DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Fantasy SKT: The Storm King's Thunder 3X-Leaving Calling Horns

Zhu

She nods thanks to the boy, then turns to her comrades and gestures for them to walk outside to talk.

Aubric

Once outside, Aubric observes, "I'm not sure this gives us much more information than we already know," he observes, "but at least it confirms it. Biggest question I have is why if the Hunt Lords go out at night, why are the other hunting parties going out during the day? Unless.... perhaps...." he furrows his brow. "There's something out there keeping them from returning to safety?"

Zhu

"Well, the fact they hunt any living thing provides me more than enough justification for confronting them in my role as Warden. As for their going out only at night, along with the tower's windows being bricked up, both things align well with our suspicion that they may be undead and thus sensitive to sunlight. I suggest we go to the tower now, during the day, and confront that Dwarf Major-Domo and gain entrance. We can call it an audience if needs be, or.." She turns to Sindar, ".. perhaps you can charm him into letting us in more easily?"

Kriv

The Dragonborn noble cleared his throat.

"I might be a better bet for that. In accordance with my heritage, I have the right of audience with a noble peer, should I highlight my position of privilege."

Zhu

She nods towards Kriv. "As long as that does not obligate you against taking action should these Hunt Lords turn out to be monsters. I am not certain whether an audience like what you are proposing would create an assumption of non-hostility on your part. I am here as a Warden of this Region and if these Hunt Lords do turn out to be some sort of undead creatures I am obligated to eliminate them."

She knows Kriv's honor is of paramount concern to him and she doesn't want to create a conflict for him.

Aubric

The cleric nods at the conversation. "I'll leave it to you to decide who leads, but don't forget I can offer a few advantages in any questioning situation, and we may need all the advantage we can get."

Kriv

The Noble listened to the Warden's concerns and clarified,

"I will not breach guest right, and I would firmly ask any with me not to breach it either, save in the host clearly acting against us first. In terms of gleaning information it could be invaluable, and once free of their home I would not be under further obligation unless one had been agreed to. If they turn out to be monsters, I will take my leave so as to be able to attack them later, or if forced to defend myself then all force would be open to me. Essentially, I can put you in a position where you can be certain of your obligation, and will as pledged assist in the carrying out of that obligation once I am no longer honour bound to respect our hosts. Since I would be making the imposition on them, this is a firm line for me, but a temporary one. I acknowledge it may be tactically disadvantageous to respect civility even if they are monsters, but the drawbacks of invoking this privilege are an intentional part of it for obvious reasons. I cannot simply claim an exclusive meeting with a peer in their stronghold with the intent to murder them during it."

Zhu

She nods to Aubric in gratitude and considers what Kriv is saying. It is not less than she expected. "Is it enough for you to exit the premises to end your obligation? Meaning, could you step outside and then simply turn back around and re-enter immediately?"

She then glances at the others and back to Kriv. "So, were we to gain entry by other means, such as my own audience request or via Sindar persuading the Dwarf to let us in, then you would not be under any obligations regarding hostilities?"

Another short pause. "I dislike announcing ourselves and forewarning potential enemies, thus giving them time to prepare for our return. However if it is our best option we will deal with it."

(OOC - Have not seen a post from Pande in some time?)

Kriv

"It would be distasteful to say the least, paying hollow lip service to the privilege afforded. The best guideline is I would be greatly angered if a noble enemy pulled something like that at Norixius Keep or at our holdings in Phandelver. Understand that in invoking this, I would be tacitly giving my word, and regardless of what it matters to them, it has near immeasurable value to me, and I would not be so cavalier with the inherent promise made in that situation nor any similar. Going in by other means less so, though turning an audience request into a home invasion is not something I would be happy doing even at someone else's behest. It reeks of a degree of duplicity which ill sits with me though no obligation prevents me fulfilling my duty to you. Of course, should they attack their guests, there would be none fiercer than I in repelling their hostility, and I would be uniquely advantaged by being able to recall my weapons with a thought should giving them up be a precondition of the meeting."

The Dragonborn spake by way of answer to the questions and scenarios posed.

Zhu

"If turning about immediately and re-entering is duplicitous to you, how long a delay is required?"

She continues, "Were I to enter as a Warden of Silverymoon, or were we to charm our way past the Door Warden, it would be for the express purpose of checking on the rumours we've heard, and signs we've seen, about these Hunt Lords, and to determine whether they are fit to continue to maintain their place in this Hold. Should I determine they are not fit, as is my charge, then it is my duty to remove them in whatever manner I determine is best."

"So as to be clear, IF they turn out to be some sort of Undead or monstrous creatures then I will be doing my best to eliminate them. If not, then discussions are certainly possible. In my mind, if they be monsters, then they are not entitled to the privileges you mention as those privilege's would be used under false pretense, and any obligations on your part would be moot as they would already have violated civilized practice."

"If you have alternatives, I would certainly consider them as I would enjoy your support, so whichever approach will allow you to maintain your honor yet still allow all of you", she moves her gaze across the group, "to assist me are ones that I would weigh favorably."

She pauses.

"So, knowing in advance my intentions, which approach would you recommend?"

Sindar

"Look, why go to the trouble of making a formal request that we intend to void. No offence, Kriv. If we are correct, and we suspect them of being undead. Let them exit at night. Then prevent them from reentering their sanctum, or be waiting inside for them when they return.

"If proof is necessary, when they exit, we should be able to determine if we are close enough, shouldn't we? Or if we can blockade the tower so that they can't reenter it, we can force a confrontation close to daybreak which might even be better after they have spent some time and energy out and about."

Zhu

She nods slowly. "That is a good suggestion, Sindar. Were we to wait near the exit of the Tower until night, we should be able to see them leave and determine their true nature. If we then step out into the street and make ourselves apparent when they exit, and they truly hunt people, they are likely to attack us, at which point all honor is satisfied and all the subterfuge would not be necessary. I could even step out alone, to create a more tempting target, and you could support me should they strike at me. Or we could do a similar thing in reverse nearer to sunrise. Let them go out, then wait for their return and do the same thing."

Sindar

"I agree a baited trap or ambush is more in our favor than attacking them in their abode."

DM
There's agreement that inaction was not an option. Was there room to parlay? Information to be gained? There was some logic to Kriv's argument. Clearly folks came to this town for adventure and there were living folk in Noanar's Hold. And what would dispatching the Hunt Lords do to the town? How many in the town depended on the hunts?

Similarly, for Zhu was black and white. If there was evil, it needs to be vanquished. The Order of the Gauntlet was not tolerant of undeath. The spread of it was like a disease and it needed to be contained. Those folks living in fear might be surviving now, but how long before the dark claws of undeath come for them?

While Aubric is open to various options, Sindar suggests that an ambush might be in order. While several options are being discussed, the quartet knows that there are two hunting parties out there looking to slay Hill Giants.

They are there, discussing things, not more than a few yards from Ralphie, the stableboy. How much did he hear of this discussion?

Aubric

The cleric has remained mostly silent, but decides it's an appropriate point to interject his thoughts.

"It seems we've moved away from 'if' we should confront the Hunt Lords to 'how'. But I can't help wonder if we're still working with imperfect information. We've talked to one stablehand who mostly confirmed what we knew before we left Calling Horns," he offers.

"Let's not forget there are hunting parties out there right now pursuing hill giants. We didn't get a chance to talk to them much because we.... or formerly we... started out confrontational. I'm wondering now if they're more victims than aggressors. They're hunting giants, which we have the luck..." he pauses to chuckle "... to know are likely undead. And likely created by, or at least associated with, the Hunt Lords in some way. I really am concerned that they've been drawn to the giants as bait, but they're the real prey here."

He pauses, pursing his lips in thought. "I think our best course of action right now is to try to engage with the hunting party we may have offended earlier. They've been out today and likely have more information than we do at this point. If they return before dark, we talk to them. If they don't return.... my guess is they're the victims that we ought to fight to protect, and we should make a plan for that."

Kriv

"Retroactive justification is not sufficient for us to collectively act like thieves and bandits. If all things are legal and all things permissible because one we deem an enemy belongs to a certain group, the position completely breaks down if they aren't. We're making several presumptions but forgetting inconvenient truths: If the undead giant during the storm was connected to the hunts, that still doesn't mean that everything we're dealing with is undead. You do not need to be undead to create undead. That mage with the undead guards with whom we negotiated whilst hunting for the Rockseeker siblings should serve as an ample reminder of that. I could argue against the wisdom of an attack-on-sight policy based on the information and resources we bargained with a Banshee for as well: Attacking it, we'd have likely lost everyone in our group instead of learning exactly what we needed to. I recognise and respect those you owe your allegiance to are opposed to them on principle, and will duly support you as my word has been given. My own ties are more respectful on a given local sovereignty, though I doubt these are members of the alliance, the principles remain firm."

Zhu

She walks away from the stable, gesturing for the others to join her and be away from prying ears. "Lets talk to some other folks here in town. We have plenty of time if we are going to wait for night. We know these Hunt Lords have been doing this for longer than a human generation, so either they are not human or they are Undead. We also know they hunt people. Both things are justification enough for me to confront them and try to determine their true nature. Not ambush them. As I said, I can make myself visible in the street and block their way. If they choose to attack me, it would be unprovoked and we would be justified in a response. They do not need to know I have friends nearby. If they did show themselves to be Undead, then I similarly would be justified in responding."

(OOC - AJ - Zhu was not present during the situation with the Hag. Had she been, she'd likely not have been so open to negotiation.)

(OOC - "Know" may be too strong a word, but we strongly suspect it. Based on rumour, history, and what the stableboy said. Certainly enough for questions. Plus perhaps we'll learn more from other townsfolk.)