To heal relations...

[tomcat]

The night passed quietly save for the constant sound of the cascading falls, yet the Company still found it easy to rest. They had worked very hard the day prior - Edrahil tending the sick, while the rest of the group saw to the moving of the fallen out of the grotto. A total of four litters had been prepared and with the morning, the Sindar mage thought it safe to move the sick back to the Dunlending settlement. They would also return the bodies of those who had passed.

Again the sun rose brightly into a vibrant, blue spring sky. The Company gathered their things and broke camp.Tying items off to the rope, Fengel and Durgil started the climb and once to the top, hauled up the line to retrieve the beddings and other things that had been used for the camp. The Dúnadan noble wiped at his brow and looked up to the rising sun... it was going to be a hot day. Not far away, Fengel began to secure the litter yolks to the horses.

Still below, Dirnhael and Seriand, along with Galudir and Nain grabbed up the two surviving youths and began the arduous task of carrying them up the thin, and winding stairs. Edrahil looked about one more time within the glade and Elven home to make sure that nothing had been left. He had gathered up a large assortment of the Ephanial blooms along with the left over brew he had prepared the day before. The Company would either need to instruct the Dunlenders in the treatment using the flower, or they would need to postpone their moving on until the sick could be taken care of in the village. The mage wondered how that would sit with his friends. He also wondered how the Dunlenders would accept the Company's return... and would they trust each other?

With nothing left to collect, Edrahil began to move towards the stairs and to his friends up above. As he did, he heard a soft singing that was just louder than the falls. He looked back over his shoulder and took pause; behind him stood a small gathering of misty apparitions in the shape of his kin, and they all smiled. Without a sound, they nodded, then turned and faded into the surrounding ferns - the music disappeared with the ghostly shapes. The Elf nodded back to no one there and then grabbed the rope to make his climb.

The Company marched back east, down out of the mountain's lowland and into the valley with the large clear blue lake; on its eastern shores, the Dunlending settlement sat with thin wisps of smoke rising and people tending their daily duties. As the party moved around the south end of the lake and began to enter the immediate surrounds of the village, the hillmen took notice. There was a rush of action as the men folk gathered in the center of the town and with their leaders, and weapons in hand, they moved to block the oncoming Company.

With the sick and fallen in tow, the Company walked up to meet the Dunlending warriors who held spears out in a threatening manner - the warrior chief again painted in clawed-face. Within the throng of hillmen stood their elders, who seemed to be both controlling the rank of men but also prodding on their threats. The claw-faced warrior drew forth a crude looking blade and strode out before all and took a posture for combat... he would make sure that it was not his folk that suffered again from this meeting.


OOC: Okay... you guys have to do something with your human relation skills. Remember, there is only one individual amongst the Dunlendings that speaks the common tongue well enough to understand.

So, I prefer having RP'ing to resolve these things not dice rolls, but with your posts, you can give me a test roll with a description of what you are trying to achieve. With the settlement's current disposition, no test result less than 12 will have much effect. Of course, bringing back their people should earn some points... we'll see how you handle it.

Re-building any relations is probably going to be an extended test, but I have to think about how I want to do it. We'll see how this RP's out, and what initial test types and rolls you give me (Look at your character sheets and the CRB for all potential social skills). Also, I need whoever is talking to make a TN 10 Language: Westron test when you talk. DOS will offer more bonuses to the Dunlenders for understanding what you are trying to convey.

Understand, I do not necessarily need a post from everyone each trying to communicate, but you guys should maybe pick one or two people to do the talking and offer OOC teamwork. Your call...

[GandalfOfBorg]

Language: Westron - 11*+7=18
OOC: If this makes any difference...
Debate (Oratory) - 8*+5=13

This is a point of honor to Durgil, an action he believes most deeply in.  Dismounting, Durgil retrieves one of the survivors from the litter.  With a person in his arms showing that he is no threat while so encumbered, he walks right up to the man with the knife.  In a manner that will hopefully pull on the man's sense of duty and sense of family, he speaks, "We have found your missing members.  Some are living, but most were lost when we discovered them.  There is a means for us to help the others, but you must let us or at least one of us through... please."

OOC: With the survivor in his hands, should any violence occur, he will put that person's safety above his own, meaning he will stand resolute and not shy from any attacks made against him (ie. slaps, punchs, stabs, pokes, etc.).

[tomcat]

The warrior Hurd watched as Durgil dismounted, retrieved the young girl, and then presented her to he and his folk. The Dúnadan's words were incomprehensible to the Dunlending, but instant recognition flashed across his face when he saw the child. Holding his sword with one hand, in a posture to strike, he advanced to Durgil and quickly reached out, grabbing the girl's arm and causing the noble to slightly jump.

Pulling forcefully, Hurd dragged the girl free of Durgil's grasp and he backed quickly away into the throng of Dunmen behind him. The crowd gathered around the warrior and his apparent daughter who had been missing for days, and then they looked to the Company. Hurd put his head close to his little child's mouth waiting to feel her breath and relief became visible on his face, but only for a moment. He picked up the child and handed her to another of his kin, who quickly separated from the crowd and began to run her limp form back to the village.

At the same time, Hurd and the two elders once again walked towards the Company, all the time they tried to peer around Durgil, his friends, and their horses to the litters that sat behind all. Durgil noticed that Hurd's weapon was no longer raised in an offensive posture, but neither was it sheathed. The Dúnadan noble still waited to get some kind of response to his plea, from the Dunlenders, but naught had yet come.

[Stefan]

Nain dismounts and carries the surviving boy, who hs been on his litter, forward stopping next to Durgil.  He didn't really care so much about the humans relationship to one another but he knew that he would appreciate the gesture were it his clan members who'd gone missing.  His unconscious body was light in the dwarf's arms but he felt the weight of the sickness that he carried inside.

"Be careful with this one, he's not doing as well as the lass."

[sdrotar]

Dirnhael watched as Durgil and Nain returned the children to the Dunlendings, content to look over the proceedings; his hand near enough to Vorandur to snatch it from it's sheath at a moment's notice.

At one point, he caught the largest man looking at Seriand and Fengel, who had temporarily taken the warrior hostage days before. Dirnhael privately wished it was something they had not done - he would not have done such a thing himself - but he had to admit that their doing so allowed the Company to escape, and with no bloodshed on either side.

When the man's eyes locked with Dirnhael, his features softened somewhat, as he tried to reassure the man in some way. Certainly, there would be no reason for the Company to return, and bringing them their lost children would only make their intent more clear, would it not? Dirnhael hoped the Dunmen hunters would see things as they were...

He reached his arm back, gesturing to the litter behind them. He heard an audible gasp from the group, but he was optimistic that the Dunmen would see that they treated the Dunlending dead with respect, and meant to honor them by returning them to their home.

[Palandil]

Fengel stood tall upon Heostor along side Dirnhael.  He too looked at the large warrior but this time Fengel's eyes were softer conveying his sorrow for their losses.  He hoped that the warrior would not remain angry, but he was ready to defend Dirnhael and his companions if need be.

[GandalfOfBorg]

OOC: If there are any left...

Durgil once again returns to the litter to retrieve the/any of the remaining survivors.

OOC: Otherwise...
"Nain, help me with the litters," he asks his Dwarf companion.  They both unharness the litters from the horses, give a signal for his friends to back away behind the litters, and returns to the throng that has now gathered.  "On those," he points to the covered litters, "are the remains of those who did not survive.  May they have some peace."  With that he lowers his head, solemnly.

[BrianM]

Edrahil stood by the litters while his comrades initiated contact with the Dunmen. He was dismayed by the rough treatment the two surviving children received, and hoped that they would be allowed to rest once more in the structure where the sick were housed.

The elf sought out the elder who had spoken a few words of Westron at their last encounter.

[ooc assuming he spots him ...]

When their eyes met, Edrahil approached slowly, holding a single bud of Ephanial before him. "This plant will help to heal those who have the sickness. The two children that we found have been treated with it already. I will teach your healer how to use it, so that other deaths can be prevented."

[ooc Edrahil is really good at pursuading people with awesome displays of power, but I don't think that will work here, so he's going to let his words sink in and see how the elder reacts]

[tomcat]

The air between both parties eased slightly and the elder that stood near Hurd, in his heavy accented tongue, spoke to Durgil, "You found our people? Where? We have ranged the hillsides in search, save the haunted ruins and turned up no clue? Do you ally with the spirits that torment us?"

The man's words were clipped, as if he wanted to be angry and still untrusting, but the revolutions before him were irrefutable. Looking around the horses, he continued, "Yet you honor our dead..."

Finally, the old man thought about the comment from the Dúnadan and the Elf regarding the means to aid the sick. He wondered if it was true, but he still could not fathom the Company's intent. The elder looked to Hurd, and the warrior gave an unknowing glance leaving the leader with a decision to be made.


OOC: I do not know who the chosen spokesman is, but here is what we are going to do to expedite the scene... this is going to be a series of Persuasion tests that will be modified by Inspire and Debate affinities (+1 for each if the speaker has the skills) plus the social test modifiers.

• Base TN will be 7
• Subject is Unfriendly / Hostile: +7 to TN (see next bullet)
• This TN penalty will change as the disposition changes:
  Disposition -8 = +10 TN
  Disposition +0 = +5 TN
  Disposition +3 = +3 TN
  Disposition +6 = +1 TN
  Disposition +8 = -2 TN
• Subject speaks different language: +3 to TN
• Character demonstrates evidence of sincerity: -5 to TN
• Character is different race: +3 to TN
• Current Dunlending Disposition: -2

The goal here is to move the Dunlending disposition to a 10 success (the Dunlendings will change their point of view and befriend the Company), or –10 failure (the Company is forcibly driven from the village).

What we will do is for each DOS, it will either improve or degrade the Dunlendings disposition based on the following:

Extraordinary Success: +5
Superior Success: +3
Complete Success: +2
Marginal Success: +1
Failure: -1
Complete Failure: -2
Disastrous Failure: -3

Example: Edrahil is the chosen speaker to conduct the first test - he has a +11 to Persuade (Charm). The TN would be 7 +7 +3 -5 +3 = 15. He rolls Roll (1d12) +11: 4, +11 Total: 15 (Marginal Success), so Dunlendings disposition would be raised by +1 to -1. The tests would continue from there until the characters are forced away or accepted.

[GandalfOfBorg]

OOC: Unless someone thinks they can do better....

Persuade TN - 7+7+3-5=12 (based on what you wrote above)
TN 12 Persuade - 9*+5+2 (affinity bonuses)+ 3 Courage=19  SUPERIOR SUCCESS

"We discovered your kin in hidden place not far from here -- the remains of ancient Elvish dwelling.  It is here we also found the means to restore your kin.  We are not in league with anything evil, nor are what you call "spirits" evil -- if fact, they were trying to help."

OOC: I'll start with this before giving out any more info to see where this takes the conversation and situation.

[Stefan]

OOC:  Nain sure won't be the one talking to them.  Any more than is necessary that is.  Do the human's take the race penalty still?  they are both Human after all, and we know that they're all alike.

IC:
After gently handing the youth over to his parents Nain moves to help Durgil with the litters carrying the dead.
Once they are brought to the front of the party where the parties have come together he stops and speaks to the Elder.

"Where do you prepare the dead?"

[tomcat]

OOC: Cool Matt! You got it perfect... that Superior success will move the Dunlendings disposition to +1. This reduces the Unfriendly / Hostile TN penalty to +5 for the next test. Question... did you check off on your online character sheet the Courage point, if not I will do it for you and that was your only available Courage.

Yea.. those humans are all alike Stefan! You are correct, the different race penalty does not apply if Durgil (or any other man) does the talking.


The elder listened to Durgil as he looked at the bloom in Edrahil's hands. The hard lines on his face began to soften, "You tell me that the flower you hold can help heal my people?"

The Dúnadan noble knew he had pierced through the hatred that seemed to stand between them, but still there was more trust to garner.

Hurd no longer maintained his aggressive stance and to Nain's question he pointed to the mountain ridgeline. The Dwarf could tell the Man did not understand the words, but had interpreted his meaing. The Dunlending warrior looked to the elder with a questioning gaze, as if to get permission for his act.

[GandalfOfBorg]

OOC: Ooops, no I didn't.

TN 10 Persuade - 12*+6*+6*+2*+5+2 (affinity bonuses) = 33  EXTRAORDINARY SUCCESS [EDIT] Remember, the cascading d6 works like it used to - for each natural 6 you can roll again. I went ahead and rolled those dice and added them in... needless to say, very nice roll!

"Yes, sir.  My friend here," indicating Edrahil, "has great skill in the arts of healing.  If you so permit, he can teach and/or aid your healer or whomever you wish in the ways of using this plant to ward off the dark sickness, where and how to cultivate the plant, and whatever other knowledge you deem noteworthy."

"Please believe me that we understand and share your plight; it hasn't been just your lands that have succumbed to this sickness.  My people have and still do, including one dear to me -- my mother, who was lost when it first came.  It was by the noble efforts of some of my companions that they are now able to heal."

[sdrotar]

Dirnhael watched intently as Durgil spoke. The young noble was accustomed to such dialogue; Dirnhael was not, and had little wish to become so.

It seemed that Durgil was making progress, but Dirnhael continued to scan the horde of Dunmen in case one of them didn't seem quite as comforted by the young man's words.

[Nikitas]

Galudir kept silent but lent his hand to whatever labor was directed toward him. Normally the rogue would be the first to treat with the barbarians, it was his primary occupation in his band. But he remembered the promise he made to the dwarf, that he could speak to the Dunlanders in their tongue. Given the distrust so far, Galudir reasoned it would be best that he did not expose himself as a liar.