At times, I may have petitioners attend the court for you to decide some important matter. Typically, your underlings handle trivial details before they ever reach you. Today, you have a very rare occurrence.



Gerald is a human rogue with dark hair, he's young but he has recently been pummelled and tortured. He has a black eye and appears gaunt. He is disarmed and his leather armor has been shredded. It hangs from his body.

His story initially was that he was lost and accidentally found his way into the cavern. "I was looking for a way out" he told the guards that captured him. However, he managed to sneak past the initial guards in the under cavern before almost reaching the Main cavern. He was armed with two non-magical daggers and had thieves tools on him.

He eventually revealed the truth to Skarsnik.

"I am an adventurer from Castlemere" the human admits. His language is a crude approximation of the dark tongue. It is clearly not his native language. He struggles to find the right words and pauses several times to correct himself.

Skarsnik encourages him to "keep going" with a stick to the back of his head. Skarnsnik already reported what he knew to the Herald. You know that a supposed Madman living in AC'scrin gave him some idea that the great mountain contained riches and he sought them out.

"Please have mercy, your magnificence..I stole nothing..I meant no harm. Had I known you were so fierce and so many, I would never have dared.."


This message was last edited by the GM at 20:18, Tue 12 Mar.

"I might consider taking this manling as a pet" offered Nyvrae thoughtfully, "To see if they can be trained and set to use within the Undermountain"

"I'm inclined to agree with you" I'd say, speaking with an air of dignity and a sort of foreboding edge. It was the voice I reserved for when I was in front of minions. "Though I can't see what use he'd be inside the cavern. And we certainly can't let him leave now can we?"

Nyvrae peered at the human, looming over them and studying them as if a choice morsel, "We have plenty of unexplored ruins that might suit a creature who carries such delicate tools. We might even let him keep some of what he finds, if he was well-behaved"

dr'Ozomocryr grumbles a bit as he considered the matter. "He could teach some of the goblins the human tongue, and his skill set for stealth. If so I would agree to keep him as a pet for you. If you so desire. Some goblins with the ability to stealth, and such might help us to study and spy on the humans better."  The dragon mused over the thought.

If we decide to keep this interloper as a pet I suggest having a means of tracking its location at will, less chance of misplacing or loosing it
ChuGuing suggests encouragingly

Vashitris would nod. "Great suggestion. Though I don't think we have anything like that, mayhaps we could assign a goblin to watch him till proven trustworthy?" Vishitris would suggest thoughtfully. This idea intrigued her, an artifact that could perform a function like that would indeed be fascinating.

Caliphaer approached gracefully from the shadows.

"Hmmm well well well. What have we here? You all wish to keep this human as a pet?"

He began sizing up the small frightened man.

"Piffle! He's twice the size of a goblin. You'd need two and a leash at least."

"He has shown he can be well-mannered though", observed Nyvrae, acknowledging the well-place use of 'your magnificiences'

Vishitris would still keep her dignified voice but an air of amusement would enter into it. "Caliphaer, are you suggesting one of our wonderful, powerful goblins can't handle the puny human? Just because the human is twice as tall doesn't mean a goblin can't handle him. I would think you out of all of us would recognize this." Vishitris would say. Less disagreing with Calipher and more giving him advice. The sentece was more teasing. Though she disguised it well enough to arue that she was certianly not teasing him in the momment.

"Nyvrae also has a point, he did address us properly. Though that could have been learned during his time in the dungeon."

Caliphaer chuckled.

"I think if he slipped past the upper guard, he may be able to do it again. It is not his power I address, dear cousin, merely his speed and slipperiness."

He scratches his chin and leans back.

"Although, such skill could come in handy. And as you have said, he has good manners...Yes. He could train the upper guard in the ways he employed to sneak past them, reducing future interlopers."

Ozo says "Well if you don't want to cripple him to keep him from such foolishness. As his skills are what we wish to keep intact I suppose.. perhaps assign him a dragonkin guard." The way that Ozo said it was that he would be totally okay with crippling the human if that was needed.

"A pet? No, My lords, I have a family back home..." Gerald quivers,

Skarsnik the Goblin Warlord snickers sadistically. "Oi, Aye? Tell us all about the wife you have, and the many mouths you 'ave to feed waiting for you back home? Why wuz you not going about some honest work to put food in their mouth instead of skulking through our caverns trying to knick off with some bits and bobs of dragon's treasure? Seems like if you've a mind to put food on the table and protect your young, you'd have stayed a bit closer to home?"

Clearly, he does not believe the Rogue.

Sadly, neither do you. Despite the many hard-luck and sob stories that Gerald spins, stemming from his abusive step-father, scheming brothers who stole his inheritance, his reluctance to become a thief "I was forced to do it, you see? A guild said they would kill my own mom if I didn't join them!", his only desire to be a peaceful trader, and a good husband and father. Judging by this human's age, he would have had to have the first of his nine hungry but well behaved children as a young teenager.

It would be amusing, if not for the fact you detect this to be a total fabrication, spoken by someone who is desperate for mercy.

Gerald can see it in your eyes that you do not believe his story. "Please, let me go..please, please please. I promise I'll stay on the straight and narrow and go home and become a lumber jack or an honest trade..I swear it, by all the Gods!" he sputters and begs.







Reference:

11:15, Today: Dungeon Master, for the NPC Gerald, rolled 1 using 1d20.  Gerald's Lies - high is convincing. – 1

11:12, Today: Dungeon Master, for the NPC Gerald, rolled 7 using 1d20.  Reaction to Pet - high is acceptance. – 7
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:25, Wed 13 Mar.

Kyrantrix had been content enough to listen and to bide her time. Some gatherings passed with her seldom saying a word, allowing the others to probe and push their ideas about, but as the human fell to pieces she stirred from atop her perch.

“And what worth has your word?” She rumbled, the thrum of her voice stirring up dust. “You tell us plain that you will always cave under pressure, always yield to threats and violence. So why then would we believe that you can be trusted to keep your mouth shut? What matter your promises when another might tear the truth from you?”

She loomed great and terrible in the half-dark, baleful light glinting from her false eye. “Whatever life you had is ended, worm. Give up these foolish dreams of freedom, and concern yourself only with how you might prove useful.”

This was why Vashitris liked Kyrantrix. She was brave enough to say what they were all thinking [or at least what Vishitris was thinking]. While Vashitris did her best to support Kyrantrix when she did this. Vishitris actually had a crafty solution to this problem. “Now, Kyrantrix, while there is truth in all your words. Disgruntled creatures don’t usually make for great pets or minions. While inflicting misery is positively delightful.” She’d actually say that sentence with joy. “Too much a cause bothersome issues. I say we kill the family along with the madman so the pet doesn’t have to worry about them and is free to focus on serving us.” Vashitris would grin smugly down at Gabriel. She knew his words had been a lie, but this way they probably wouldn’t get such drivel again.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:51, Wed 13 Mar.

Nyvrae raised an eyebrow, definitely amused, but let his kindred play for a time

"Just eat the worthless cur, and end his prattle, all powerful Majesties," Skarsnik grows bored of watching the human cower.


"We could use another slave in the spider pits," Astralgyx muses.


"Have you no mercy?" Zorf appears to be amused by the suggestions and is clearly being sarcastic. "He's a pretty lad. We could let his hair grow out, paint his face up nicely and have him as a feature performer in the taverns of the lower cavern."


None of these fates sound particularly good to Gerald. He doubles down on begging for his life, almost moved to tears as he realizes he will probably never leave these caverns. You notice that he does not beg for the lives of his family or the madman, only his own.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:31, Wed 13 Mar.

Ozo seems amused by his begging. "Tell me human. Why should we let you live? You don't seem particularly trustworthy. And  the more you speak the less I seem to think you would make a good pet for ve'Nyvrae. Would you work to train goblins for us in the stealth and ways of your people? Do you require legs for that? If so you might live. If not... I vote we send him to the spiderpit."