Midnight RPG - Chapter 19.121

Andrew/Durgaz

This scene would take place the evening before Durgaz departs with the Arrows to head north (or the morning, if we are to travel at night.) I can't remember how much detail we went into on where and how Radagug was being held; I had imagined it as being fairly comfortable quarters, but with guards stationed outside the door to make sure he did not go anywhere. In any case, that is where Durgaz goes, walking past the guards and into his brother's room.

Durgaz: "I go north with the albai tomorrow, Radagug. I will not return to this place for a long time, if ever. Are you coming with us?"

RADAGUG

Somewhere deep within a thicket of brush columned within the tree-top cottages of the elven Hamlet, the 'cell' that was given to the orc Radagug stands seperate from the main community of the denizens of the Hamlet. By his very nature, as docile as the 'Freedom' could make him the orc that is Durgaz's brother still inspired fear and danger when brought into the elven community. Durgaz has been heralded a hero within the Hamlet - Radagug is neither a hero nor a willing and welcome guest.

Though at Durgaz's suggestion he has not been held in chains, his cottage is of less compliment than those of the pathwalkers. The tree hollows that would normally look out onto the prominade of the Academy of Whispers is barred over with the vines of the forest. Natural bars - but bars none-the-less.

Outside the grand oak along the massive branches looming some 75-100 feet over the forest floor stand the Maudre, the Summer Guard of the Elven people. Regal and solumn in nature, these warriors fear nothing but letting their people fall. That they will not see happen, if their armor, bows and spirit will have it.

the MAUDRE

As Durgaz walks closer to the elven guard, he can see their knuckles whiten... The natural way of things when faced with such a brute. This readied position is quickly overtaken by nods to the orc warrior that has been acclaimed by the Witch Queen herself. Knowingly the left guard reaches in pushing open the natural door to the cottage in which Radagug presides. Once open, Durgaz's eyes adjust to a darkened open room. The colors fade as a blackened room turns into the grayed interior illuminated by Durgaz's darkvision. His elder brother slumps in the crease of wall and floor directly to the opposite of the room as the door gapes open. Durgaz steps in and the door clasps behind him as the bark of the tree locks them inside.

Claw marks grind the wooden floor. Radagug doesn't sleep in trees, this is obvious. There is no dirt or mud for his feet and finger claws to grip into when the dreams come... The 'Freedom' gave way sometime in the night. The elder orc shivers on the floor, a slight white foam oozes from his lip. The smell of the room is a mix of urine, bile and fecies. You can hear the dry scrapes of your brother's finger nail-claws as they rake up and down his groin, an extreme rash from his alergy to "something elven" you would imagine...

Radagug is a discusting site. But this is the way of things. Orcs are not meant for this hovel within the trees. You know this because of the difficulty you've had 'adjusting' to what the others consider luxury. The bed (like yours) in Radagug's cottage has gone unused, save the rips and tears in the quits in search of nesting materials... A broth still bubbles in the cauldron of the fireplace from the day you put Radagug in this cottage, he hasn't eaten any of the "elf food", he's refused everything not to mention the Elven Teas.

The old orc gurgles. The gurgle slips into a lite growl as his dry voice cracks at you... "... n...norrrth?..." he questions... "...what is north to you deer bruther? Have you remembered you are not of the fairies amoung these filthy trees? Have your senses come back to you? No? Do you still ignore the Shadow Wives bruther? Tell me... what is it you creep toward the crack of doom for deer bruther? If it's guidenance you seek deer bruther, I can give you that - just give me a blade... huhuhuh...."

Radagug, almost playfully jests with you - as he would when you were children. Taunting but at the same time looking for answers that he never had. You always did have the answers he would say. You always thought you knew the way... So... brash... so... hateful. You finally see his eyes as your older brother looks up - his face is withered and tired, he can't sleep in this place. His cravings for the drug seem strong - but he won't ask you for more... that would be weak. He won't show weakness... not... again...

"huhhuh... coming WITH you bruther? Tell me where you're going... Tell me who these albai you go with are... My mind is my own even still, little bruther. Is yours?"

Durgaz

Radagug: "...what is north to you deer bruther? Have you remembered you are not of the fairies amoung these filthy trees?"

Durgaz: "You are correct. I do not belong here. The pollen in the air irritates my eyes; the bright lights and strong smells of plants in bloom make my skull ache. I cannot sleep in these beds of elf-make, and their food is bland and lacking in the flavors relished by our kind. But I am not here to enjoy myself. I am here to bring the Vile to justice, and to find out where I must travel next. I have done these things, and now I will be leaving."

Radagug: "Have your senses come back to you? No? Do you still ignore the Shadow Wives bruther?"

Durgaz: Durgaz pauses, staring intently into Radagug's beady black eyes. "I am no slave to the Shadow Wives any longer ... brother. And neither are you, if you only had the strength and vision to realize it. How many days have you been here, Radagug? How many hours have you slept? And how about your dreams?"

Radagug: "Tell me... what is it you creep toward the crack of doom for deer bruther? If it's guidenance you seek deer bruther, I can give you that - just give me a blade... huhuhuh...."

Durgaz: Durgaz reaches behind him, his left hand drawing a one-handed vardatch from a sheath at his waist and his right hand drawing the mighty vardatch he claimed from Talûn-karkû from its place across his back. Holding the one-handed vardatch by its blade, he extends the hilt to Radagug. Speaking in a low growl, in Orcish: "Watch yourself, Radagug the Dog. You could not hope to best me in a fair fight under the best of circumstances. If you wish me to give you a blade, so that you might give me 'guidance', take this one; and I will use my own to add your blood to the filth in which you you wallow."

(Consider that an Intimidate check, if necessary.)

Radagug: "huhhuh... coming WITH you bruther? Tell me where you're going... Tell me who these albai you go with are... "

Durgaz: "I will tell you nothing more than you need to know, and you need to know nothing. Do I understand that you would rather stay here, in this dingy prison of elf-make, and die in your own filth?"

"The albai I travel with are scouts, forest guards, wielders of bow and sword. From what I have seen, their tactics are not unlike the ones you yourself have made your own. Maybe there is something you could learn from them. Or they from you."

(This is a quasi-attempt to goad Radagug; comparing his wildlander technique to that of the Arrows is probably somewhat on par with telling your brother that he could play basketball for the WNBA. Sure, it's professional basketball, which is good, but my suspicion is that most guys would still take it as a backhanded compliment at best. In Durgaz's case, it should be clearly that he genuinely respects the Arrows' skills, but brings it up knowing that Radagug will probably not appreciate being compared to elves of any type.)

Radagug: "My mind is my own even still, little bruther. Is yours?"

Durgaz: "Is it? Good. Then any decisions you make are yours as well, and the consequences yours to suffer. So I will offer you this choice once more; travel to the north with me and the albai, or stay here in your hovel until I return to offer you another choice, knowing that that day may never come. I took you from the Vile's camp to offer you options, and here is your first one. If you do not choose to take it, it is not my place to force you."

RADAGUG

[on bringing the Vile to justice, and to finding where to travel next]

A patronizing grin creeps across the pathetic orc's mug...

"...justice?... justice?? bruther... What more justice is there than crushing your enemies and seeing them driven before you? You offer no orc-made justice bruther. You give out elf-made pity. You give me a choice to be free but I have never asked for freedom, all I wish is to die in battle and kneel before the lord in hopes he saw my death strong enough to warrent entrance into the Scar. Where will you find your worth now bruther? now that you have divorced the wives?"

[on being a slave to the Shadow Wives]

"...dream... sleep... I cannot in this land, in these fey-made hovels. I am not a bird, yet you sit me in a tree. I am your prisoner, yet you offer no pain so that I can find my way back to the wife whores of my dreams... You make a mistake little bruther... you place your misguided ways on me, when I have not asked for them. I do not have the visions as the tribe mothers say you do, if I did I would have used them to become strong. I had nothing in life but beatings for being the lesser of the cubs our mother spit out. You speak with bluster bruther, you can afford it - I was neither granted your vision or your strength, yet you preach to me to change? How very patronizing you are bruther. How arrogant! It is only in these times that I know you are orc and not fairy-make... little bruther...."

Radugug's breeding continue his defiance. Moment to moment Durgaz can see a glimmer of hope for change in the flesh of his elder brother, but his words spit and hiss venom mixed with more questions to understand the choice of Durgaz and how to make it for himself... if he were to do so...

[On offering Radagug the vardatch...]

ROLL: Durgaz (Intimidate +21) ROLLED: 12+21 = 33
With this roll...

The orc, large for the elven-made cottage - yet small to his orc kin, pulls his knees up under his chin shaking slowly. If it's fear that makes him do so, the need for the drug masks it well. Either way, Radagug buries his head beneath his crossed arms on his knees, turning his head slightly - enough to spat a spew of bile and foam onto the elven floor...

"...huhuhuh.... 'the Dog', you talk down to me bruther as though you ascended to a higher plain. The heavens were cut off long ago little orc and you cannot fly - that I am aware. So don't look on me as a lesser, little bruther! I have made my way in the world with what I have been given. You should look to me as your elder and better, but you and the others never saw the benefits of my ways... Until you need 'my ways' that is. Me and my 'dogs' found the Vile in the open planes without the aid of visions or prophecy. Me and my 'dogs' took your place at the head of the line in the Talûn-karkû when you ran from us. You speak large little bruther, you taunt and hiss, but all you can do is prove that you have no mind of your own. You continue to rub your superiority in my face. I don't deny you could best me in matched arms bruther... So take your trophies and find another pedestal to preach from. I never asked for a 'fair fight' little bruther... because I was never given one to begin with."

[On learning something from the elves...]

Radagug looks up to Durgaz again, still slouched in his bile... and he begins to laugh...

"...learn... LEARN how to catch fire and burn? Learn to bathe and primp my goldy-locks? Learn to die for a cause that offers no reward...? Little bruther, have those visions driven you mad? You are a fairy aren't you? Did they polymagic you into an elf? Did they cut your orchood from you? Did you cry into your elven pillow last night little bruther, hoping and wishing that I would profess my undying gratitude to you... follow you to the ends of Aryth? Be loyal to a traitor? Little bruther, you are mad..."

It's quite obvious that Radagug continues his passive agressive pushing on Durgaz, to see just how far he can go. To see if his brother is still ORC. At the same time, leaving openings to understand...

[On Durgaz's offer to travel North...]

....pushing his meaty hands against the elf-treewall Radagug's claws sink into the old Oak, if it could sheirk from pain it would - as Durgaz sees the holes made in the wood as the elder orc clamps his toe claws into the floorboards to prop his way to a croutched stand leaning against the wall... He reaches out, at first looking as though his paw was going for the vardatch offered seconds ago. But the slow hand motion makes known his intention. Up and down the insides of Radagug's arms and legs are the track-marks of dozens of dead. The Scar Marks denoting his kills. No orc yet lies on his rank of kills, only elf, halfling, elfling and a smatter of humans marks his might. The orc scout must have three dozen such marks, the majority elf - and he seems proud of it.

Radagug reaches his hand forward...

"I will travel with you North bruther. Today is a good day to die."