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Scare them into the deeper parts and cave in parts of the cavern, sealing them in

Take out their leaders and try to convince them to surrender

Slaughter them all

Ignore them and look elsewhere

Other (post and specify)

[Sirus]

((Friggin wererats, making Ritiki look even more non-threatening by comparison

Bring Ewan along or don't, I really don't mind either way.))

[apiks]

Arioch rolls his eyes at the lack of support from his supposed companions in battle and finally relents.

"Fine then, tag along, however I still insist on those torches. Go sort that out and let's get going. Letting them bake is good, but not if they become charred."

[Hanzoku]

Jehane shares a glance with the others behind Arioch's back and shrugs before taking position a step behind and a step to his left, already assessing the ones waiting for them in terms of potential threats.

[highmax28]

Arioch rolls his eyes at the lack of support from his supposed companions in battle and finally relents.

"Fine then, tag along, however I still insist on those torches. Go sort that out and let's get going. Letting them bake is good, but not if they become charred."

((I had to look back because I had no idea what you're talking about. Its on a slightly elevated hill, so you can see quite well up there. I'm also going to snuff your arguments because I REALLY want to get this started. Since no one wants to back out and just watch, you're all going in))

You all approach the hill and see Ewan was right about the woman. Upon getting a closer look, she's adorned with strange tattoos and assorted fetishes that you have never seen before. She looks intimidating, but her smile as you approach is welcoming, unlike Gorm, who gives a stern look. As you get closer, you can hear Bjern snort and then sneeze, followed by a half dozen voices telling him to hush. Ulf nods as you all arrive and starts to speak.His voice carries a good distance in this place without much effort on his end.

"Everyone attending has arrived. Let us begin the discussions. First, let us address-"

Gorm interrupts him, his voice booming with fury.

"We will first address the murder of my father by one of your own, or we will NOT have any more to say!"

The Earth-Shakers look unruly from his statement, but Borg extends an arm to hold him back.

"Did you forget what we decided at our own moot? The rest of the clan wants to see if it is true or not that the one who slew Borr the Mighty is still amongst them BEFORE attacking or harassing them farther. They are our neighbors, and we always had respect for them. Now we need that respect more than ever.

Forgive Gorm for his rashness. This is his first Moot and he isn't fully aware of the customs, speakers of the Red-Moon Clan and speakers of those Far-From-Home."

The woman gives a cocky smirk. You start to notice despite the fetishes, scars and tattoos, she is easily in her mid to late 20's, and this expression shows her youth.

"This is a first for many of us. Especially of those who came from across the ocean here.

I have the means to prove to you that Mordare, the one who slew your father, is no longer welcome in our clan. We brought most of our people here to show their marks. With my magic, I will show you the marks of those not here.

I am sorry to say my magic cannot seem to find Mordare, however. You are welcome to inspect every one of our clan members if you deem it necessary."

Gorm gives a stern look before nodding.

"I will see to it personally right away. Borg will speak for the both of us as I do this. I will go with you, wise woman, and see to it that you are not lying to me."

The woman shows her mark first, which is on the back of her leg. Ulf and Varg show theirs, and then Gorm and the woman head towards the rest of the Red-Moon clan.


"It might be a bit much, but it will be the only thing that will put his mind, and this conflict, at peace. I did not think you would be willing to do so."

Varg gives a smile before Ulf speaks up.

"If it weren't for the newcomers, we would have had to make him believe our word alone. I normally speak for the entire clan by myself. This is perhaps a first for many things. The winds of change are coming... And we must choose to fly with it or brace against it.

Now, I believe it is time we let the newcomers speak their mind. I want you to tell everyone what you told us. About your landfall, the others who will come, and of the dangers we will be facing. The moot calls upon you, the clan without a name or home."

[apiks]

Arioch looks Gorm go with understanding. The diplomat was no stranger to the desire of revenge.

The path has been set. The future is in front. The bridges have been burned and new ones are beginning to be built over them. It is a sh-


It is I, Arioch, that speaks now.

"It is my wish to first thank you all for meeting here. It takes a great deal of wisdom to be able to settle your differences and agree to discuss the state of affairs."

Start with a short bow.

"With that out of the way, let us start."

Flash a small smile before it quickly disappears and a serious expression.

"We come from the other side of the ocean. As I have been told this is where you escaped from people hunting you long ago. People having the technology to destroy you. Having the power to uproot you. People who are hunting most of us now as well.
More of us will come. And more of them are coming. In the thousands. Eventually they will become millions. There is no way to stop them. In the Old World some countries are pulling all their power into this place. They hope to gain it, to exploit it. To expand. And with them doing this the other countries have no choice but to follow suit, or else give the entirety of this unknown land to the ones that most desire it.They call it the land of opportunity. The land of fortune. Where any man or woman can start fresh."

Make a pause.

"This is where we come from. The slight difference between the others and us is that we hold allegiance to no nation. Each of us have our own set of circumstances and reasons to coming here and more of us are coming. With all this said you may not be seeing what the big deal with this moot is if it's just this. The problem is hence."

Dark brooding face for tension.

"Not every one of them will wish to bargain with your clans. In many eyes your extermination or relocation would be preferable for the nations. The reason this can be said with confidence is because I have heard of the contingency plans in case your people were met, as I had a government position for a while."

Next hold for a moment then lift face and crack a joke.

"Don't worry much about it though. That snake you got in the forest would be sure to strangle any would-be invader. Haha."

Smile for a few moments.

"There were two reasons for this moot. The first is to settle the differences between your clan in regards to the murder. That may as well have been settled now.
The second is to discuss the future of our three people. In that regard I have proposals."

Look each of the leaders in the eye before continuing.

"Ally and hostile people are coming. To brace for it we propose a close-knit alliance between our three clans.
To foster growth and technology a trade agreement.
For closer integration between our people and lessen racial conflict, we propose to do a rotation of exchange volunteers between our clans for a short period of time for each.
we propose our three military forces slowly become more centralized as to avoid overlaps and lapses of plans."

Look confident. Show no emotion, then smile with calm eyes.

"Naturally each of these points will be discussed, modified or outright rejected. I imagine you have your own terms in regards to them. It is quite possible even closer integration becomes possible in the future, but for now, I suggest we discuss these points. Needless to say if the talks are successful, Mordare's clan will have to be dealt with, more clans recruited and your sacred places protected. The only worrisome part is that we do not have the time to dally for months on the talks, as is custom."

Relax and casually move an arm toward the mentioned names.

"For anything trade related feel free to consult with Ritiki here. You can already see his eyes glazing at the mention of trade, haha. Reminds me of my younger days.
For anything about our people and other details regarding that, Ewan's the best person to ask.
For military matters James will accommodate you.
For the more general things I am here to answer."

Textbook material. This will be easy.

"May the talks, begin."

[TD1]

Martijn spends his time attempting to look like he can handle himself, though some of his time is also spent ogling the shaman. Some of her fetishes are quite entertaining for him.

[Hanzoku]

((I'm interested in how this is going to play out. I'm still amused that we independently basically ended up in a party full of Face characters.))

[highmax28]

((Sorry for delay, laptop crashed 8 times trying to work on the update last night... I should be able to work on it tomorrow; I'm busy working and I don't want to use my phone to make a detailed post with so much work needed to be put into it.

I'm also trying to fix my laptop, but I have no idea what's wrong. Event viewer has no trace of it, no viruses and it's not overheating. I don't know where to look for more info, but it's annoying... Especially when you're trying to download stuff when you're not home.))

[highmax28]

((I'm interested in how this is going to play out. I'm still amused that we independently basically ended up in a party full of Face characters.))

((It is definitely interesting))

There is a dead silence among the two clans as your words pierce them with the harsh truth that you told them.

Varg breaks the silence.

"I can say that they are to be trusted. Their strength and cunning in combat shows they are capable fighters. And if they are but a fraction of what is to come, we will have more than we can handle. Their people fear us, but through me, they have shown they can see through our bloodline that made us exiled and accept us as one of their own. I spoke with some of their people and some of their ideals are the same as the Red-Moon clans. They, however, are one family out of many people. Their people outnumbers our clans individually. I do not know how many, but Ewan might know.

I will say, on my honor as a warrior, and through the debt of my life that I owe them now twice, I will speak for aiding them in whatever ways we can."

Ulf goes to speak but Borg steps in.

"I invited these folk into my home, and they have told us of many things. We have much to offer one another. Though I do not know of this "economics" or "technology" that you speak of, I know that your knowledge would only aid us. I wish for us to settle our differences, and the faster we deal with threats like Mordare, the Night-Stalker clan and the wererat raiders, the better chance we have at being ready to deal with this new threat. We can only gain from an alliance amongst our clans. It seems that unity amongst the clans, regardless of race, is coming upon us."

Ulf speaks up after him

"I agree. We had peace between our clans for years. It is time to turn that peace into a friendship. I know Gorm seems to be distrustful of me and my people, but I will do my best to aid him in seeing Mordare fall. I swear this by my honor as a Red-Moon.

Now, what did you have in mind for those plans of yours? It would help us understand some of those words better if you told us how it would work."

Taking a quick glance, the Red-Moons are silent as they show their marks to Gorm and the Earth-Shakers are eagerly muttering among one another.

[Hanzoku]

Jehane relaxes her stance slightly as the meeting continues, the Red-Moons working efficiently in the background to show their tribal markings. She watches them coolly, assessing their emotions. Some were impassive, others defiant, maybe a little upset. It made sense – while it made peace between the tribes, it was an insult to their tribe’s honor to be forced to prove that the exile was not among them when they had already said so. It said that their word alone was not enough for the Earth-Shakers. With time, the slight would be smoothed over for many, but it was something to watch.

The others were waiting as well, letting Arioch take the lead. It made sense, he was a diplomat before, and it showed in his methods and his words. Meanwhile, Jehane was musing to herself, focusing on his delegation of military questions to her.

Huh… their military. He’s treating them as the heads of nations, but they’re the leaders of tribes. If they’ve organized militarily beyond warbands, I’ll be surprised. Coordination will be one of the first things we’d need to work on.

How would they fight best? Not as a phalanx or a legion, we’ll need to look to our own for that sort of discipline, maybe we could train their youngest warriors to that standard. Their warbands are probably most used to skirmishing or just charging into each other…

…I wonder if they can pull the same tricks the rats did? Werewolf skirmishers striking at the flanks and rear of the enemy forces with wolf packs, while werebear barbarians act as a hammer, smashing straight in with a pack of bears at their back…

…Hm… bears are large enough to ride on. Stick plate barding on one, put a plate-armored werebear on top with a greataxe, point them at someone you don’t like and let them go. Your enemy guaranteed to be dead or severely maimed within a minute or your money back.

I really need to see if we can manage bear cavalry…

…What can we offer them? Heh, that’s a simple one. Metal. Forged silver weapons and metal armor. Never have to worry about your weapon breaking in your hand, and you’re more protected to boot. Magic, too…

…I know others are coming, and those damned Iscaarians will too. But I wonder if they know that everyone on this side of the ocean is a lycanthrope? At least in the first few fights, that’s a hell of an advantage. They’ll eventually reequip everyone with silver weapons, but that can slow them down too. It’s a damned sight more expensive to equip a legion with silver-tipped spears then with steel, after all…

…We need to start culling through the tribes and the refugees and figuring out a way to start training anyone we can in arcane magics. The local tribes don’t have them, nor do the Iscaarians unless they bring in mercenaries. Other nations might, but it’s either an advantage that we possess and they don’t, or removing a disadvantage if we run into enemies that do have warcasters. Arioch can probably get casters started for those with an innate talent, and Njord might be able to train those who have a talent for magical studies…

For now, Jehane holds her peace, staying alert to how the others react to Arioch's proposals.

[TD1]

((Nice internal dialogue. Probably the longest speech-that's-not-a-speech I've seen in a while ))

Martijn smiles and nods at Varg

I don't know much about trade or politics, but I have seen the strength of your clans and the strength of their loyalty in Varg. I count him as my friend, and it seems I now have the opportunity to do the same for his people. He smiles warmly at them.

However, I think if you want to talk about trade and the like, our friend Ritki here is who to talk to.

[Hanzoku]

((I had already been thinking about it, figured I might as well share it half-IC as well. ))

[highmax28]

"What sort of trade do you have in mind?"

[Sirus]

Ritiki stood up, hiding his nervousness at being surrounded by potential predators with ease. This was how he made his living, after all.

"Back in our homelands, we used fragments of valuable metals to barter with, such as these." He held up some of his few remaining coins for all to see. "It's a bit complicated to explain right now, but in essence we assign value to these bits, which we call coins. You could use these coins to buy something, or hire someone to work for you." The ratman pocketed the coins with a shrug. "At least, was how it worked back home. One thing I notice here is metal is in short supply, and what there is we may need for other things. We could find something else to use for currency if needed, assuming that is the path we wish to take.

"As for what goods and services can be traded? That is limited only by imagination. Almost everyone has skills and tools that can someone else does not, and that fact gives those tools and abilities value. I am certain that your tribes must have been doing this sort of thing since they founded, even if you never knew about economics as a concept."

[highmax28]

The two elderly men ponder as the young shawoman and Gorm return, a solemn and embarrassed look on his face.


"He has been proven that we do not have Mordare in our clan. I would say he is satisfied, but he is far from it.

I know of one thing that you newcomers have that we desire. Even with the weapons we have in our clan, we lack any means to repel attackers, as our skin is resistant to almost any weapon or tool that isn't made with a specific rock. However, I have heard rumors that one of your clansmen has had his own band and fought off many Grey-Tails while a select few of warrior blood stood firm against them with massive shields like the Earth-Shaker's walls. I speak of the forbidden magic."

The people on both sides start to make shouts of disapproval.


"...The very same magic that forced us from our homeland across the sea. With this power, we could defeat our foes without the worry of being unarmed. My clan has lost too many over the years, with our friends and family always in fear of being next to be slain. Varg is one of our greatest warriors, Ulf himself aside. And our magic used to come from the land itself, but that art was lost when my brother and my father were slain. The spirits did not want me to follow in their steps, and now I am the last one to use magic in our clan, and I may fall in battle one day without an apprentice. This forbidden magic can only but help us!"

Borg leans on his staff and makes an almost angered snort.

"I think the talks of forbidden magic are for another day. I am more interested in the newcomer's tools and armor that this one wears."

He points to Jehane.


"It is something we have never seen before. It is stronger than our normal weapons and it is tougher than our hides.

My people are builders. We will exchange the work of our people to help you finally call a place your home in exchange for tools that will make our work easier.

As a sign of our cooperation, my son, Bjern, and one other that I will introduce you to will live with the newcomers, and two of our great builders will live with the Red-Moon clan, as a sign of goodwill. I trust that you will treat them as they were of your own kin."

Ulf nods.

"Since we have fewer in number, I will trust Varg to the newcomers, one of our greatest warriors, to protect and aid them in this time of hardship. To you, Earth-Shakers, I ask that you welcome my son, Aki, into your clan. He is a great warrior as well, and I trust he will defend you with the vigor and determination that he holds towards me."

"Hmph. I apologize, Ritiki. Your "coin" is very new to us. It will take tine to adopt.

As I was saying, on our way here, we met a warrior from a clan who seems to be unable to speak. His strength is great, but his mind seems to be... Gone.

Bring him here!"

He shouts to the Earth-shakers, and two people guide a giant of a man who is tall even amongst the werebears. He has some strange gloves on with stone fingertips that make it look like claws, and his face shows an expressionless and empty gaze.

"He may prove useful to you. Treat this wanderer well, and I'm sure he will do the same, and we can trust you and your people."

((Xeron, you're in if you want to say anything (if you want to)))