Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

Post by Ameena »

OOC - Ameena didn't actually touch it - she just reached out to try to do so, if the critter would let her. It was more of an attempt at gently resting her paw on the leg in a kind of "See? I'm nice really..." kind of gesture.

BIC - "Alright...I'll back off." says Ameena. "See?"
So saying, she moves back a few steps, having now considered trying another tactic.
"I'll see if your Bringer...mother...will understand..." she says.
She moves back a little more and trots off back around the wall toward the door she and Helm entered by. Maybe the small creature is too young to understand her language - maybe the bigger one did understand something of what she said. Maybe.
She vaguely worries that Helm might try to open the other door, but doesn't think he'd act quite so quickly and without thinking - there might well be soldiers behind it. Despite their current situation with the strange screeching creatures, at least none of them have insulted her yet. Well, not as far as she can gather...
Upon reaching the door, Ameena calls through it.
"Umm, hello?" she says. "I think one of your Young is here. Injured - not by us, though. At laest, I hope not. I want to help but he...she...won't let me, and I'm not really sure how. Can you understand my language?"

OOC - I realise the answer to that last question might just be a "no", but in case it isn't, I think I'd maybe better roll Diplomacy...hmm, 16 (12+4).
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

Post by beowuuf »

Of course Ameena is nice! I hope someone stabs the critter for being quite so horrible to her as to lash out :D

The creature had screeched once, yet once Ameena moved away it subsided. The rattling further away had subsided too a few moments before. There was still the occasional lower pitched screech of the larger creature calling through the grate. There was, occasionally, a weak screech in return for the creature against the wall.

There is a faint call of 'Ameena?' Ameena?' in the distance once Ameena had moved back to the other room. Helm hissed it urgently but apparently very quietly so as not to antagonise the creature he'd been left in the room with.

There is a moment's pause after Ameena speaks to the creature. Then it hurls itself, once, against the door and then screeches.

Awwww, poor Ameena starts getting paranoid the creatures are actually saying 'rodent' all the time, as they are Drommal's pets!

Anyway, no instant signs of anything one way or the other. That comment about a 'no' reminds me of the Simon Pegg sketch...somewhere....where he's asked if he speaks english, and he says 'no, sorry, I don't'. That won't happen this time.

Anyway, roll me a sense motive check please - and go ahead and add that 'small mammal' +4 bonus, as this is more intelligent animal-like behaviour Ameena might recognise, instead of angry murderous critter.
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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OOC - Slightly confused by the implication in the description that Ameena has somehow managed to leave the room - I thought it was just the one room with two doors at opposite ends, both currently closed. I gather the far door is "solid" (ie made of wood or something, with only a gap at the bottom letting in the faint light), but that the near door (ie the one Ameena has just moved back to) is, at least as far as I can gather, a grating - one of the DM-style portcullis doors. Anyway, Sense Motive = 25 (13+8+4) for the big mummy spider widget :). Umm...I was about to make an IC post but I'd better wait for the results of that check before I do, to see whether Ameena actually deduces mummy's actions as "Please just let me through the bloody door, that's one of my babies over there..." ;).
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

Post by beowuuf »

Check the map (I did post it, right?) There are two 'rooms', just there is not a door between them, just a 10 foot corridor. Hence why when you were in the corner of the one with the switches, it was harder to hear and smell what was happening with the second. Remember each is 30 x 30 feet wide, which is around 10 meters.

Yes, the RA door is fairly solid. There did not really seem to be a gap when you were at it on the other side, it's only because you are in pitch blackness with torches back in the mummy room that a gap is even discernable! And the grate you came through is indeed an iron grate.

Helm is currently 70 feet away from you in pitch darkness now :D

Edit: Here's the map again:
Image


Ameena felt she recognised the behaviour (even though she couldn't see it). The creature wasn't desperately trying to get in, the single blow and call seemed very much like threat behaviour. Of course, was it that the creature considered this whole place its, and didn't actually care about Ameena nor the littler version of itself, was it just telling the two to stay out, or what? Was it possible the bigger one had actually injured the little one, and the threat behaviour was directed as much at the injured creature as Ameena?


There we go, not that much insight, really just one word. Threat. :D

Treat it how you will, don't let any of the conjecture I threw into the IC post stop you from assuming it is still mother and daughter.
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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OOC - Mother and daughter? Aaw, is it a girl then? ;) As for the two-room thing, oops, I'd compeltely forgotten about it. I think it's been a week or so since I looked at the map - I just thought it was the 3x3 room with the pads in it ;).

BIC - Ameena sits back and puts her head to one side, trying to work out exactly what this creature wants. Maybe to get to the younger one to help, or to harm. Maybe to get to herself and Helm. Maybe to get past them, to the light, or whoever's made it, beyond the other door. Maybe not to get to anyone, but just for everyone to go away - that might be true if this species was territorial. She doesn't quite understand the concept of a creature not running to its injured Young straight away and trying to help, but she is aware that there are plenty of other species who don't think this way so she feels she has to consider it a possibility.
"I'm sorry, but...I'm not really sure what it is you're trying to tell me." admits Ameena. "Do you want us to let you in? Wait..."
On having a thought, Ameena decides to temporarily change the subject somewhat.
"Maybe we can come to some means of communication." she suggests. "Maybe if you...hmm...if you understand me, stop banging the door and make one quiet sound?"
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

Post by beowuuf »

Lol, who knows, I just say words and sometimes thye apply to things that are happening.

There is a pause as Ameena awaits the creatures response. There is then another loud 'BANG' on the door as the creature deliberately throws itself at it, and another strange screech.


That's probably a 'no'. It's not to say the creature isn't intelligent, but why can't you leanr it's language :D
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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Ameena just sits there and shakes her head.
"I'm sorry." she says again. "I don't understand what you're trying to say. Well, I gather you want to come through here, but umm...I'd rather not try to get the door open again if you just want to try to hurt us. I realise you might only want you retrieve your Young, but this room has no other way out except through another door, behind which I think there are some human soldiers. I've met some already and they weren't very...well, pleasant. That's not to say they're all like that, but I'd rather not take the chance if I've got nowhere to hide."
She realises she's starting to lose the subject a little, and gives her head a little shake.
"Sorry." she says. "Umm...well, yes, I would like to let you through here, but if you try to hurt us then we'll probably try to stop you, in which case you might get hurt. Basically, I don't want a fight, and I don't know whether you'll try to force one anyway. I won't hurt your Young. If all you want is to some through and help him...or her...I don't mind. But I don't know whether you understand my language, or if...hmm, well, I don't know."
She puts her head to one side, peering curiously into the blackness before here, where she knows the door to be.
"Do you have any ideas?" she asks.
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

Post by beowuuf »

Darn, sorry, checked at lunch quickly and didn't get back to you! :( Lol, is Ameena really asking the Oitu, or are you asking the DM here? :)

"Ameena?" hisses Helm, and the murafu can hear a scrambling noise behind her. It sounds as if Helm is moving back into the previous room to look for Ameena.
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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OOC - Lol, if it had been addressed to you it would have been in OOC, wouldn't it? ;) Ameena still can't work out whether or not the creature is sentient or can understand her, and she doesn't want to start assuming it's not just because it doesn't seem to be able to understand her.

BIC - Ameena turns at the sound of movement and Helm's voice.
"I'm here." she calls softly. "I'm alright. I'm trying to communicate, but so far I don't think it's going very well. Umm...I think you'd better be careful where you step - one of these step-stones might open the door again, and I don't think that would be a very good idea until we know we're not likely to be attacked..."
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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Well, it's not just attacking mndlessly, so that shows sentience. Whether it can understand Ameena or not, I think the important thing is Ameena cannot - for now - understand Oitus, so won't know what they plan to do! Probably best she acts how she feels is right, but prepares for the consequences!

"Ameena?" says Helm again, perhaps homing in on her. There is a noise as if Helm is now scuffling on the innter wall. "Don't..don't worry about the pads opening the door, it doens't work like that. I worked out the pattern, the pattern you need to open the door. The problem is that if you press them randomly, if the door is already closed, then something else is getting set to happen. Something bad. So...so no, I won't press the switches!"

There at least seems to be less stress in Helm's voice - or at least, the stress is to do with finding his guide in the dark. At least Ameena has said she isn't about to release an unknown huge creature in with them, as it first sounded.

"Is..is the...I mean...what happened with the ...the other one? I can't hear it move, it still seems to be in the other room."
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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OOC - Intelligence isn't the same thing as sentience - the spiders might be clever without being self-aware - Ameena just can't tell which.

BIC - "The young one didn't want me to get too close." replies Ameena. "I don't want to just leave the Young there, alone and hurt, but I'm not sure what to do - open the door now, or try to bring the Young through here, to the door, first. Either way, I think I'll be needing your help. What do you think?"
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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"I think I want to leave!" said Helm earnestly. "These creatures have attacked us, and one almost killed me!" he said, then realised he was being a little loud, when the creature outside reacted to the noise and creeched again. "we...we need to figure out what's happening with the door and get out of here. I need to be able to see again! I...I mean if you really want to help the creature, you need to come back with people from Viborg who could help it, and protect each other. But we should leave now. We're lucky to still be alive! We're luck the smaller one isn't moving...and it might not stay down!"
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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At Helm's words, Ameena privately reminds herself that not all species are like murafu, and so don't have the same views or the same priorities. She decides she'd better explain her views a little more thoroughly.
"Helm..." she says, not entirely sure how to continue now she's started, "I want to get out of here too. But that young one is hurt. I think this larger one is its Br...that is, its mother. I want to get out of here too, but I don't want to just leave these creatures like this. One hurt, alone, and young, and the other possibly trying to reach it in order to help. I think. If we open the next door, there might be soldiers. I think they might attack either us or the young one. Or both. They may not, or there may not even be anyone there, but I don't want to take the chance with the Young there and vulnerable."
She turns her head toward the nearby door and the creature behind it and mutters, half to herself.
"I think I'd better take the chance..."
She twitches her whiskers once, then turns her head back in Helm's approximate direction.
"How do we open this door again?" she asks.
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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"I'm not telling!" says Helm, an odd catch in his throat showing he'd either apparently surprising himself, or Ameena's plan had. "I...we...they tried to kill us! They can move in the dark and we barely can! They're things and they just want to kill us at best!" Helm started coughing again at the effort and tried to calm himself. "You...you can talk to the thing out there all you want! If we're going to open a door anyway, it's going to be the other door! At least I know there's a chance of reasoning with anything on that side!" Helm took a few breaths. "I...I'm sorry. I think you are trying to do good, but you are going to get yourself and me killed! Someone has to ...well, has to...umm...take charge I suppose!"

With that, Helm apparently made swiftly back across the room to the other door. There was the sound of scuffling, as if Helm half tripped, and a click that indicated he'd stepped on a switch. Helm cursed, but carried onwards. He was obviously making his way to open the other door.

I did warn you to make diplomacy rolls! Well, and some strong arguments to back it up, of course, or some actual reasons of self-interest to poor Helm. I suppose as you say, Ameena wouldn't have considered it. Still, Helm has almost died twice now - once cut down by solders, and again recently because of these Oitus themselves. Ameena's going to need to pursuade him a little better than 'let's open the door to the huge critter we barely survived and the at least two heathly smaller ones, and hope it all goes well.' !

Or, to put it another way - you can do the right thing, just it's always gunna be harder that the easy/wrong thing. Such is life :D Glad you are chosing to aid the Oitu, but I'm not going to bend the unknown nature of the critters nor Helm's behaviour to make it easy. Just be glad I haven't asked you to roll initiative then frozen you to the ground because of your leg armour!
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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OOC - Lol...well, I did forget about Diplomacy. I suppose it's 'cause I'm thinking of Helm as more of a party member than an NPC. Still, now you've said that... :twisted:

BIC - "But...I...wait!" calls Ameena, somewhat upset by Helm's words. "Just because something doesn't understand your language doesn't mean it's hostile, or mindless, or...or...doesn't care! If you had one of your Young trapped in another room with some strange creatures who didn't speak your language and who'd been passing through your territory for reasons you didn't understand, wouldn't you want to try to make them go away? And if the smaller ones are the Young of the larger, maybe they don't understand as much as the older one. They didn't hurt you badly, did they? And the bigger one picked me up but then dropped me - the smaller ones can bite, but the bigger one seems to have chosen not to. For all we know this is how their young ones play!"
She tries to calm herself down a little, but isn't really sure what she can say next and doesn't want Helm to open the door.
"These small creatures just tried to jump on your head." she says. "They haven't tried to...umm...well, stab you. With long sharp things made of metal. And they haven't called you anything nasty. Well, I mean, they might have, I suppose, but since we don't speak their language I suppose we don't know and it would be impolite to assume, I think. Hmm...speak their language..."
This last is added quietly, and to herself, as Ameena has another idea.
She turns back to face the door with the creature behind it and makes a quiet squeaking sound. The squeaks of a murafu don't sound entirely like the squeaks of a rat, since their throats are shaped a little differently to enable them to speak in other languages, but still, it's nearer to the screech of these creatures than the words of Common that Ameena had been using before. Maybe...

OOC - Diplomacy for Helm - bollocks. 8 (4+4). In case it's needed or even necessary, Diplomacy for the big mummy spider critter = oh ffs lol, 8 again :P.
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

Post by beowuuf »

Aww, Helm can't be a party member, he hasn't been focused on killing stuff and looting their bodies :D

Helm was quiet as Ameena spoke, at least sounding as if he had stopped. "I...look, maybe, but it doesn't matter if they were playing or talking to us - that just means they could kill us whether they are harmless or evil. And they're probably...probably creatures of chaos anyway! I...I'm sorry... once I know what's happening at the entrance maybe we can plan something else..."

Helm started moving, not realising Ameena had focused on something else. The reaction to the creature was of course hard to gauge in the dark. There seemed to be a soft scrambling, and perhaps the smell was a little stronger.

"A...Ameena? Was that you?" whispered Helm, apparently having stopped again.

After a moment, there was a soft squeek from behind the grate, unlike anything heard before. The sound did carry though. Weakly, the little creature back in the other room also made a soft noise, slightly similar.

"Ameena? What...what did you do? what's happening?" asked Helm, clearly confused.


I did opposed rolls, so Helm didn't actually come out of it that much better than you with a 10. And of course your change of tactic on the Oitu...heh, I did ask earlier why you kept trying to talk in your language not theirs :D

You might be making progress! Give me a perception and a sense motive roll - both are basically ways to try and figure out the exact sounds being made, and perhaps make sense of a pattern to them. You aren't going to be learning a language, but you might at leats be making compatible sounds to get something happening.

What's you general plan passed this? Get Helm to open the door and see if the 'mother' will go for the young? Try to persuade Helm to find a way to approach the littler one, and somehow move it to the door first? Something else?

I'm not sure if you remember, but Westian did give Helm a flask with VI cast into it...
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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OOC - Oh, I had completely forgotten about the Vi potion. Maybe I can have Ameena make a comment to Helm which might remind him, since I don't imagine she will have noticed or paid much attention to his being given the potion. Anyway...Perception roll = 14 (6+8), Sense Motive = 24 (16+8)...or 28 (16+12) if I get the "small mammal" bonus, which I seem to recall I did when I made a roll on these guys on a previous occasion...
As for my "general plan" beyond this, well, you'll have to find out, won't you? ;)

BIC - Ameena's ears perk up at the creature's response. Well, now, that's certainly new! And encouraging, definitely...
Before she makes a response, however, she quickly turns back to face in Helm's direction.
"I think I'm getting somewhere." she calls, softly. "I think maybe they don't like the way we speak, so I've tried speaking more like them. Now I just need to try and explain...somehow...umm, oh, maybe you'd better keep still now. Just while I try to talk to this one. If they don't like us speaking in Common, I think...well, I realise this is probably going to sound a little...well, rude, but...maybe you shouldn't say anything, just for a while..."
She turns back toward the creature behind the door and makes another quiet squeak, hoping that she really is getting somewhere with this and that it isn't just a coincidence that the creature decided to calm down somewhat when she happened to change her tactics.

OOC - In case another Diplomacy roll is needed for Helm...hrmm, 12 (8+4).
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

Post by beowuuf »

Lol, if you don't tell me your plans, how am I supposed to point out things you've forgot - like diplomacy rolls and VI potions :p


In the dark there is no way to gauge Helm's reactions. All Ameena knows it that apparently Helm has no adverse reactions - he isn't speaking nor moving for now.

Won't tell you what I rolled for Helm's diplomacy....it's interesting... Very good sense motive roll there anyway for the Oitu!

Ameena tries to copy the noises of the creatures, though worries it must be hard to do with - presumably - completely different mouths and bodies. The creature gives a noise in return, which sounds vaguely the same with some differences. Ameena feels intuitively that the creature isn't actually communicating verbally, that the creature is infact trying to mimick the sound Ameena gave. Of course, that means the creature is acknowledging Ameena, and trying to figure her out, or at least appease her. While the creature's thought process feels too alien compared to normal mammals, this also gives some comfort - there doens't seem to be any active trickery. The creatures attack or don't. Previously the creature was mindlessly banging the door and threatening. It doesn't feel 'right' that the creature has switched to trickery just to attack them.

Again there is a scuffle and a noise of the grate being hit - though this time there is no violence, it is as if the grate was gently tapped by the creature.
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

Post by Ameena »

OOC - Just to check, do I get the extra +4 to the Sense Motive against these guys? I can't remember.

BIC - Ameena gives another little squeak and taps the floor a couple of times in what she hopes indicates that she wants the creature to wait a few moments, then turns back toward Helm.
"I think it will be alright to open the door." she calls, as softly as she can yet still, she hopes, within his range of hearing. "I wish we had some way to help that young one - that would prove we mean no harm. But I suppose, if it won't let us get too close, maybe anything we do might make matters worse again..."

OOC - Hint hint, oh human-with-a-Vi-potion ;).
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

Post by beowuuf »

Completely subjective on my part. You have absolutely no ability 'as standard' to read any creature except something close to you. I just thought generic creature versus creature behaviour was something easier to detect. This new stuff... not so much :D Assume you don't get the bonus unless I mention it again.

The creature makes no other actions, nor makes another noise again in response to Ameena's noise.

"Or it might just mean it attacks us and then we will definitely annoy the other one whne we defend ourselves!" says Helm in the darkness, sounding miserable and not completely convinced. "Can we talk again?" he asks, perhaps a little nastily by his tone.

"Look, if...if the creature isn't about to attack us, can we work out if it's safe to open the other door? If it is, you can open the grate and we can close the other door. Or something like that. Please, I just want to get out!"

Lol, well given all that's happened you can forgive him not exactly remembering himself...nor given the current situation, even if he does remember, he might want to keep it incase he gets attacked.
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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OOC - Heh, another reason, then, for Ameena not to just come out and ask him for it even if she happens to remember he's got it. Which, so far, she hasn't ;).

BIC - Ameena can't help feeling that they're somehow going in circles.
"I know." she replies. "I know you want to get out - so do I. But I don't want to just open that other door and find there are more of those soldiers behind it. Especially not with that young one there, wounded. If I had any way of healing, I would try to do so, then bring the young one here, to where the older one can see it. Well, at least, however these creatures sense things in the dark. Maybe they can see the warmth of living things - I've met creatures who could do that."
A thought occurs to her, and she decides to voice it, albeit a little hesitantly.
"I think that maybe you don't completely want to open that other door anyway - you surely know how, but you haven't, yet. So maybe...maybe you want to help these creatures too, or maybe you don't want there to be soldiers behind it. I don't want to risk letting any such people through - there's a life at risk. That one called Drommal described the creatures of this place as...abominations, I think was the word he used. Or maybe vermin. Anyway, he was sort of looking at me when he said it as well, even though I'm nor from anywhere near here. I didn't quite understand his thinking, but anyway, since all the other soldiers seem to do what he says, they might attack us if they saw us, or if they saw one of these creatures. Maybe that's why they attacked us. The creatures, I mean - maybe they're used to the soldier people coming in and hurting them, and that's why they attacked us when we came walking past - because you're human too, so maybe they thought you were one of them."

OOC - Hopefully Helm might agree to that, again if he remembers the existence of the potion - heal the baby one and bring it to the gate and see what mummy does. But again, like you said (and I think I'd thought of this already myself anyway), he might just want to keep the potion for use by himself if he gets hurt if there turn out to be soldiers in the way or something.
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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Interesting tactic and insights! As to the flask, you are right, he might want the potion for himself. Or might have forgotten about it in the frankly terrifying events as he's experienced them. Or even, just not want to heal a creature that might attack him. Still...

Helm seems shocked when the questioning is brought back around to him. "I...what? I Just don't want to open the door and leave you defenseless if I can help it! If the solders come, so what? I can talk to them, at worst they would just capture me again, and I slipped the ropes last time. No, I mean, I...look, people who you can reason with and trick are better than creatures you can't speak to! And I want to see again! You can...smell...your surroundings. I can barely see at the door!"

"Look, maybe the creatures only attacked because they were attacke,d maybe you are right. Or maybe they would anyway - they are creatures of chaos! This is his dungeon! You don't know some of the horrors I have seen in the last day of being here. The soldiers....people...they're not the worst. But if you insist on helping the creatures, the soldiers might find you anyway and kill you all. Or the creatures might turn on you! At least you know the soldiers don't want you dead. We could escape! We...we need to be concentrating on hiding you, or figuring out how to sneak passed them! I thought you wanted out, and now you want to die? I... I don't see why you think these creatures are anything but monsters!"

Helm is obviously rambling, even pleading.

Helm is perhaps confused enough not to go back and try to open the door, which is pretty good going, but isn't yet convinced. Obviously, if Ameena tried to trigger the door anyway, or perhaps showed the little creature was not just a monster, it might work to force Helm to do something.
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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OOC - Yeah, he's being a little...erm...thick-headed right now, it seems ;). Meaning, his head is thick enough to not let in anything like reasoning or logic - it's all just bouncing off. Not that he's "thick" as in "stupid" ;).

BIC - Somehow, Ameena realises she feels more comfortable in this situation than she has done with any so far, maybe because it hasn't involved any kind of physical violence, or even the immediate threat of it.
"Let me see..." she says thoughtfully. "Let me just think through this. You think the soldiers might capture you again. If they do, you might not be able to escape like you did before. Or maybe they won't even bother just capturing you, especially if they know about...about what happened before. You were there - they might not know or care that you didnt' join in the fighting. As for me, well, it seemed as though Drommal might have been happy to just...well, kill me. Maybe he would have, if the others hadn't been there. I certainly got the impression that...that he didn't really want me around. And he kept calling me a rat, implying that he didn't think I was even sentient. As for these creatures, what do you mean, they can't be spoken to? It's what I've ben trying to do, isn't it? And it seems this one understands...something. If all it...she...he...wanted was to destroy us, why has...she...stopped pounding on the door? If all you wanted was to kill someone and nothing else, why stop trying just because they start trying to make the same kind of noises as you?"
Ameena realises her rate of speech has started to increase slightly, and makes a mental note to continue talking in the slightly slower way that murafu adopt when addressing non-murafu species. She also, perhaps a little abruptly, has a slight change of tone.
"It might not matter to you," she goes on, sounding not quite desperate, but certainly earnest, "because you're not a murafu. I know that other species, like yours, don't necessarily care about the same things as we, the Murafu, do, and I don't think I'll ever quite manage to understand such ways of thinking. But we don't like to see things hurt. Even fierce, hungry predators who try to eat us. We only try to distract or drive them off so that they don't or can't continue to hunt us any more. And we certainly wouldn't try to harm their Young."
Standing upright, she gestures with a paw in the direction of the next room, an instinctive gesture which she realises, even as she makes it, that neither of them can see.
"There is a young one through there," she says, "wounded. Hurt. I can't see it, but I can smell the blood. I know that creature must be in pain. If that was a human young one, maybe a human of a tribe you knew to be only ever hostile toward you, wanting to hurt or kill you at any opportunity, would you still leave one of their Young to lie there in pain? Maybe even leave them to die? What if you could help that young one, and bring them back to their family? What if it turned out that the tribe only attacked you on sight every time because they just thought the same of you as you did of them - that you would try to hurt them whenever you could? Suppose that by bringing their wounded young one back to them, you would prove that you weren't what they thought, and in accepting the gesture, those people proved in turn that your opinion had been wrong as well? How would you know if you didn't do anything about it?"
Ameena pauses briefly, but then goes on before Helm has a chance to argue, if argue he plans to do...
"I want to help that young one." she says, resolved to the idea. "Suppose we can help - what harm can come to us from that one small one? It seems the larger one can't get to us - after all that banging, the door is still firm. I think that if the small one does try to attack us, it will only be because of fear. I'll try and approach - now that I know I can communicate, however vaguely, I want to try that. If you don't want to help, then...well, it's not as if anyone will try to force you. Maybe I can get the young one over to the door, here. Then I can see what the larger one will do."

OOC - Whooo...that turned out to be a bit long, didn't it? Meh, put it down to Ameena finally being let loose verbally - she can unleash a torrent of (persuasive, I hope) chatter now that she's not in immediate danger of being stabbed, stepped on, fireballed, or otherwise dealt with in an unpleasant manner by anyone nearby ;). Anyway, in case another Diplomacy roll is neede for that verbal avalanche she's just unleashed against poor Helm, let's see...and please I hope it's a good one this time...iiiiit's...ohhh FFS lol. Crit-fail :P. Yes I know, crits don't apply in anything but combat in this version but meh. So that's 5 (1+4). I hope it turns out the roll isn't needed - that would be good ;).
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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Very persuasive, so no diplomacy roll needed. If you like, that previous roll can be what happened last post, where Helm wasn't quite convinced! I think that verbal outpouring of logic and earnestness will probably get him.

Ameena doens't hear anything for a few moments. "I suppose the small ones backed off when they got hurt," he says reluctantly. "I'm sorry, most things in life don't tend to show kindness with kindness. I don't think to try anymore. Look...I'll...I'll watch out for you, if you are going to be dealing with the little one. I ...I can sort of see near the door if I adjust my eyes. But if I'm going to stay and watch out for you...you've got to promise me that if you can't make the creature understand you, you won't get to close and we'll leave it. And...and you'll concentrate on getting out of here and past the soldiers?" Helm sounded very nervous about the soldiers now, perhaps Ameena had been too good in her pointing out the dangers of them.


Helm's opposed rolls have been funny - he was only on a 10 to your first 8 and tied on your 12 last time. Your last entreaty doesn't really need a roll to ensure you succeed, but I did roll and got a 13 to your 5 - hence why Helm wants Ameena to promise a few things first. But I'm making him agreeable jsut wanting reassurances, not making counter-arguments .

Whew, sorry that one took a little longer, I decided to stick to my guns on who Helm and the creatures were, rather than twist them to the narrative. Hope it made it a more interesting victory and not annoying!. Right, let's see how that lil one is now...
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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Ameena considers this, briefly.
"Leave the young one to the soldiers if it won't let me approach?" she says, rephrasing slightly what Helm has just asked her to promise. "We know the soldiers come this way - this is the way Drommal and the others brought us before. Maybe that's why the older one is so keen to get through, knowing this."
She drops back to all-fours and starts to move back around the room again, following the wall with her whiskers as before and moving at a reasonable pace since she now knows the layout of this part of the room.
"We'll just see what happens, I suppose..." she says, referring to the wounded creature and hoping, hoping that said creature will react positively. She has a feeling that Helm may not want to wait much longer. Somehow she feels she'd much rather deal with the strange screeching creatures than the (to her) even stranger human soldiers.
"You'd better not make any sound." she adds as a thought comes to her. "Let me try to communicate in their way..."
As she approaches the area where she knows the wounded one to be, Ameena slows down so that she's only moving one slow step at a time, still on all-fours. She starts making quiet squeaking noises, trying to make herself sound peaceful and non-aggressive, though knowing so little of their language as she does, she has no real way to tell exactly what she's saying. She just hopes that quiet sounds imply less aggression than louder ones.
She advances slowly in this way, ready to stop moving immediately if the wounded creature gives any sign that it doesn't' want her near.

OOC - I think Sensing Motive might be a good idea for this, soooo...whee that's better...24 (16+8) :).
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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Perhaps Helm was just happy that Ameena seemed to ahve moved away from the clanking potential death in the dark, and did not spot how non-commital her acceptance of the terms were.

He murmers a quick 'ok' and settles down in the dark, again perhaps reassured by how his eyes had managed to subtle try to adjust to the bare minimum of light that was fighting to escape from the tight crack of the doorway.

There is a gentle 'bang' again from the door, as the larger creature can obviously see Ameena walk away, and it makes the same low squeaking noise. Ameena of course starts making those sounds to where she can still smell the weaker one, and once asgain swears she can see its vague outline.

There is a very weak 'squeak' noise, semi-imitating ameena's noises. The murafu cannot see any sudden movements like last time, and there does not feel like an aggression in the resonses to her own random noises.

Still, the calls are very weak. Ameena feels that the creature is dong worse than before. However, surely if it was feeling that bad, it would have tried to at least shuffle away even if it did not feel it could fight anymore. Surely, this meant the creature was slightly more amendable to Ameena getting closer.

Surely?

Could you roll me a 'bluff' check? That's the closest to non-verbal communication of what you mean. Also, you can assume the creature will let you close enough to touch it this time - though what it does once you have touched it...that you'll have to find out!

Edit: Oh, and note that a general wisdom check will let you try and figure out what's wrong with the poor critter... though as you don't have any ranks in Heal, and can't see, it might not be completely helpful.
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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OOC - Bluff? Even though Ameena's not trying to deceive anyone...Diplomacy, surely? Oh well, if you want Bluff...whoops. Umm...3 lol (2+1). As for the Wisdom check, yeah fair enough Amena won't be able to tell much - she'll be working by touch and smell, I suppose. Sooo, Wisdom check = 9 (8+1). Great, so the critter's probab;y gonna suddenly freak out and Ameena can't tell what the hell is wrong with it, lol.

BIC - Ameena inches closer, her nose ahead of her feet seeing as she's still moving on all-fours, until her whiskers brush the creature. She starts to sniff about, still making the faint squeaking noises but worrying about the current state of the young one. Slowly, carefully, tentatively, she reaches out her right forepaw toward the creature until she touches it, slowly stroking it once in a manner that she hopes is reassuring - while stroking isn't a normal murafu gesture, she's seen it used enough by some species on others in order to soothe and calm and other such effects. She even remembers experiencing it herself on occasion. A slightly odd sensation, she recalls, in that it was unfamiliar to her at the time, yet still, by no means unpleasant.

OOC - I would have Ameena make a quiet report to Helm from where she is, but given those crappy rolls I thought I'd better leave it till I know what the critter is going to do. Even if it tries to push her away, retreat, or attack, Ameena's still probably gonna say pretty much the same thing. You can assume she'll stroke it (I presume she's got a leg there rather than the main body of the critter) a few more times if the creature shows no sign of disliking it.
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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no adverse reactions, so feel free to post more!
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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OOC - Groovy :D.

BIC - Ameena backs way slightly and turns her head in Helm's direction in order to address him.
"I think it's getting worse." she says, worriedly. "But I don't know how to heal. The Murafu tend to use herbs and leaves and things when one of us is injured - there are plenty we know of that you can just put on a wound, even with no real knowledge of healing skills, and they'll help. But I have no such thing here."
She glances back in the direction of the door, behind which the larger creature still waits, though of course she still can't see anything.
"Maybe we can get this one over there..." she says, then muses quietly, almost to herself, "It's times like this when I sometimes wonder whether it's possible to get magic inside me from somewhere..."
She decides that she'd better keep some attention focused on the wounded creature, however, and moves a little closer, trying to feel for its body with her whiskers in order to perhaps find where, and how badly, it's wounded.
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Re: Ameena's BIG (and last?) adventure!

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Since you seem to be around, make one fiiiiiiiiinal Diplomacy check agains Helm. Its the last one, I promise :D

Since you play 4th ed, you'll know better the idea of skill challenges. Its so hard to do anything even passing one (somethign thta requires multiple actions and skill checks) in a PbP, just because of the time sink nature of it compared to what's actualy happening! At least, it's hard to make small ones work, anyway.
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