Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

This thread takes the form of narrative with conversations between Hrogar and his Spirit Guide, Red Stag.

******

You're sure these Humans will allow you to slaughter their own? This is a trick. They're testing you. Testing us.

I have already told you that Orcs fight each other. The Baldur's Gate tribe and Bandits tribe are at war. I ask you to help me in the slaughter. We will take from the Bandits tribe -- the weaker tribe -- and there will be no retribution. We will be stronger.
Weapons. Armor. Magic. Everything that is needed.

Humans can't be trusted. Gnarled Old Root told me you were an Elf. He told you I was a bear. Trust is always foolish. Trust will be your downfall.

He did not have much time left. Neither of us is happy with this but he fulfilled his oath and his pact. Just... to the letter and not in the way we wanted. This is different because there is time. We sat and we saw that those who attack the Bandits tribe are no enemies to the Baldur's Gate tribe.

The Orcs may come to kill or conscript me one day. And you have your enemies as well. Those who do not prepare always blame bad luck for their fates, this will not be me.

*****

Chapter House Skullpounder became bold enough to operate in front of the Friendly Arm Inn, where Hrogar would go to learn the civilized ways. When they saw Hrogar they called him Half Breed. They were immediately interested in dominating and humiliating him. It dredged up some really bad memories.

They were under the impression no one knew they were Orcs. It was so dumb Hrogar worried they might be favored by Bahgtru. But no one was acting like they were Orcs. It was a miracle, Bahgtru style. Hrogar mentioned they were Orcs just in case stupidity magic was influencing the well armed, incredibly dangerous adventurers.

The Orcs talked among themselves and the wind brought the words of one to Hrogar's ears. Somehow he knew their secret but they could befriend him, take him to the woods and gut him. They surrounded Hrogar and put their hands on him.

You trusted the Humans to see their self interest and to take action to that end. As I said. Trust will now be your downfall. Look how they do nothing. At least your most impressive cousins will take you to the Cloakwood. Surely I'll find a worthy Shaman there after you are dead.

If you see Gnarled Old Root in your post-mortality travels, tell him I shall hunt him for his deception. And perhaps, for the burden of our time together, I shall hunt you as well.

That and the situation pissed Hrogar off so much that he raged. He's not sure what happened aside from vague memories of a fight. He knew he fell one but not the others. He knew one of the adventurers provided magical aid. When he came to, a Human in green was finishing the Orcs off.

You are alive through no merit of your own. This disgusts me.

Bloodied, Hrogar coughed and offered a pained smirk. That's just your way of saying you were wrong about the Humans.

There is a way to be free of you and I shall have it.

Despite everything, Hrogar leveled a stoic gaze upon the ephemeral stag. Then I will make the best use of the time I have left.

The Human in green spared the lives of the Orcs and even healed them. Then, both the mortal and the spirit experienced something even stranger.

That is the dumbest thing I have ever seen!

*****

When Hrogar met Pokey McStab and saw his Ring of the Djinn he needed to have it. He pushed himself to raid and loot as often as he could until he had the 45 bags required to, as he thought, deal with the Orcish threat.

Another bound against their will to the cause of your freedom. And this one is from far beyond the Ethereal. Gnarled Old Root would be pleased, I am sure, that you are turning out to be quite the ambitious Thaumaturge.

This bothered Hrogar tremendously. When the Orcs who come to this place are dead, we will all be free of each other. I will hunt for these people. Or... maybe I will cook.

I know better than to trust you, of course.

******

Hrogar encountered two of the Orcs once again near the Friendly Arm Inn. He and the male squared off (the woman had drunk herself into stupor) and exchanged words. The Orc assumed Hrogar was dealing with loneliness and appealed to that in a recruitment attempt.

If only we could be lonely. We would be rid of each other.

Hrogar insisted he wasn't lonely and that he would live his life his way, without the tribe. The Orc said the price for this decision would be death. Apparently the Orc would fight later, when the Humans could not see. Hrogar stated it was better to die fighting than to live as they do.

Once the female Orc was no longer a concern, Hrogar acted. He called the Orc a coward in their tongue. Now, suddenly, he wanted to fight.

... you're going to kill them one by one. There were subtle changes in Red Stag's demeanor. A grudging respect. A dash of curiosity.

They fought for quite a time, each having trouble piercing the other's defenses. They were much like stags themselves: the creatures are known to fight each other for up to half an hour. Once his rage subsided he found himself further into the woods with his opponent beneath him.

Hrogar took off the Orc's helmet, stared at his face and remembered his past. Then he procured a rock, succumbed to the rage once more and beat the Orc's skull in. There was little more than pulp by the time he was done.

Hrogar. That was exquisite.

Hrogar grunted, still catching his breath. Without really knowing why, he slashed the palm of his hand open and bled on the Orc. Something strange happened once again.

We are Hrogar and Red Stag. We see two worlds as one. We walk two paths as one. We curse this soul to torment. We curse this soul to never rest. We curse this soul to walk the lands until the end of days.

Hrogar left a bone trinket behind and planned matters of survival with Red Stag late into the night.

This is cowardice.

This is also survival. The plan is to kill the Orcs one by one. Not to be found by them when I'm sleeping in the cave.

The Human city is an affront to nature. There are other safe places. Elf cities and Dwarf cities both are wrought from what is already there. The Humans change nature into... something else.

Elf cities and Dwarf cities are not an option. Both of these peoples think the conflict that the Orc tribes bring against them is somehow special. They hold deep grudges that others do not, even if the Orc tribes are a threat to all. You act as if we will spend all our time in the city. Did you not participate in the Rite of Binding and Joining to see this world?

Not Baldur's Gate. And certainly not the waters, as these Humans will apparently send you out to tend to. Do I look like a fish to you? As much as I detest this I suppose it is a boon that I might see you drown in that armor of yours.

And do these Orcs set sail on the waters? We will not be caught unaware by our enemies. Further, the Darius Trade Company Tribe will be allies against the Orcs if they decide we are useful.

They are dreadfully boring and the provenance of this Waukeen is clearly to create value by stealing from nature. You are on a dark path and you are stubborn as always.

I will watch and wait until this desire of yours to learn the Human ways, as you call it, becomes as rotten meat in your stomach. You will write and suffer and ask yourself why you would be dumb enough to eat such rotten meat until you had your fill.

The only way this time might prove valuable? That noble woman's refinement would have to rub off on you. She is acceptable. The rest are not worth my time.

(I'm going to discontinue this PC due to having just hit Thaumaturge 5 and discovering it doesn't jive with Spirit Shaman the way I hoped it would. Thanks all for the RP.)