Not to complain more about something that Jacob's working to change, but is Blogger being a pain for other people too? Like, I hit a button, and it doesn't seem to do anything, and I have to change a URL by hand or publish by hand to kick it into action? Maybe it's just my browser doing something weird...

"All right, let's not agitate this situation into something more dangerous. Right now, that's just a scared little boy who's lost his parents awakened in the middle of the night. Let's keep it that way. Bishop -- the ogre mage had a little boy, who you heard just now...Grell, if you could fill in the gaps for your patient? I'll try to calm the kid down...Drusilla, you cover me from the bedroom entrance, just in case. Everyone else, stay out here."

[Bob TB] If Jacob weren't offline this weekend, I'd have suggested different assignments, but as it is this might move things along faster.

Heading into the back room, first I listen to tell if he's just fallen back asleep. If he's still agitated, I softly call out "There, there, Rugrat, you go back to sleep...all these people will go away in the morning..."
posted by Scholeologist at 6/05/2004 07:25:00 AM

Oops, looking back I see that obviously the chainmail shirt trade happens in the morning, since that's when Bishop will bring up the black chainmail. Jacob mentioned the sword and rapier -- Barik wouldn't be particularly interested in those, even if he wasn't oversatisfied with the book, blurry cloak, and mail shirt upgrade. Seems to me Bishop should replace his sword, and Linnam would look much more dashing with a rapier. (mmm...Weapon Finesse...)

And I forgot to mention: during my watch I'll take a look at the prayer book of Clangeddin. Can I see what these prayers aim to do without invoking them?
posted by Scholeologist at 6/04/2004 07:45:00 PM

When Grell says there was scratching at the door, Barik goes out and does a recon of the area, telling Grell to see what's up if I'm not back in a couple of minutes. I'll look for tracks around the door, then do lots of listening and looking around in the tunnel and just outside. In particular, I'm thinking Rugrat might have gotten lonely, and after I've looked around, if I don't notice anything, I'll call out "Rugrat? Are you out there? It's Hairy Bear...are you there, Rugrat?"

If that doesn't lead anywhere, then when I come back, I will untie Slthm. In response to Grell: "I have trusted my life with each of this brave band, including Slthm, and shall do so again. Indeed, I owe my life to his people. If you think these consequences you describe are necessary, so be it. While I do not condone his behavior, which I was not witness to, I will not leave an ally trussed up like a prisoner."

If untying wakes him up, I'd be interested in hearing Slthm's version of events before he goes back to sleep, but it's up to him. The fact that Slthm won't be tied up when Dru starts her watch might affect her plans with Strae, and/or lead to an interesting conversation between her and Barik at the changing of the guard.

Barik's fine with the changing of mail shirts, which I assume'll happen in the morning.
posted by Scholeologist at 6/04/2004 06:37:00 PM

Like the majority, I think Slthm shouldn't change.

Barik doesn't feel strongly about who gets which chain shirt, although as a front line fighter who needs to wear light armor, Bob reckons he needs all the AC help he can get.

By "maxed out" on weight, I assume you mean you can't carry any more and stay in the "light" category. Barik's in essentially the same boat. I wouldn't be surprised if almost everyone is. The only real penalty for Barik to go into the next category is in skill checks, as far as I can tell. Of course, now might be the time we need a good move silently roll...

I'm in favor of leaving lots of stuff here in the ogre house, maybe locked up in the chest. There's a chance it might get taken, or claimed by something else, while we're gone, but then we'll just take it back from them. :)

With Durin backing Grell's account of events, Barik doesn't immediately pursue the issue, but he does make sure Slthm is okay.

If, when it's my watch, Slthm is awake and isn't a snarling freak, I untie him. If Slthm isn't awake, then when Grell and I are trading off, I ask if Grell's earlier comment about consequences was meant to say that Slthm was a danger to the party. Assuming Grell doesn't say something along the lines of "he was a savage ravening beast and he'll kill us all in our sleep," I untie him.
posted by Scholeologist at 6/03/2004 05:18:00 PM

It may be that I lacked the courage to do what had to be done; I am sorry for that. But I am sorry for him, too. I do not like to think of him flying alone through the woods looking for a mother who will never come.

"Indeed, he is easy to feel sorry for. It is a harsh world we live in, where a child must suffer so for the wickedness of his father. But that is indeed the way it is, and though he is young, he deserved to hear the truth -- or as near to it as he could understand -- and make his own decisions. We of all people are cold comfort indeed for him. And cold comfort it is for us, that now, unhappy though he is, he is at least not destined to learn the cruel and evil ways of his father."

When we go in and see Slthm unconscious and bound: "What the hell's going on here?"

Does anyone reply?
posted by Scholeologist at 6/03/2004 04:37:00 AM

"Durin? If this is your urgrosh, then allow me to happily return it to you. Is this your book, also?

(If Durin doesn't take either of them, I'm interested in them.)

"I'll leave you [Drusilla, Slthm, Grell] to pore over these arcane items. When he recovers, we should have Bishop take a look at those arrows, and see if he can make something of them.

"I think I'm going to check on Linnam. Charmed or no, running off alone was not his brightest idea. I've got the whistle -- I'll blow a signal if there's a problem. And when you have a spare moment, see if you can find out what he meant by `another way out'. I'd like our night watch to cover all the entrances. Whether he's trouble or not, having Rugrat sneak back in without us knowing it would be -- unsettling.

"Also, it wouldn't hurt to bar the door after me. Linnam or I can knock when we want to get back in."

With that, I head out and take a look around the tunnel, and then creep to the mouth of the tunnel to see if I can spot Linnam.
posted by Scholeologist at 6/01/2004 09:03:00 AM