An unheard of opportunity


#41

Junior Inquisitor Barov frowned slightly, "That attack is going to happen regardless of what happens here, our spies have informed us that that location is greatly significant to those who are planning a large scale attack upon Church lands.
Besides, even if I ran back as fast as I could, I could never get there in time to explain things. The battle would probably be over by the time I arrive. Even if I got there faster, I would have to explain everything that happened here and work out details on that end. Anything that we agree to here will have to be enacted after that battle takes place.

Win or lose, we will keep tp any deal that we make here. If we lose we will not counter attack those who agree to this treaty. If we win we will not use the oasis as a staging ground against any who agree to this."


#42

(Out of character - the attack on the oasis is an unexpected ambush as mper the mission posted, by the time people at this meeting would hear about it the battle would already be happening thus too late to stop it)


#43

“Understandable, it takes time for orders to travel. As there is nothing we acan do about this, I would suggest that all of us agree to take news fo this discussion back to our respective leaders and then meet back here in a week if able. That should give time for orders to be passed. As these things take time, i would suggest that all sides try to understand that what will happen in the next few days will not have been impacted by these talks, and to not hold such actions against the others. For what we discuss must reach the ears of our elders before they can decide and speak to the rest of the tribes,” states Nameless.

Looking around, he checks to see what the other think of his words.


#44

That is agreeable on my end, no matter what happens I will come back to this place next week so we can continue the discussion.


#45

Vektor chortles, “Brez is not near Bartsport. Jamestown is not near Bartsport. Everyone has reasons and excuses to act. I asked you a very simple question, and you haven’t answered it. What peace are you offering? Give me a decent answer to that, and I will leave and meet back next week.”


#46

Barov looked confused, "You keep mentioning Brez, what about it? There is no attack going on against Brez, ever since Lord Grimaldus has taken over rulership of the panninsula of man he has made little to no offensive action and has just been attacked again and again. Honestly if anyone should in doubt it should be the Olgog tribes. Everything Lord Grimaldus has done has been in response to being attacked, first at Bartsport then Jamesville. Unless you are condemning him for what the people who were in power before him did. If that is true then I doubt you will be convinced by anything "

(Out of character, the attack is not against Brez, look at the mission again it is against the Oasis of the great Uf. The only time Brez is mentioned is when the players are given the option to retreat to Brez)


#47

Shifting a bit, Tor’Lur also agreed to take word to his Chieftan. “However, I cannot be sure that it will be I that returns in a week.” He stared at the ground awkwardly, not wanting to elaborate.


#48

Jeff stifled a yawn and began to slowly stand up, stretching the kinks in his neck from leaning forward constantly. He looked around at the other Olgogs preparing to leave, and then at Barov.

“Pray tell, good inquisitor, where do you intend to go for this week or so before we meet again? Mayhaps I could go with you as a liaison. It would be simply dreadful if something were to happen to you in transit, and I am sure that Kolgol would be cross with me if you were to die without spreading the results of this meeting. Allow me to accompany you, and don’t worry about my trustworthiness, I can’t even fit my hand in the handle of this thing.”

He pats the pommel of the cutlass, which now that it is pointed out, is notably human sized, with a close fitting cross-guard to cover the hand from enemy blades.


#49

Barov chuckled lightly adter Jeff spoke, "Well, Jeff, I it was my plan to head to Jamesville, they have a radio operator which would allow me to speak to my leadership. I will attempt to inform them about what has occured via radio, however if they wish to have a more personal discussion I will await transportation to take me to whereever they wish to meet.

If I perish before I am able to contact anyone they will assume the mission is a failure and will make no further attempts at negotiations. Most likely they will view it as a guarentee of hightened warfare and probably send additional reinforcements into the area.

As for your accompanying me." Barov laughs a bit again. “Most likely you would be grabbed upon entering Jamesville and you would most likely decorate a cross. The Paladin in charge there has a very very hard line additude. More then likely if we are walking together I would be on the cross next to you, of course we would be tortured first.
So I do not fear you my little man, however like I have said several times, change is slow. Even if this meeting went smoothly and everyone was true to their word, it would still take years to decades for peace to truly be realized. So much hatred can not be forgotten quickly. This is a gradual process that cannot simply be hurried.”


#50

Barov returned to the meeting place, set up a chair for himself, started a new fire and began to cook more lizards. Since the lizards were such a hit last time Barov began cooking 15 of them.
He began to wait for the locals to return, he had several people shoot more arrow messages to bring them back.


#51

Dreg walked slowly up to the fire making sure to be a bit noisy about it so as not to surprise the inquisitor. He sat down on the opposite side if the fire and watched the lizards cook for few moments.
“I’m a little surprised you’ve actually come back. I wouldn’t expect many happy greetings if I was you. Of course I don’t mind much we didn’t really use that oasis anyway. And I guess nobody will now. That’s gonna make further negations rough I bet. Are we still doing that or are you just here to gloat? New guy was betting you’re just here to gloat.”


#52

Inquisitor Initiate Barov, frowned slightly at the response, “No, I am not here to gloat, it was previously discussed that no matter what happens on the battlefield we would keep this line of communication open. Was I not willing to talk when Jamestown was set ablaze? Was I not willing to talk when the bodies of our Paladins were torn apart in several battles where locals slaughtered them? Not sure how suddenly we cannot talk when heaven forbid my side actually wins a few battles” Barov chuckles a bit “The Great Uf was a hot bed of violence, it was being used to gather an army of Gobl…what was that word again? Ooogigs? Aglas, Olgogs, right Olgogs. An entire army of your Olgog friends were gathering there for a great war. If they marched how many Earther towns would have been over run and their populations either slaughtered or held hostage? Are we going to ignore how Simonsburg was overrun by Olgog forces and still to this day its people are held there?
We eliminated a source of conflict that would have spiraled this war out of control, your people snatched land for your own personal gain. If anyone should be gloating it should be you.”


#53

Vektor and Hikiti walked in as they heard Barov speak of gloating for the victory earned at the Great Uf. Vektor’s body burned with fire as his temper flared under control. Seeing he was about to lose control, Hikiti pulled out some urya. However, the ka’or Vektor’s body generated burned the herb and its paper casing immediately, releasing it’s pungent yet sweet odor into the area. Vektor sighed, calmed down enough when Hikiti pulled out another one and handed it to Vektor, he lit it with his remaining temper flare up without consuming the entire unit and began smoking it. Vektor took a deep breath, felt his body relax, and sat down to talk to the Inquisitor and Dreg. Before speaking, he passed it to Hikiti, who took two puffs before returning it to Vektor.

“I was at the Great Uf during the first attack” He took another puff of urya, “It was a religious ceremony. We were gathering to discuss the future of our tribes. It wasn’t just about war on the Earthers. When the Earthers attacked, it began as a standard battle. Your technology versus our numbers. Win or lose, it was a good battle. Until at the moment of defeat, the Earthers chose to kill everyone at the battlefield. Earther, Olgog, Mak Hoblok… everything. That is not victory… that is not war.”

When Vektor took his second puff, Hikiti continued, “I was at the second attack on the oasis. We were trying to purify the land. The Mak Hoblok use that land to live. If the oasis died, hundreds of Mak Hoblok would have nowhere to go. There would be no pelts… not for Olgog, not for Earther. Instead of letting us clean the oasis, the Earthers attacked us again. Once again, when it looked like we might survive… not win, but survive, Earthers unleashed massive bombs that killed Earther and Olgog alike. You may think us evil demons that haunt your lives, steal your children and eat your babies…” Hikiti paused, trying to remember everything that the strange Earther had told him how these Earthers brought up to believe, “but we fight to live. We do not kill for sport, and we do not kill our own tribemen just for the sake of victory.”

Vektor finished off Hikiti’s thought so that the youngling can take a puff of the urya before passing it back to him. “Believe what you wish about war, our people, our intentions… but there will be no gloating. Hundreds are dead, the oasis is gone. Mak Hoblok will leave the area… there will be no food and no pelts. Earthers and Olgog will freeze during the winter and there is nothing to be done about it. There is no victory.”


#54

Barov scoffed "lies, we had ariel survailence there were hundreds upon hundreds of armed Olgogs supplies, weapons, etc. This was a staging ground for an invasion. If the tribes wanted this territory to be avoided they wouldn’t gather their armies in a territory that has significant history of starting wars. The army scattered during the attack, we made sure that far more fled then were killed. Do not think I am stupid, either you do not have any idea about what was actually happening, which is possible or you are lying to justify your anger. Either way what you are saying is not true.

As for the restoration effort, that could not be allowed for the same reason as the first fight. This is a location that has been used and would try to be used to start conflicts. If you were simply using it as a source of water then no one would attacked it. If you notice that location was not attacked before the armies gathered there.

As for the ones who died in the attack, boo hoo. You have your demonic magics that you can use to bring them back to life. We used conventional weapons to make sure of that, do not think I am as ignorant as a serf, I know what you can do. No Olgog was lost forever.

As for the explosions that killed the Paladins? Well they were going to die anyway, we hd a choice to make. Either we let them get overrun and watch as your people kill everyone there, or use the destraction to drive back your soldiers.

These battles were a lesson, if your people mobilize for war they will get war. War is not pretty, it is not clean, not fun. It is ugly and horrible, you think of adventure and “justice” yet all you will get is horror because that is what war truly is. The sooner your people figure that out and actually strive for peace the better you will be.

Also sacking civilian towns is not the path to peace. Unless you are saying will be ok for us to use artillery or gun pods on your tribal villages. Cause we have been avoiding that as of late. If you want total war then we can flatten all of these lands. We do not want to, you have to choose. Peace or war that is why we are here, decide."


#55

Vektor was feeling the effects of the urya. He was contemplative, not combatative. “Earther, what do you know of our history?” Vektor contemplated his next step. Unlike the Karovans, he never grew up listening to the stories of the Yyan empire. However, he had heard the tale a few times while trading with Karovans. “The oasis is called “finality” in our tongue. Its significance in our history as olgogs is unparalleled. It was where our greatest chieftain gathered and united us against oppression. It was the beginning of our greatest victory against the oppressors, Yyan (giants), that enslaved us. The point will always be significant, oasis or not. Destroying the oasis doesn’t make the place any less significant in our history. Destroying the oasis … destroys the oasis.”

He let the point sit while he took another puff and passing back to Hikiti, “Thank you for letting us know the intention of the attacks was to teach us a lesson. That we have no right to gather. No right to unite our tribes as one…because you Earthers will always assume it will be because of and against you. Not because there are Uth slavers that capture us to sell us to Earthers and Uth. Or to defeat the armies of the Yyan should they ever come back to our lands. Thank you for teaching us the lesson that we have no right to be strong, lest we be be considered a threat and must be invaded or destroyed to bits by machinery. Lesson is learned. We must remain weak, splintered, and independent. We have no right to commune.” He looked right into the eyes of the Inquisitor, “Is that the peace you wish to offer us?” There was no anger or hostility in Vektor’s question, he was serene and completely honest as he blew out a perfect O of smoke from his lips.


#56

Dreg spoke up in the pause.
“If I remember we all agreed not to let whatever happened at the Great Uf stop us from trying to make progress. We can argue back and forth about the attack and it will get us no where. I suggest we try to use this as a stepping stone. Tribes that wish can gather at what’s left of the oasis and try to repair the damage again.” He looked up at the inquisitor. “Your forces can watch but will not approach too close. This way we get the oasis back and you can see that is possible for olgogs to gather without attacking you. Further we agree that the oasis be declared neutral. We will all share it but no one will use it for military reasons again.”


#57

Barov laughed and then took a bite out of one of the lizards, "I know history because we keep written records and observe, plus I can read, it is a useful skill. We know that there was an army gathering there because the leaders of the armies were going around announcing that they were going on an offensive against us. We have spies you know, we listen. Feel free to gather together, do you not remember our conversations before the battles? We were discussing you removing the corruptible influences from your society and creating a peace. Of course you would have to unite with the other peace seeking tribes so we can discuss peace. The idea of forming peace treaties with dozens of tiny tribes makes my head ache. You can PEACEFULLY gather together, without armies with the declaration of attacking the Church or its people. Do you not think that we know about your sacking of Simonsburg? Was that in the interest of peace? You condemn our attack while you make an attack at the same time?

You are a hypocrite and a liar, you make up other possibilities that you know aren’t the current situation. If you do not have anything constructive to add to the goal of peace then perhaps you should go back to your warmongering tribe. Fight along side your undead allies and your Pit Mongrel friends and create chaos which creates nothing. You can do that, or you can acknowledge that you were planning on attacking us and we found out.
Yes the fight was a lesson, you feel you are entitled to condemn others and then steal and kill whomever you want with no consequences. You hide behind the idea of “bad guys did things a long time ago so I can do whatever I want since i am mad!” Grow up, things aren’t black and white, you cannot just decide that you are the victim and thus are entitled to do whatever the hell you want. You want to be an ignorant bully go do it with the rest of the trash, if you want to be a leader and actually accomplish something then show it. Be an adult and do something constructive or get the hell out of my camp."

Turning to Dreg “If no armies attempt to use the Oasis then we will not interfere. Also we are fine with it being neutral ground, in fact you can post guards there, we will keep a small group of soldiers a small distance away and we shall send people every once in a while to gather some water. We are fine with that deal.”


#58

From the far side of the firepit, a merry tune is whistled as an olgog walks into the ring of delegates. The olgog wears the same clothes he wore before, and looks equally as dirty, but he has exchanged his tricorned hat for a less conspicuous bandana. He still however, wears the small earther blade at his side, on which the curled cross-guard is far too small for him to fit his hand into. He seizes a lizard from the fire and sits in his former spot, and looks no more comfortable than he did before.

“Your cooking has not improved since last time Barov.” he says, winking at the inquisitor. What is all this about hypocrisy and lies? Dreg is a dear friend, and I’m sure he didn’t mean to come across as the moral degenerate you see him as.

He grimaces as a particularly gristly portion of lizard enters his mouth, and proceeds to chew in silence as he waits for Barov’s response.


#59

Vektor chuckles as the Inquisitor threw accusations at him. The angrier the Earther got, the funnier the Olgog found it. He was about to open his mouth when the worse-for-the-wear olgog walked into camp. He looked at the newcomer and said, “he was calling me a degenerate, not Dreg.”

He looked over at the Earther, “And you, Earther, are a terrible negotiator. Is it an inherent fault of your race, or is it just you?” Hikiti bursts into laughter as he passes the urya back to Vektor, bellowing out a huge cloud of smoke from his lungs.


#60

Barov turns back to Vektor “terrible negotiator? I seem to be working well with this one (points to Dreg) perhaps you are the one who needs practice.”

To the newcomer “Cooking sadly is not my forte, currently the Church values me for my open mind and my ability to not try to kill you all on sight, and like that one said (pointing to Vektor) i was calling him a liar and degenerate as he has decided to make up stories in order to paint me as a villain and all of your kind as innocent victims who weren’t gathering an army at the Oasis of the Great Uf, apparently this (checks a note pad) Gul’al wasn’t gathering tribes there for a strike against the towns and villages of the Church while we plainly saw that she was”