Heroica RPG - Quest #90: A Trip to the Circus

[Darkdragon]

"Cinna, at your service. "

[Cryos]

Baradock does a lazy motion with his hand, "Baradock."

[StickFig]

"I'm Matthias," comes a bass voice from somewhere behind the group and at about knee level.

Edited May 13, 2014 by nstickney

[Waterbrick Down]

"Can I get some help here?"

"Just one sec' Mirona."

The Norn moves behind the wagon to assist with unloading a trunk. Moments later a U'Kin comes round the other side.

"Now where were we?"

Edited December 20, 2013 by Waterbrick Down

[Vash the Stampede]

"Now where were we?"

"Borris I assume."

[Waterbrick Down]

"Borris I assume."

The U'kin winked.

"Was it that obvious?"

Edited December 20, 2013 by Waterbrick Down

[Vash the Stampede]

"We've met everyone in the circus troupe, Borris is the only one who we haven't met that should be around."

[Waterbrick Down]

"Ah well, I get bored easily. Yes I am indeed Borris the Brilliant, illusionist and ringleader of our merry little group. I guess to fill you all in we're actually going to be skipping Nerstew and heading west. My troupe and I have been hired to accompany a visiting diplomat to Baltarok and we thought we could use a little help from some experienced adventures to get us there safely."

Edited December 20, 2013 by Waterbrick Down

[Purpearljellyblob]

"Ah well, I get bored easily. Yes I am indeed Borris the Brilliant, illusionist and ringleader of our merry little group. I guess to fill you all in we're actually going to be skipping Nerstew and heading west. My troupe and I have been hired to accompany a visiting diplomat to Baltarok and we thought we could use a little help from some experienced adventures to get us there safely."

"What about Baltarok and the diplomat? I am afraid this is my first time travelling up to the High Kingdoms, so I am rather unfamiliar with the area."

[Waterbrick Down]

"What about Baltarok and the diplomat? I am afraid this is my first time travelling up to the High Kingdoms, so I am rather unfamiliar with the area."

"Oh, here I'm sure one of these will be handy then."

Borris, pulled a map out and spread it before the heroes.

"As some of you may be aware, your organization was founded after the defeat of Tarokai and his orcish armies who had invaded the High and Low Kingdoms about 250 years back. The orcs were routed and those that escaped were pushed back to their homeland of Baltarok, a shattered and disbanded people. Around that time the two main factions of the High Kingdom were formed, that of the Red Lizard and the Four Boulders. Things have been relatively peaceful until most recently. The High Kingdoms have began the construction of a great bridge to span the Navaosh river connecting the kingdoms to Baltarok. As with any great undertakings there's been all the usual rumors and gossip going around. Some claim it's a step towards greater economic prosperity and peace between the two countries, others think it's just an open invitation for invasion from either side. Either way, tensions have been building on both sides of the river and to make matters worse, King Valentino of the Red Lizards was recently taken prisoner by one of the orcish clans who it seems aren't very open to bargaining.

On top of all that, there's the ever present threat of Fire Nord raids all along the coast, though I believe they recently entered into some sort of treaty with the Kingdom of the Four Boulders. That's where we're at currently."

Borris pointed to a point to a point on the coast just east of the Four Boulders icon.

"Any who, we're about a day's walk or so from one of those Nord outposts. We're on our way to... you might say, 'pick up' Grishnod Ironnose, the diplomat I mentioned, from his stay with the Fire Nords."

[StickFig]

"...King Valentino of the Red Lizards was recently taken prisoner by one of the orcish clans who it seems aren't very open to bargaining..."

"Any who, we're about a day's walk or so from one of those Nord outposts. We're on our way to... you might say, 'pick up' Grishnod Ironnose, the diplomat I mentioned, from his stay with the Fire Nords."

Matthias' face becomes suspicious... "When you say, 'pick up,' I get the feeling like he may not be free to simply walk out with us...."

Edited May 13, 2014 by nstickney

[Waterbrick Down]

Matthias' face becomes suspicious... "When you say, 'pick up,' I get the feeling like he may not be free to simply walk out with us...."

"He is being rather "detained" you might say by the Fire Nords. They're not big fans of letting orcish warlords wander around their camps."

[Vash the Stampede]

"When you say, 'pick up,' I get the feeling like he may not be free to simply walk out with us...."

"He is being rather "detained" you might say by the Fire Nords. They're not big fans of letting orcish warlords wander around their camps."

"Not that I care but this was hardly in the job description. Any particular reason why?"

[StickFig]

"Not that I care but this was hardly in the job description. Any particular reason why?"

Matthias looks from Glup to Mirona to Nelvin and then back to Borris, and mumbles under his breath, "I get it. It's a setup. We're not escorting a circus, that's just a cover story to get us here."

Edited May 13, 2014 by nstickney

[Vash the Stampede]

"I get it. It's a setup. We're not escorting a circus, that's just a cover story to get us here."

Dreyrugr's vampiric ears perk up at this. He would normally agree but Heroica would've most likely taken the job either way so hiding the job like that would've been strange, as well as the fact that they had no obligation to continue their job if it changed so drastically but Dreyrugr decided to tell that to the Gnome later as he awaited his reply.

[Waterbrick Down]

"It's... complicated. As I said there's a lot of tensions amid eveyone on the two continents currently. King Valentino, he was captured by ol' Grishnod's clan, not but a month or so later Grishnod gets snatched by the Fire Nords. The Fire Nords aren't much for barginning either it seems, or at least not reasonably and the peace between them and the Four Boulders kingdom is fragile enough. Thus I think you can see why we didn't want to exactly advertise our breaking Grishnod out from the Fire Nords in order to arrange a prisoner swap in Baltarok for Valentino. No lying, we still need you to provide an escort for us, we're just going to make a brief detour in Fire Nord country first. Discuss it between yourselves, we'll still be paying, but we want yer assurance you'll all in, one wrong move on our part and we could end up startimg another bloody war."

[Purpearljellyblob]

"Life as we know, is never smooth sailing. Even when backup plans are in place, things might not always happen as we would like to be. Our main objective is to keep this circus troupe safe and I shall honour that, even if it is a detour, for it is still our responsibility to protect them. I am in."

[Vash the Stampede]

"I doesn't bother me whatever we do. If we're voting on this I'll go with undecided/don't care etc."

[Costy]

"Breaking someone out seems kinda fun, I'm in."

[Cryos]

Baradock looks idly at the team, to no one in particular he spoke up through his broad accent. "This has the bad juju written all over it. Not our place to do this 'breaking someone out.'" He crossed his arms, looking between the party and the circus troupe. It was obvious were he stood on the idea of the plan. It would take some major convincing to make him feel otherwise.

Edited December 22, 2013 by Cryos

[StickFig]

Baradock... crossed his arms, looking between the party and the circus troupe. It was obvious were he stood on the idea of the plan.

Looking past Baradock towards the troupe, Matthias' eyes are wistful. There's adventure here... "I'm in."

Edited May 13, 2014 by nstickney

[Darkdragon]

"I'd not like to be party to starting another war. What is it exactly that you think we will need to do, apart from escorting your group? Are you planning on us having an active part in this breakout? Have you tried negotiating with the captors?"

[Waterbrick Down]

"I'd not like to be party to starting another war. What is it exactly that you think we will need to do, apart from escorting your group? Are you planning on us having an active part in this breakout? Have you tried negotiating with the captors?"

"We could try breaking Grishnod out on our own, but like I said we are mere circus performers not warriors. There has been some discussion between the kingdoms and the Nords about letting the orc go in order to secure Valentino's release, but from my understanding, the Nords' terms have been too great. They've got nothing to lose in this whole affair, they see no reason to be reasonable. Currently they are not aware of our presence and I'd like to keep it that way, if our actions were traced back to either of the kingdoms it would shatter the already shaky treaty. "

[Darkdragon]

"I see. Well, you hired us to escort you and we'll do that at the least. I can't speak for the rest of the team on helping with the ... rescue .. but you can count on me for that as well. I do feel that there should be some additional compensation for the aditional danger of your additional task."

[Purpearljellyblob]

"We could try breaking Grishnod out on our own, but like I said we are mere circus performers not warriors. There has been some discussion between the kingdoms and the Nords about letting the orc go in order to secure Valentino's release, but from my understanding, the Nords' terms have been too great. They've got nothing to lose in this whole affair, they see no reason to be reasonable. Currently they are not aware of our presence and I'd like to keep it that way, if our actions were traced back to either of the kingdoms it would shatter the already shaky treaty. "

"Looks like our U'kin friend here has a plan to save this Orc. Besides, anyone would need some entertainment from a circus every now and then."