The Inbetween Adventure: The Current Dilemma

So the party faces a bit of a choice point. Obviously to join the Order or not is the first and primary question and the reason I'm making an entire thread just for this. This is for in-character discussion, whether directly with one another or simply to put your character's mindsets, philosophy, intentions, etc. out there for all to see. I imagine this meeting between the 14 of you, in game-time, would take several hours of debate and discussion.

The entire campaign is on pause until this is decided, and I will not push it forward until at least all 14 people have voted in and a consensus of some kind is reached. This is too important to just pass on.

I would also like to reiterate something here, Hanuel pointed out that I probably should, so here is the full situation as you know it:

Several local members of the Order had a Feral Golem incident. In an effort to help the Adventurer's Guild, which is on hard times, they contract it out as a Bill.
Several days afterwards the Moarsman friend, Crilfu, was in town on unrelated business and heard bout the Bill. He decided to stick around to see if anyone could complete it because, in his eyes, anyone that can take down a Feral Water Golem deserve to be watched and could be the kind of people he wants to recruit for his Adjunct.
An Adjunct is a type of categorization for people within the Order that deal with special operations for things that will have wide-scale effects. Local towns at the smallest, and up to continent-wide problems at the highest level. Of course a brand new Adjunct would have to prove itself and grow before being trusted with such long-reaching difficulties.

To start I vote Yes but if the rest decide agained it I'll go with the group

Spoiler:

As for why I vote yes
It will open up more options for us.

We will most likely get payed more for each job we do.

If things end up going the way I think there heading we will be able to do more and save more with the orders backing that we ever could hope to do without it

"I have no intention to give up my own freedom of where to travel and what to do just for some safety of a job. What is it that you dislike about what we do now? We travel, hunt, drink and eat together, take on jobs on our own and have no one to respond to but ourselves!

Is there anything more beautiful than life as free as a wild beast's? Not trading that for anything, I would rather help each of you on your own journey and then have you help me on mine than end up cleaning up loose ends and failed experiments of the Order until they decide we are no longer useful!"

"What Ash said.

Plus, if i'm ever to be seemingly tied down to any one person or entity, i'm either married (yeah, right) or it's because of coinciding interests. So far, it would seem my interests and those of the Order are nowhere near aligned. The chance i'll be actually doing good work with - not for them, instead of just serving their needs, is not anything to write home about as i see it. Helping Silvina and Gnawbone was good. Helping Kheynth was good. Jerking around deaf while screaming at O'ulan was good.

I've worked for a salary before, and it sucked. And i left. I'm not going back. Not for them.

I'd need to know they're somehow worth my loyalty, and what i've seen so far points to quite the contrary."

"Our freedom?"

That is what Ashakel said

"I remember voting to go for the golem Bill instead of the Keynth one. And I did not complain when we didn't. There is no such thing as true freedom when we travel in a group. And even if we do not sign up with the Order, we still have to choose from the Bills that are available. We'll have to travel where the Bills ask us to go. Complete the jobs we are given because we are mercenaries, a kind of cannon fodder that no one cares for. If I have to be cannon fodder, I would like to be at least well paid and possess the authority to obtain all the intel available to us. So yes, I vote we take that offer and work for them. To obey the Order cannot be worse than following the whims and impulses of this party."

"As for the Bill's as i said there aren't many of them, people aren't going to the Guild any more for work or help.

Don not forget that the first bill we did together wanted us to kill Gnawbone what would have happened if the kobolds weren't there and we did kill all the Gnolls? ye the bill would have been completed but we would have just murdered what 30, 40, 50 innocent Gnoll's because someone said they were bad guys.

Taking jobs from the Order is no different from taking them from the Guild. other than we would have more resource to pull from.

also the Order has been helping people for over 300 years.

And for them resource that guy at the Order know of the centaur attack somehow? and i don't know about you but the only person i told about that was the Governor"

Spoiler:

To All

Spoiler:

Snarg crosses his arms in front of him, an uncharacteristically stern look on his face. "I ain't tellin' ya what ya doing', but I ain't too keen on gettin' this deal without an advance and gettin somethin writtin' down to be lookin' ova. I ain't thinkin' they be meanin' us harm, but ya and me both got burned in Al-Erat. Just sayin' it ain't a bad deal, but ya gotta be carin' 'bout them details."

Spoiler:

"I also agree with Snarg. If enough people are interested in that offer, we should return to the Order tomorrow and ask for details."

"as i said back then when we spoke to Crilfu i dont like going into a situation blind"

"as for going back tomorrow it still early what is it like 11:30 ish we could head over after we finish talking, Crilfu may not be here tomorrow?"

"as for the news that Kez is gone.... i guess that what happened at the mine's was too much for her i wish i could have said something to help her cope, Gwydo did she say anything before she went?"

"and Zeiss whats this about the order doing an investigation and not knowing about the room at the back of the golem chamber?"

Tabran Cole wrote:"and Zeiss whats this about the order doing an investigation and not knowing about the room at the back of the golem chamber?"

"This is like I said. The Order did not know about the room with the crystal and they are looking into it. And the Guild is suspecting us of killing the other adventurers, to keep the gold to ourselves I guess, which they will realize is not true when they look at the bodies."

"that makes me think that the order didnt set the traps at the start of the mine and that Golem was too big to, i have never heard of a Golem been more that 14ft tall and that was at lest 20ft"

*after listening to the debate to join the Order, Kezrin says quietly so that only those near her can hear.*

"I will not join The Order. I have already stretched my loyalty too thin in working for The Adventurer's Guild to meet my aim with the Circle. I will not join another."

Kezrinthka (Xahn) wrote:*after listening to the debate to join the Order, Kezrin says quietly so that only those near her can hear.*

"I will not join The Order. I have already stretched my loyalty too thin in working for The Adventurer's Guild to meet my aim with the Circle. I will not join another."

"If the vote goes towards The Order, what will you do Miss Kez?"

Kolson Wezrae wrote:"If the vote goes towards The Order, what will you do Miss Kez?"

*she pauses and considered for a moment.*

"I will follow, but I will not join. Of course I will provide aid in all that I am able, but I will take no gold nor will I join them in any official capacity. If this does not suit them... we shall see."

Kezrinthka (Xahn) wrote:*she pauses and considered for a moment.*

"I will follow, but I will not join. Of course I will provide aid in all that I am able, but I will take no gold nor will I join them in any official capacity. If this does not suit them... we shall see."

"I see. I'm voting 'no' as well, but for my own reasons. I wasn't impresses by The Order in this matter and frankly they need to get their house in order before they start offering jobs to people off the street. Can you imagine, hiring someone when you don't know the first thing about them? Nonsense I say. Not a good way to run things except into the ground."

"who's to say they dont know the first thing about us that guy mentioned the Centaur attack and i dont know about you but the only person i told about that was the stat Governor"

"The representative who offered us the job hadn't even read the Bill, Tabran. Given his track record I doubt he can even tell you apart from the other Lycans."

A messenger walks into the inn

"Is there a Tabran Cole here?"

Tab - "I'm tabran can I help you?
Messenger - "got a letter for yo, if you ed just sign here and here"

*Tab sign's for the letter, and looks over the letter spots the wax seal and quickly breaks it as he leaves the room*

"I vote for joining the order. This isn't about alliances, freedom, money, the moarsman being awfully suspicious or any of that.

I feel like the last three bills might have been caused by the same group of people, all things considered. And they all seems to have something to do with elements. That, or the world has gone crazy, but my gold is in the bastards we found out about in the second bill...

And talking about elements, the Order probably would probably feel the need to go after those villains, because that's what they do, I think. I'm pretty sure that give us a better chance to find them and kick their asses in the name of all the people and elements that they have been troubling over the last... who knows how long.

The Adventurer's Guild is a great guild and all, but elements are people too... no, wait. I mean, if we help the elements, they become people? Uh, that's not right...

Anyway! What I meant to say is that if any of you want to stop those bastards as much as I do, our best bet is to focus our efforts working for a organization that cares about the element's well being. For all we know, we might never see the the evildoers and their plans in the future following random bills, and expecting that other people might catch up their existence is really just wishful thinking.

So yeah. Focus, good. Random, bad. Focus also gives us more money, info, and maybe even a secret guide for the Air Temple... Nothing to do with me wanting to be a Dragoon. Honest!"

All of this was spoken by Javan with a almost straight face, his white scarf moving dramatically even though there was no wind to speak of, complete with a heroic pose... while holding a book titled "The Newbie's Guide To Speeches" in plain view.

"While I agree that a pattern is emerging from our recent jobs, Javan, we have no guarantees that we'll be doing anything of the sort for The Order. Once we sign up, we'll be their's to do with as they please.

I'll remind you all, Crilfu isn't interested in our brains, he's looking for a fist. He only extended the offer after we defeated the golem, not when he found out I graduated at the top of my class in Weaving school or Zeiss accomplished whatever he did to learn those skills of his.

If that doesn't bother you, fine. But at least consider it first."

Tab come back into the room clutching the letter

"but the same can be said for guild's bills, they didn't want us to talk with the Gnolls we were ment to murder them. if Crilfu is a all business type of guy then if he had given us the Gnoll job he wouldn't cair if we did it the way we did or if we went in and slaughter them all as long as when we finished the job was done."

"It doesn't bother me. After all, we have brawls AND brains, and we are aware of the fact. We are problem solvers, and we showed that in those three bills to ourselves at the very least.

But since it's obvious you and some of the other guys are still angry because of the whole thing, let's consider asking what kind of profile besides smashing golem's heads they expect of us. Let's tell him we want freedom on how to go about solving their problems. We want to be able to say no to a mission because we are people, not golems, and have principles and all that stuff.

And if he does not answer in a satisfactory way, I'm going to back up the no-sayers with all I have. Deal?"

*Walks back into the room, having somewhat gripped his fury, and with seeming renewed resolve. Just in time to hear Javan finish talking.*

"That won't be necessary for me. I will never again be compromised by questionable orders or vermin stupidity. My vote is still firmly no, but if the party decides to go with it, i'll put up. I'll give this order thing a chance. BUT i'm doing what i think is right from now on. If he sends me to kill a pack of harpies, i will see with my own eyes, listen with my own ears, and assess with my own head, then act accordingly. And if that crosses Cril-whatever's orders, he can shove it up his ass and light it on fire. That's where i stand."

"ah Hig's im glad your back.

i just received a letter that changes the playing field a fair bit as i have told you guys i am an Innkeeper but that is a lie of omission, i am also an information agent for the House of Vasmora in Dericost, and that also kind of plays into your Current Dilemma i was sent out 6 months ago to help my House keep track of the goings on in the world at large, what with the current unease my house sent out a number of other Lycan's too and im sure that other house have done the same.

then i heard about the Gnoll bill and some other information i had heard made it so that it didn't sound right so i took the liberty to come and look into the mater personally as i was the closest agent, but the bit that follows is stuff you know about, but as i said i just got this letter from my House they inform me that the nations are moving there military and apart from some of there movements not making much sense it looks like they are positioning for strikes and counter strikes, and personally thou they don't say so in the letter, i get the feeling that war has already started all that's left to do is for the first shot to be fired.

my orders have been changed before i was to gather information and report that information back, thou *tab looks at the floor looking guilty* thou i haven't told my lords everything i have found out as at the time i didn't think they needed to learn of Raver and his wish's.

*tab visible shakes himself *

but as i said my orders have been changed i am now to start prepping for the oncoming war, should it come to that and be ready to help rebuild when the ash has settled....

i think that my best chances of doing that are with you guys and that it is best for all of use if you have all the information at hand.

now that been said i still think the order is the way to go as having there resource's to help me with this will be a great help but i want you guys with me to help so i will go were you go...."