Otataral, 956th Year in the Time Dying

[albatross]

Tesla asks Romidus, "Could you interrogate a prisoner using psionics?"

Ora turns to Aki, "If we take their horses, they would probably give us whatever we ask, though they might try to kill us afterwards. We could steal the horses and then send one person to negotiate. They wouldn't harm us if they thought they could get the horses back. What do the rest of you think?" She looks around at the others.

[Dome]

Romidus nods, "I can try."

[thorley]

Bellephoebe says

"It's a very large band, I doubt we're going to be able to get them all to meet with us in one place. What's more we have little vested interest in wiping them out, we pretty much just need to get past
them to continue on our way.

If we want to destroy them, I imagine it wouldn't be difficult to do, and would be best done without engaging them at all. I could just fly over them, well out of their bow range and start dropping explosives in great numbers. Gravity itself ensures that it will work. Of course the question arises as to whether we want to kill that many people, especially ones we don't actually know much about, not to mention expend all that technology when we're in a dimension where magic doesn't work and don't seem paticularly close to finding a way out.

Resource conservation is important, which is why I was thinking in terms of a bribe combined with a display of power if we wind up dealing with them as a whole. Honestly though we should only do that if we need to, and try and use stealth and speed, mostly speed, to simply get through the area they have staked out. They are unlikely to try and intercept us with anything close to their full numbers, and if the need arises we can probably deal with any group they send after us, assuming we're quick about it and don't delay long enough for more of their people to show up.

The less people we kill, and the less resources we use the happier I'll be. I'll kill when nessicary, but really I don't see the point of wiping these people out by the numbers, especially given that we won't acheive anything by it other than expending our substantial, but limited resources."

[shiivster]

Aki looks at Ora. 'i could ask the horses about their riders. learn who is leader and if he is . . good foal stallion. i can also ask them not to follow our trail for a sun. maybe find the one that is hardest to be riden and ask they carry me instead?

*she shrugs. her english words are difficult most days, but she has been remembering more of htem. Korean is easier for her to think things out in. but to translate to English is harder. she has difficulties in trying to put animal thinking into people actions and words

[albatross]

Ora looks around at everyone, "So we have options. Will we meet them, kidnap one, or talk to their horses?"

[shiivster]

Aki looks towards Bellephoebe and quietly asks, "could you ask wingbrother to hunt with this one? his skills have dropped and cannot hunt on his own, but is too proud to take handouts for long. i have trimmed his talons and beak, but i cannot give aid for his hunting. i am sure that these 2 would like to follow and aid as well"

*she does not beg or plead, just asks for the sake of the three charges she's been given as gifts. she understand their need to be self sufficient.

[Dome]

Romidus looks at Ora and Bellphoebe, "so what would be the goal of meeting these men?"

[thorley]

Bellephoebe responds to Aki "Well, that's largely up to Starlighter. She's almost as smart as a a person... or heck, smarter than some people I've met to be honest. Like most Gryphons she's also quite proud, as much a lion as a bird in the truest sense. I have no objection to her hunting with your new friends, but in the end that will be something for them to work out. I don't imagine it will be too much of a problem though, trained Gryphons like Starlighter fight in air calvary formations all the time. I'd imagine next time I set her out to hunt, we'll just let your new friends go with her, and see how things work out."

[Dome]

"I suggest we try diplomacy first. Any aggressive move may start a war and if all we want to do is get past them, maybe talking will be the best solution. I can go and meet with them. If they attempt anything, I can turn to my light form and escape."

He looks around, "unless there is another goal then getting by them that I am unaware of."

[thorley]

Bellephoebe says "I agree that we try diplomacy if we can't avoid them of course, but if something DOES happen I'd appreciate it if you didn't just run away and leave those of us who don't have that option in a lurch, unless your unusually vulnerable. It seems like a good portion of this group are reliant on energies that we can't easily tap in this dimension, and I don't think a quick retreat as a group is paticularly viable, and even if it was I would hardly want to let some of the things on our mounts loose in this dimension if they were captured".

[shiivster]

Aki thinks for a bit then has an idea. 'maybe i ask horses to travel behind and cover camel tracks late at night so we slip by unseen? you all take camels and slip past and i bring horses along behind to cover trail and send them back. maybe this better? they no travel night, so should be good. yes?'

*its clear she's trying to think of a safer way past, but just cant for now

[thorley]

Bellephoebe adds another idea:

"Maybe we should send an envoy to them? I'm hardly a diplomat, but they spotted me scouting them before. I could make contact pre-emptively and see if I could get them to agree to allow passage through their lines. I don't like killing, but I should be neigh invulnerable to the weapons in this dimension, at least for a time, so it's likely I could fight my way clear if the need arose, though I'd prefer not to. Given the access to these birds, we might be able to send a second person, assuming anyone else here is confident of their abillity to deal with these guys violently if the need arises. Either that or we could have them ready to go, and if something goes wrong we could just go with plan B and have them fly over out of bow range and drop explosives on these guys until the situation is resolved. If it comes to that, we're going to wind up wasting the ammo anyway."

Bellephoebe isn't a warrior, and is hoping she's not overestimating what her armor, weapons, and force field are going to be able to do to these guys in a pinch. She's still sitting on that Naruni multi-rifle she hasn't been talking about, but doesn't especially want to bring it out for a lot of reasons.

[Dome]

Romidus says, "I would not abandon you to them. What I was suggesting is making contact as an Envoy. I can escape easily if they attempt anything, and return to the rest of you and explain what happened. Since none of powers are based on magic, I should have no trouble. Aside from that I will be able to put on an impressive show to detract them from trying anything. Perhaps make them think I am only one of many likely powered."

[albatross]

"Both of you should go," Tesla says to Bellephobe and Romidus. "A man alone or a woman alone they might test you just to see if you're easy prey. A man next to a woman on a gryphon seems more like a powerful envoy, right? And the two of you should be able to retreat easily if necessary. The rest of us might be a better show of force but it would be better to keep most of us and the camels back until we know more."

[thorley]

"True enough Tesla, so I guess we should be ready to move out now that we have a plan. How close do we want to get to the area where we know they are before we head out to meet them? Or do you think we should just leave from the town directly? I'd like to get closer so if we need reinforcements they aren't THAT far away though."