Subtleknifewielder Posted February 21, 2009 Report Share Posted February 21, 2009 He responded with a nod, "Very clearly. To whom do I owe the pleasure of speaking?" He hissed like a balloon letting off steam slowly.. the Storm Dragon equivalent of a sigh. So grateful to have someone who understood him finally present. "My name is Baati." The dragon might notice, if he were paying attention, that this name could possibly be derived from baatir, the Manda verb that meant to care, or to worry about. "Is there anything wrong with you other than you broken leg?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Vortex Posted February 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2009 "Not that I can discern. My leg is mangled. It has been set, but I am not sure if they treated it for fear of harming me. If it does not get cleaned, I may be at risk of infection. I should also likely be on antibiotics." He clicked and chittered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted February 21, 2009 Report Share Posted February 21, 2009 "Not that I can discern. My leg is mangled. It has been set, but I am not sure if they treated it for fear of harming me. If it does not get cleaned, I may be at risk of infection. I should also likely be on antibiotics." He clicked and chittered. OOC: I can't really say I know a lot bout medicine of any kind, so forgive me if I get somemthing wrong or the details are a little fuzzy. IC: After checking to make sure the leg was properly set (and it was--the field medic knew that much, at least), she gave a warning to the others that there would be 'dire consequences' if they tried to interrupt her work. She then took off her backpack and removed the equipment she needed to go about checking the health of her patient. Since normally she was a veterinarian, it was quite a novelty to work with a patient whom could actually tell her what hurt, and where, and if there was anything else wrong. After a thorough check, she did indeed prescribe an antibiotic, but "only as a precaution. By some miracle of the Creator, there doesn't seem to be any sign of infection." She happened to have a bottle of the item in question with her, and handed it to the dragon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Vortex Posted February 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2009 (edited) The Storm Dragon took the prescribed initial dose. "Thank you Baati. My name is Star. I appreciate the help. What's going on with the miniature war you have going on here?" He referred to the incidents with the dwarves. Edited February 21, 2009 by Maelstrom Vortex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted February 21, 2009 Report Share Posted February 21, 2009 The Storm Dragon took the prescribed initial dose. "Thank you Baati. My name is Star. I appreciate the help. What's going on with the miniature war you have going on here?" He referred to the incidents with the dwarves. She sighed, sitting on the ground with her legs crossed and elbows on her knees in the traditon of storytelling, and, ignoring the sporadic sounds of gunfire, began the tale... "About two decades ago, the Mando'ade and the dwarves lived in peace, each in their own territory. We, the Mando'ade, cared for the environment in our lands, ensuring that what was there that day would be there for our children, and grandchildren, and their grandchildren. We often traded with the Dwarves for things we needed, machines that would make our tasks easier, so we could devote more time to studying the chronicles of all the civilization--human, elf, and other, who came before us." She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "However, a course of events that would break the peace was set in motion when the Dwarves asked for permission to set up a mine in our territory...an Iron mine, to be exact. As almost half of our population is allergic to that metal, to the point where they call it the 'black death metal,' we agreed. Both parties came to an agreement that was mutually satisfactory." "However, when one young member of the Scout Corps stumbled across their operation, he was horrified at what he saw. No regard was being given the environment, no consideration for any damage being done. He immediately reported to his superiors, who in turn reported it to the ruling council...who dispatched a diplomat to the head of the mining consortium to see if this could not be solved diplomatically." "Negotiations, talks, they ground on for months, all the while the mine continuing to despoil the surrounding environment. Finally, a young verd (warrior) gathered together several of his friends, also warriors, and, led by two ori'mikade (supercommandos, but literally 'Super-raiders with sabers'), they sought their own brand of tor (justice)." "They got more than they bargained for. Angered at the death of every last miner, the Dwarves broke off diplomatic contact, despite our reassurances that this act was not sanctioned by the council. Those who committed the act were exiled, but it was too late. The Dwarves mobilized their forces, we mobilized ours when we saw that happening, and we have been at war ever since." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Vortex Posted February 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 "Such a pity how the most minor fuse can light the largest of powder kegs." He wondered if there words in her language to explain what such were or if she knew what such objects were. "Any idea how they might treat me?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 "Such a pity how the most minor fuse can light the largest of powder kegs." He wondered if there words in her language to explain what such were or if she knew what such objects were. "Any idea how they might treat me?" She indeed knew exactly what those things were. After all, as its name implied, gunpowder was used in firearms. And fuses--the dwarves often used blasting in their mining operations--not to mention those horrid traps known as land mines. "Honestly? As long as you don't interfere in our quarrels, I believe they will leave you alone, respecting you as a neutral. They have their honor too, though some may wish to believe otherwise," she added with a rueful smile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Vortex Posted February 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 (edited) "Perhaps I should go out there then and ask them to leave you folks alone?" He tilted his head. Edited February 23, 2009 by Maelstrom Vortex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 "Perhaps I should go out there then and ask them to leave you folks alone?" He tilted his head. Baati carefully considered Star's offer, tilting her head sideways in a curious manner as she thought. Finally, she shook her head. "No, if you simply asked them to go away, or to leave us alone, they might take it as interfering." "However..." she added, almost as an afterthought. "We might try something else..." In a lull in the fighting, she elbowed her way through the troops to the Sergeant in charge. "Might we consider a single-combat? We do have a neutral, our friend over there." She indicated the dragon. "Even they would have to recognize his judgement as impartial." The sergeant blinked in surprise. "I hadn't thought of that," he said honestly. "If he wishes, he can serve as judge. Here, give him this if he decides to help..." he handed her a simple piece of rolled, white cloth from under his uniform, attached to a small metal pole. Moving back to speaking distance of the dragon, she held the parley flag in her right hand. "No, we can't simply get them to go away, but a single-combat can decide the fate of this skirmish without more bloodshed." "As you would be neutral, even should our champion trattok'o (fall or fail), the Dwarves would do their best to see you home safely." She paused, taking a deep breath. "So, would you be willing to judge the fairness of the combat?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Vortex Posted February 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 The Dragon scratched his head, "I can do this, yes. But the rules need defined before I might judge." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 The Dragon scratched his head, "I can do this, yes. But the rules need defined before I might judge." "The basic rules are simple. Once combat is initiated, no assistance is to be provided for either combatant. Weapons are always melee only. Other rules are negotiated between both parties before the match." As she finished speaking, one soldier who had leaned out the small opening in the door to fire a short burst was blown back, a hole the size of a bullet in his forehead. "If you are going to help, we must do so soon before both parties are destroyed." She held out the white flag, "waving this flag will show we mean to parley. Take it if you wish to help." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Vortex Posted February 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 He took the flag. He stood carefully.. using his tail to take pressure off his bad leg. He hobbled outside the door and waved the white flag vigorously and continued to hobble towards the dwarfs. He hoped he didn't terrify them into shooting him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 He took the flag. He stood carefully.. using his tail to take pressure off his bad leg. He hobbled outside the door and waved the white flag vigorously and continued to hobble towards the dwarfs. He hoped he didn't terrify them into shooting him. As soon as they saw the white flag, the dwarves ceased their fire. Cautiously, the Mando'ade Scouts peeked out, emboldened when no shots were fired (this went for those in the main barracks, as well--all eight of them). The Dwarves did the same, popping out from behind whatever cover they had been using at the time--rocks, fallen trees, anything that would provide at least a modicum of protection. Baati strolled along ten paces behind the dragon, monitering his progress and making sure he didn't injure himself. After a minute of conferring within their own repective parties, three representatives from each side stepped forward from the lines that had formed. For the Mando'ade, the outpost commander, one of the men that had been holed up with him, and the young Scout the dragon had first met. Baati remained with Star...as a noncombatant, she would also be left alone no matter the outcome. They met their counterparts from the dwarven contingent in the middle, just to the left of Star. "What do you wish to discuss?" one dwarf said, after another spoke in their own, guttural tongue. He was evidently an interpreter for their commander. The Mando'ade commander (a Lieutenant, actually) had been briefed on the proposition, and had reluctantly agreed that it was the best course of action. "We wish to propose a single-combat, to be arbitrated by this being." He indicated the Storm Dragon. The interpreter blinked before passing on the message. The reply was, "How do we know this is an intelligent being?" The Lieutenant smiled grimly. "You don't need to take my word for it. Test him, if you wish..." OOC: Feel free to have them devise whatever test you like, though it'll have to be a fairly conclusive one. No need for pain of any kind, either--the Dwarves aren't that barbaric... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Vortex Posted February 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 The dragon held up a finger.. as if to say.. hold a minute. He hobbled back to his shack.. brought up this MG and its tripod. He set it up on the ground pointing it at a nearby embankment.. made sure the belt was lose. He then proceeded to fire a few rounds into the embankment. He hoped the Dwarves would see the logic, 'If it can make its own and fire its own high speed ballistics weapon, it must sure the hell be intelligent.' He then hobbled back to the group and tilted his head as if to say, "Is this sufficient?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted February 26, 2009 Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 The dragon held up a finger.. as if to say.. hold a minute. He hobbled back to his shack.. brought up this MG and its tripod. He set it up on the ground pointing it at a nearby embankment.. made sure the belt was lose. He then proceeded to fire a few rounds into the embankment. He hoped the Dwarves would see the logic, 'If it can make its own and fire its own high speed ballistics weapon, it must sure the hell be intelligent.'He then hobbled back to the group and tilted his head as if to say, "Is this sufficient?" It was enough. The Dwarves knew thet the Mando'ade had never designed weapons quite like these, only improved on weapons they captured from the Dwarves. This was its own unique design. They then got down to the business of negotiating the terms, which would be explained fully to Star once they were settled. "Weapons?" asked the Mando'ade Lieutenant. "Any," meaning they began with whatever weapon they wished, but they could improvise and use the environment. "Boundaries?" "The base." That was simple enough. Since the outpost was what was being fought over, they could not go beyond 50 yards from the buildings that composed it. "To the death?" Now this, this was always one that was given careful deliberation. If they agreed on yes, the only way to win the match would be for one to kill the other, no exeptions. If they decided no, then a blow that would have been fatal, but was held at the least second, was sufficient. However, they went with the third option. "Combatant's choice." Now, they could decide to hold a blow, but they would then ask their opponent if they wished to yield. If they did, no blood was shed. If not, they would be killed, and it would be considered an honorable suicide. The one with a blade to their throat, so to speak, could not use it as a ruse to attack their opponent by surprise, or their cause was forfeit. After explaining the decided terms to Star, the Mando'ade conferred on their choice of champion, finally choosing the young Scout that Star had first encountered. he would be using a blade called a katana. The Dwarves chose their own leader to fight for them, and he brought, as was expected, a battle-axe... They would not start until Star gave the signal--he would hold his arm out and up, then swiftly drop it... OOC: I'll write the fight later. For now, you can write his reactions to what he's been told, or anything else plausible at this time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Vortex Posted February 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 Star took his place sitting on a boulder a few feet away. He sighed and then watched the combatants lined up. He raised his harm out.. then up... and waited to see that both combatants were ready, when they each nodded to him, he dropped his arm and watched the fight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted February 27, 2009 Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 Star took his place sitting on a boulder a few feet away. He sighed and then watched the combatants lined up. He raised his harm out.. then up... and waited to see that both combatants were ready, when they each nodded to him, he dropped his arm and watched the fight. The combatants bowed to each other, then drew their weapons, and nodded to Star. When he dropped his arm, they immidately began circling, not taking their eyes off each other. The Scout stepped forward as if to try a downward slash to his left, and the dwarf raised the blade of his axe to black the attack...which never landed, as it was a feint. The sslash was quickly changed to a thrust at his opponents midsection, but belying his race's appearance, the dwarf nimbly turned sideways to avoid that attack. Now it was his turn to try, and he lashed out with the handle of his weapon. The scout didn't quite manage to avoid that blow, receiving a grazing hit to his left shoulder. The two combatants backed off for a few seconds, the Scout absently stretching his shoulder to prevent it from becoming sore. Each studied the other with an assessing gaze, the exchange of blows running through their mind at a pace as rapid as they had occurred. Once they had circled each other for a few seconds, they renewed their fight. If possible, this exchange of blows moved at a more rapid pace, the weapons almost blurring at the speed of the strikes and counter-strikes. An unexpeced blow from the handle of the axe sent the Scout reeling, but when the Dwarf moved in to finish him off, he dropped to the ground, hooking his leg around his opponent's knee and pulling. In his surprise, the dwarf lost his weapon, falling himself, and the Scout was on him in a flash, holding the point of his blade a fraction of an inch above the Dwarf's heart. "Do you yield?" The dwarf may might not have understood the language, but considering the circumstances, the question was clear. He glared at the scout for several seconds, but just as the scout was fearing he would have to kill his unarmed opponent, the Dwarf nodded as his glare disappeared. As the Scout helped his earstwhile opponent up, the other Dwarves in the contingent began placing their weapons on the ground in a pile. As they had lost this fight, they were now officially prisoners of war. But despite this circumstance, the dwarven commander grinned and slapped the Scout on the back, saying something in his own language. The translator overheard. "He says to congratulate you, and to thank you for putting up an excellent fight, the best he's had in years." The Scout blinked, standing there in shock. His opponent was thanking him for being beaten? Baati and the others were also muldly stunned from that pronouncement, but not so much that they couldn't function. The Lieutenant ordered his men to gather the Dwarven weapons, and they complied, willingly enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Vortex Posted February 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 Star trilled off a chuckle. He'd never seen such peculiar interactions. The cultures were most definitely very different. It was no wonder they were at war. He laid back in the grass.. moving on his hobbled leg had tired him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Star trilled off a chuckle. He'd never seen such peculiar interactions. The cultures were most definitely very different. It was no wonder they were at war. He laid back in the grass.. moving on his hobbled leg had tired him. "Something amuses you?" Baati asked, sitting next to him, after checking his leg to make sure nothing had happened while he was using it. The weapons were, by this time, gathered, and the Dwarves were not physically bound, which might surprise some who were not familiar with their culture--when in the military, one doesn't keep just their own word, but that of your commanding officer. It stemmed from the natural rule of following orders given by a superior officer. instead, the Dwarves satmeekly in a group, waiting until their captors should choose to take them elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maelstrom Vortex Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 "Watching the two of you, it appears as night and day, it is no wonder the races are at war here, yet I see the promise of peace also. You treat each other with a dignity that is lacking throughout most of the world despite your differences of thought and action." Star observed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 "Watching the two of you, it appears as night and day, it is no wonder the races are at war here, yet I see the promise of peace also. You treat each other with a dignity that is lacking throughout most of the world despite your differences of thought and action." Star observed. "I see...but I must disagree. The problem with the conflict may be that we are too similar. We are both warrior cultures with a high sense of honor. If this were not the case, the incident that sparked this war might have been forgiven and forgotten." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subtleknifewielder Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 (edited) OOC: Don't want to let this die, so... IC: Once weapons were studied, processed, and allocated (if someone wished to take possession of any of them)preparations began on finding a way to get their guest and prisoners back to the capital, where they could be dealt with appropriately, and more efficiently. Seeing as the dragon probably wouldn't fit in one of their own aircraft, it looked to be a long walk...or ride, if they could commandeer one of those new machines called 'tanks.' Edited March 5, 2009 by Subtleknifewielder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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