CH 4: Heart of Darkness

[JadedDM]

Back outside, Maua's shouting is easily heard by those who remained behind.

Meanwhile, inside, Maua struggles against Jocelyn but is helpless while tied up, and Jocelyn's hand does a good job muffling her. A couple of the sleeping tribals stir, one even turns over, but none awaken. They are really out of it.

There is a collective sigh of relief, and Dalaim turns to Jocelyn. "What other reason could there be?" he says, but then he notices the drum and it becomes the focus of his attention. "Ah, this could be worth something." He picks it up and looks it over. "Not much, but it is a start. Would look great in a museum."

[HorizonsDream]

"Wait a second, should we really be taking this stuff?" Jocelyn asks. "I mean, this stuff is clearly being used by these people. Plus, stealing their stuff is only going to piss them off more," she points out. "It is best you just study all that you find and write it down until we can get on some sort of peaceful terms with these people, if that is even possible."

[JadedDM]

"Nonsense," Dalaim says. "Finding artifacts was the main point of this expedition, after all," he says, putting the drum into his pack. "Granted, at the time we thought the tribals here were just squatters, not actual inhabitants. But nevertheless, collecting artifacts is the only way this expedition will prove profitable. Otherwise, the church loses a ton of gold and none of you get paid."

[Nuke]

Val stands just outside the door, she listens to the talk trying to decide what side of the argument she was going to support. Mulling it over in her own perverse logic. Have these girls warped my mind? she thinks to herself. We are getting payed by that self-righteous dwarf, weird as it may be, she'd seen worse.

[Jenara]

Arei shakes her head, she didn't like this, giving Joyceln a knowing frown she reaches out for Maua, "I wasn't sure what reaction she would have, let's get her upstairs, this place is not to my liking."

"There are many things about this place that make me uneasy..." She says quietly, "This is not.. right." Her voice is low so only the cleric can hear her.

[HorizonsDream]

Jocelyn gives Areilon a look that suggests that she agrees, but doesn't say anything. Instead, she speaks to the dwarf. "So the church of Gonto promotes the idea of stealing from a whole group of people?" she asks.

[JadedDM]

"The church is about seeking out new knowledge and fostering civilization," Dalaim says. "Besides, we have already killed about a dozen of these savages; don't tell me stealing is where you draw the line."

[Jenara]

"We have killed them to survive." Arei comments as she turns away, escorting Maua up the stairs if she will go.

[JadedDM]

"What about them?" asks Grey, gesturing to the unconscious tribals. "Just leave them here?"

[HorizonsDream]

"This is a civilization, isn't it?" Jocelyn asks. "It isn't much of one, and it is on the violent side, but still."

[Jenara]

Arei shrugs, looking at the tribals on the floor, thinking of saying something like : "Perhaps our employer would like to keep their heads." But she doesn't instead she walks away.

[JadedDM]

"What would you propose then? That we ask them nicely?" The old dwarf snorts. "These people attack us on sight. They worship a soul-eating demon-god. They make regular blood sacrifices. And you saw yourself what they did to the crew of the Lucky Mermaid. And yet you, the elf and the mage keep insisting that these people are just misunderstood and can somehow be reasoned with. I think it's hogwash, to be honest."

Having finished his little spiel, he heads back outside.

[Jenara]

(OOC: I'll assume she goes quietly then?)

[JadedDM]

Maua appears disappointed that her companions did not rouse, and is ushered back outside with a minimum of fuss.

[HorizonsDream]

"I don't think they can be reasoned with," Jocelyn says as she follows after the dwarf. "They are a violent people that would probably sacrifice us to their God," she says. "But that doesn't really give us the right to take their stuff while they are still using it."