The New Brezan Republic of Simonsburg or ?

#41

Mayor Gottschalk was a bit overwhelmed by so many interjecting all at once, he was suddenly surrounded by Goblins all yelling at him from different directions, took a lot of concentration to figure out their different accents, he thought for a little bit and then decided to start from the first response.

"Tla’al, let me get this straight, you are saying that you attacked this village because you didn’t want it to get stronger, you use the example of the fact that you invaded Jamesville and didn’t destroy it, and in response they fortified the town and attacked you back. So therefore you attack this town…wouldn’t that naturally cause the same response? Won’t the Church come in response to attacking this town?
As for what would I do if there was peace, well the same as I was doing before you came here. Try to keep my people safe and alive, as for wearing you as a coat…how would i do that? Look around at all of us, our clothing is thin it doesn’t keep out the cold much. While I wouldn’t mind a fur coat, look at my people here, the biggest of us hardly compares to any of you. Any attempt on our part to commit violence against you would end in our deaths. That seems to be the disconnect, the armies of the Church might be a danger to you, but we are no threat.

Next to you, the red one. I hardly know what you are talking about. We were living here in our homes, we get news that Jamesville was attacked, we send word to Lord Grimaldus that we are afraid of being attacked. So he contacts Dunesphere and they send workers to build trenches and bunkers. These are not offensive constructions, they are designed to defend the town now to enable attack. Also where would we go? Like i have said before, we hardly have supplies enough to live, much less evacuate the town. We have men, women, children and elderly here, half the town wouldn’t survive the walk to the nearest town, and that is ignoring the very probable attack from raiders or bandits. We are safer here in our town then wandering around outside. Leaving before you came here makes no sense. As for being an overseer, I get no better food or clothing then anyone else in this town. I am Mayor because the town agreed that I am best suited for the job, if the town believes that someone else is better then they would have the job.

Do any of you believe I have any authority over anything besides this town? I have no say about what happens outside this area, don’t know why you are trying to preach to me about history of war in the region. That doesn’t concern me, only the lives of my people and my own. You came crashing into our homes and then condemn us for simply living here, why do we have to explain ourselves? I have yet to hear any good options. I hear death or servitude, i will not condemn my people to such a fate if I have anything to say about it.
I only see suffering for my people, if I am aggressive it is only because I am willing to give my life to see these people safe. I have little hope for us, I have no ability to physically fight even the smallest among you, so I will use my words, I will fight with everything I have to keep my people safe. I know you do not hold much value to our lives, but I will not stop arguing until I find a way to save my town, because it is all we have. We have nothing else and I will not give it up just because you say so."

#42

Kaka looked at him rudely and said, "I think Makka’na is right. You are overseer, that why you have big house while others have small house. "

“Be polite,” snarled Makka’na to Kaka, then said “if you only have authority over this town Mayor. Then you can sign over ownership of town to Chieftain Gul’al in the Earther way. Then you continue living here under rule of Mightiest Chieftain.
Your people safe, they still love you for saving them.
But no more Church of One in town.”

#43

Ka’na’na’na who had led the juveniles during the fight stepped forward.
Unlike the others he was not dressed like a knight, he also seemed frustrated.

He walked over to Urik and said ,“I apologize if I’m not looking you in eyes. I am blind to light and you are blind to Leyas.
Both of us see what Makka’na does not.
This is war and it is cruel. We are Olgogs not Knights.
Our territory was invaded by Earther vermin.
The only answer is to kill the invaders on spears.”

Makka’na said, “you may have led us here Ka’na’na’na. But now I lead our little gang. And I swear our loyalty to Gul’al. If the Mightiest Chieftain wants them alive they will be alive. If she wants them dead, we will kill them”

He replied, “Gorkaog will not like that Makka’na. And i will tell him so. You are blinded by light shining off of your new armor.”

Makka’na turned her back on the bigger juvenile and said to the Mayor, “Will you swear loyalty to Chieftain Gul’al?”

#44

Ka’na’na’na turned towards any Olgogs who could not speak Earther and translated what the mayor had said, the old fashion way adding, “My earlier statements is not directed at you or your Cheiftain in any negative way, Lokyi of Gul’al.
I respect Mighty Gul’al, but my cousin Makka’na does not understand what she speaks, she would be very punished for swearing alliegance to anyone other than Ka Gor Elder.”

He stops to gauge Lokyi’s reaction.

#45

With a tap on Hob’og’s sholder, Lokyi begins signing and Hob’og translates: “Since the Church would kill humans under visible Ol’gog protection, we will prove you don’t need the Church’s protection. The town and the humans are under Gal’al’s protection. We won’t attack when the Church reinforcements come. When you’ve been safe for 2 months, send the Church warriors to help another town. Gal’al will keep you safe if it keeps the Church out. We will have scouts watching. I will give you a hide to display if you need us.”

#46

Mayor Gottschalk glanced back and forth between Lokyi and the red furred Olgogs, after listening to Lokyi’s statement the Mayor sighed in resignation, and just sat down.

#47

Mayor Gottschalk, chuckled, it was not a happy one. “So, in this scenario of yours, will you provide us with hides to keep us warm? We would need a decent amount. What other kind of supplies can you give us, as the Church would no longer be supplying us?”

#48

“Probably only some furs and food. How long before you can trade for what you need?”

#49

“Trade? You have seen the town we have nothing of value, that is why the church had to supply us. Hmmm, well you can tear down some of the bunkers that the church put up and take the materials it is made up of.”

#50

It was Lokyi’s turn to chuckle. “Not trade today, not trade next day. How long before you can feed your children without gifts?”

#51

Considering our only farm was burned two generations ago and is now buried in the sand, never. Thus having food shipped in, that is why we had the heliport that you all destroyed. Without importing of food and water we die, without the influx of hides we die. So if you want to replace the church here, this land requires you to import most everything.

#52

Apparently, even Lokyi has limits. While Lokyi is signing forcefully and with wide motions, Hob’og’s voice becomes timid in his translating (likely due to his proximity to Lokyi’s flailing arms). “Never? You never plan to make a new farm? You will not dig a well? Ask to be left alone but require gifts to live? I take back the protection offer. Better to let the church resource you.” Hob’og cringes as the signs are becoming harder to put in earther. “No protection to this town from us. Why feed you then your children and children’s children. Our children feed their children.” Lokyi points at Tla’al and stomps out, Hob’og blurts out, “Want mother’s teat, not pride? She has teats.”

#53

Urik watched as Lokyi walked away and again shook his head in confused wonder. “We came to a town that’s so back water and remote they have to fly in food and water, which we knew they were doing. And now you’re surprised that they don’t have resources for you to exploit?” Urik looked at the Mayor again and spoke to him in perfect earther with a slight chooru accent. “It seems like you won’t be getting help from us and we both know exactly what will happen to you and your people if you’re still here when the church sends a relief force. I can’t feed or shelter your people either. I can escort you to the southern boarder of the colonies not near Dunesphere. It may not be much but I think it’s probably the best choice you’re gonna get. Unless anyone else has another offer to make?” he asked looking around to the assembled ol’gogs.

#54

Mayor Gottschalk half chuckled, yet again no humor in it, “You invaded this town while knowing nothing about it? We are in the middle of an inhospitable desert, even when the farm was running it wasn’t enough to feed the entire town, the well ran out of water years ago, and despite dozens of other attempts we were unable to find another source of water. That is why we imported food and water, we managed a little hunting, however it was a constant danger. We could only get a little food while hunting as we would have to flee if any tribal from Brez showed up.”

Mayor Gottschalk sighed after listening to Urik “we do not want to abandon our homes, however as our main alternative is abandonment and or death and you have been the only one who seems to not argue based upon emotions I suppose we are better off listening to you. The only issue is that our last supply coptor was shot down and looted, so we will need food and water enough to get up north. Plus we have to hope that the people of the colonies care more about life then others.”

#55

((OOC - following actions done with approval of Gul’al and the narrator))

Tla’al was confused. The Earthers knew it was a desert, that nothing would be good except for a well that dried out. Why did they not leave? Nothing about what the Mayor was saying made any sense to her. Even Lokyi, who had shown uncommon patience for a Brezan raider, lost her patience and walked away. Something needed to be done…and it had to be drastic.

She turned to her fellow Olgogs and said to them, in Olgog, “This has got to stop.” She looked to her fellow gang members and continued, “Cover me.” She walked over to the Mayor with deadly purpose. She may have only been a youngling, but she was almost of age and stood taller than most Olgogs.

In Earther, she shouted, “Behold!” and screamed at the top of her lungs. She reached for the heavens and then pounded the ground. She pointed west, then east. She put her arms in a circle, finger tips touching, and moved the circle from her toes to her head. Her fellow gang members showed no emotion, but had no idea what she was doing. When she got to the top, she yelled out in Olgog, “Gor no more”. She quickly grabbed her stone axe of Hob’tor and smashed it into the head of the Mayor. As it made violent contact with the Mayor’s head, a crack was heard as the Mayor dropped dead. The point where the axe made impact had turned from white flesh to a deathly grey, the hair drained of all color. There was no blood, all of it drawn into the stone of the axe. Tla’al stood straighter, her flesh bursting with vitality. She then put her hand on the dead Mayor’s skull and said, in Olgog, “Dead no more.” From her body vitality transferred back into the dead Mayor’s body. When he came back to life, she declared to all that would listen, in Earther, “A Brezan tradition of adulthood… our souls are now tied together. Mayor, you are no longer an enemy of the Olgog! You are now one of us.”

She stood back waiting for the Mayor’s response. She repeated the same in Olgog, so those that did not know Earther would understand what she was doing.

((ooc - I have no idea if the conversion made the hair at the point of impact turn black again. Hob’tor isn’t something we know much of. Also, the conversion would have only returned 5hp back to the Mayor))

#56

–{done with narrator permission]–

#57

“Well water isn’t a problem we have plenty. Food might be an issue but we have vehicles so the trip shouldn’t take to lo…” He stopped taking as Tal’al stepped forward yelled and danced her strange dance then up and murdered the Mayor. Urik watched the body slump down and thought to himself well if we were just going to kill them why didn’t we do that to begin with? He was about to say as much when Tal’al reached down and bought the mayor back to life.
“Aw hell,” he glanced back at Rum-blood. “Get ready we’re probably about to have trouble.”
“What? Why? She made him part of her tribe more or less. That’s a good thing. Right?” Rum-blood looked confused. He didn’t really understand what they were dealing with either.
“She just stood in front of a group of terrorized desperate people who think we’re baby eating, soul stealing demons, murdered their respected and probably loved leader then bought him back to life with what they think is evil demon magic, started talking about souls and declared him one of “us”. Can you think of any likely reaction from them that isn’t going to be trouble?”

#58

Babi watched in shock. He whispered into one of the Vampyrs with him, “You feel dat spike in fear? They be backed into a corner now. Be ready this be no good.” He moved close to Urik and whispered, “When dis go down, how you want to play it?”

#59

As the ritual completed, the Mayor opened his eyes.
He still felt the lingering power of the Conversion Leyas arcing through his body. To his amazement and shock (and abject internal horror) the feeling was EXACTLY the same feeling as when the Pope came to visit a year before and healing his mangled hand. The hand had been caught in a thresher as a child, its bones mashed and pulped. A good old fashioned doctor did surgery on it, but the hand had never quite worked right.
When the Pope of Dunesphere extended his ring, and the Mayor had kissed it, the hand was suddenly fixed. Bones reconnected, even the bones which had been powdered according to the surgeon. He had flexed his hand, whooped in joy and thanked God on that day.
Now he felt that same presence of god in this interaction with the Olgogs.
Looking out across the last of his citizens soldiers trapped in the trenches, and the few paladins and squires who were there, the Mayor felt intense worry.

He knew this power was pure and good (or at least as good as the power of the Pope) not the demonic evil that he had expected.
Then he made another terrible realization, these other citizens would turn on his now that he had been “tainted”. Then he looked over at the body of a ten year old girl, dressed as a boy and carrying a bow whose head had been blasted open by a sniper’s bullet.

He made the connection immediately, these creatures could probably bring this miracle again and again. They could restore all his dead townsfolk to life. He looked out at a woman and her baby who had been trampled to death by the hooves of their own paladins during the fight at the landing pad.
He looked over at the sad face of a boy who couldn’t be more than eight years old. His head barely reached above the trench top. With a tough scowl he could have passed for older, but now that he wept openly his age was apparent.

Now he had an important choice to make, one may impact all the dead peasants around him. And he also knew whatever choice he would make, he would have to address the townsfolk in the trenches and the paladins who looked ready to strike him down. Luckily for him, the Mayor was allowed a few moments to collect his thoughts. After all the Paladins weren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

#60

Tla’al looked at everyone around her. She was panting from all the screaming. Her gang members looked tense…one or two looked at her as if to say, what were you thinking??! She felt the immense tension in the air. The Earthers looked shocked. The other Olgog tribals were completely unsure of how to react.

Damn impatience! It seemed like a really good idea at the time, she thought to herself.

She looked at the Mayor, feeling her mouth crinkle from a smile to an uncomfortable and awkward countenance, as if a child hoping their actions pleased the parents. Tla’al never experienced such an emotional reaction before and did not know how to compose herself. She waited, looking at the set of mixed reactions from the Mayor…hoping it would not turn into a blood bath.