It was the first test for the new leader, who would lead the party to the point, where catastrophic events would strike the party into disarray. Then, they would call for better leadership, and Jaheira would give them that. "Obviously, he should return to guard the door, per our original agreement." Alora should take him there, she reasoned, though she would tolerate other arrangements, provided they did not affect her personally.
Ooc: I love Aerie's reluctance and the pointless Jan stories are awesome! Alora's been great, too. Thanks for excelling! Could throw more kudos but will stop here.
Sidling over to the odious, yet capable, Anomen, Jaheira asked, "What do you sense, warrior?" To her mind, the mini-taurs were no great threat, but he may have known more than she. After all, they were MOST unnatural abominations of nature.
"M-Me?" Aerie gawked at her companions. No. Just no. She was a circus performer, good for a few magic tricks and healing scratches, not a leader. For gods' sakes, she couldn't even fly anymore, not with those ugly lumps on her back! Not to mention she'd only just recovered from a serious blow to her head, thanks to a group of goblins. Goblins!
"No," Aerie murmured, "I-I really couldn't--"
But she said it so quietly, no one seemed to hear her. Anomen asked what she wanted to do with Culum, but both he and Jaheira were already ignoring her again. Alora had removed the spike she'd put in the door. Arkanis and Minsc, though... They were smiling at her. Despite Aerie's call to a vote for Anomen or Jaheira, it was Arkanis who'd nominated her. The others... They were quieter, but they didn't object.
It was as if... They believed in her. Their leader.
Aerie still wasn't so sure if she was right for the job. She'd never led anything in her life. But, in the bowels of a dungeon crawling with minotaurs and landsharks and gods know what else, her party needed something to hold them together, or be eaten alive. Their constant bickering certainly didn't help their chances.
"A-All right," Aerie decided at long last. She raised her chin and straightened her shoulders as she gazed at her companions all around. "I'll do my very best!"
First was the matter of Culum. Anomen was right. Not to say that Aerie believed the father was already dead, but a monster-infested dungeon was no place for a child. She leaned on her knees so she met the boy at eye-level.
"Culum," she began, "you should go back to the surface, the entrance. Some of us could escort you, if you'd like. But I don't think it's safe for you to keep following us."
Alora whispers to Jan: "I don't mind Aerie thinking she is the leader for a bit because she is nice and she doesn't call me names. I'll go back to being the secret leader. But don't tell anyone because it's a secret."
Then because Anomen keep going on and on and on and on and on about Cullum, Alora who had totally forgotten he was there, decides she should talk to him.
"Hi Cullum, do you want to back home and sit around with nothing to do except being bored and maybe even dying of boredom or do you want to come and have a super exciting adventure with us? It's really your decision."
She then adds in a whisper: "They think I should guide you back to the surface and we could pretend we were going to do that and just go off and explore the dungeon on our own while they stand around here talking about things. We could probably explore the whole dungeon before they even wondered where we had got to."
What an unexpected turn of events! Not unlike this years crop of turnips, which turned out to be awful, despite the magical powder I bought for increasing the turnip / square foot ratio.
I am sure you will do fine as our leader Aerie. Can you tell everyone to keep distance from the enemies the next time we run into monsters? I have my Sleep spell memorized again and don't want to take our figters out.
Alora now turns her attention to Aerie: "Aerie now you are leader can we go and see what the cows are doing? There was something that looked like a crystal ball in there and I want to look at it before they break it. So I think we should hurry because I expect they are thinking about breaking it right now."
OOC: I'm in the UK and I think most of you guys are in the US so if you want to keep things moving when I'm not online here is what Alora will do.
Basically, she will do anything Aerie asks and will happily scout ahead of the party and search for traps. If she comes across a monster she will run back to the party. In combat she will use her sling (probably hitting Arkanis in the process) but if someone is down and needs bandaging she will do that. If someone is down and in real danger she will wade in with her short sword in an attempt to distract the assailant.
If anyone is mean to her (I will leave it to @LadyRhian to decide what constitutes 'mean' in Alora's mind) she will sulk ad refuse to help until the mean person has apologised.
If someone is really mean or tries to force her to do something she doesn't want to she will either scream until she is sick or hold her breath until she passes out (DM's choice)
Jaheira liked the fact that, with a better (albeit not the best) leader, Alora was sharing her ideas, rather than racing forward with reckless abandon. "Come, husband," she called. "There are deeds to be done."
OOC: In the UK it is also GMT +1 (BST - British Summer Time) I have no idea what time it is in Alora's world. I'm guessing she would use a dandelion clock.
OOC: In the UK it is also GMT +1 (BST - British Summer Time) I have no idea what time it is in Alora's world. I'm guessing she would use a dandelion clock.
OOC: Dark is best time for stealthily finding shinies,no?
Comments
Alora removes the spike. Nothing happens.
So Aerie, what do you think we should do with Culum?
*while the group discusses the plan of action, Anomen keeps an eye on the now unspiked door and a hand on his mace and shield.
"No," Aerie murmured, "I-I really couldn't--"
But she said it so quietly, no one seemed to hear her. Anomen asked what she wanted to do with Culum, but both he and Jaheira were already ignoring her again. Alora had removed the spike she'd put in the door. Arkanis and Minsc, though... They were smiling at her. Despite Aerie's call to a vote for Anomen or Jaheira, it was Arkanis who'd nominated her. The others... They were quieter, but they didn't object.
It was as if... They believed in her. Their leader.
Aerie still wasn't so sure if she was right for the job. She'd never led anything in her life. But, in the bowels of a dungeon crawling with minotaurs and landsharks and gods know what else, her party needed something to hold them together, or be eaten alive. Their constant bickering certainly didn't help their chances.
"A-All right," Aerie decided at long last. She raised her chin and straightened her shoulders as she gazed at her companions all around. "I'll do my very best!"
First was the matter of Culum. Anomen was right. Not to say that Aerie believed the father was already dead, but a monster-infested dungeon was no place for a child. She leaned on her knees so she met the boy at eye-level.
"Culum," she began, "you should go back to the surface, the entrance. Some of us could escort you, if you'd like. But I don't think it's safe for you to keep following us."
Then because Anomen keep going on and on and on and on and on about Cullum, Alora who had totally forgotten he was there, decides she should talk to him.
"Hi Cullum, do you want to back home and sit around with nothing to do except being bored and maybe even dying of boredom or do you want to come and have a super exciting adventure with us? It's really your decision."
She then adds in a whisper: "They think I should guide you back to the surface and we could pretend we were going to do that and just go off and explore the dungeon on our own while they stand around here talking about things. We could probably explore the whole dungeon before they even wondered where we had got to."
I am sure you will do fine as our leader Aerie. Can you tell everyone to keep distance from the enemies the next time we run into monsters? I have my Sleep spell memorized again and don't want to take our figters out.
Basically, she will do anything Aerie asks and will happily scout ahead of the party and search for traps. If she comes across a monster she will run back to the party. In combat she will use her sling (probably hitting Arkanis in the process) but if someone is down and needs bandaging she will do that. If someone is down and in real danger she will wade in with her short sword in an attempt to distract the assailant.
If anyone is mean to her (I will leave it to @LadyRhian to decide what constitutes 'mean' in Alora's mind) she will sulk ad refuse to help until the mean person has apologised.
If someone is really mean or tries to force her to do something she doesn't want to she will either scream until she is sick or hold her breath until she passes out (DM's choice)
OOC: GMT+1, as @cyberhawk.
Well, make sure you point out his corpse when we stumble across it then if it is recognizable.