Playing Politics in Ur

Last Saturday we played another session of Justin's Vaults of Ur campaign on G+.  It was a good session, although we only had one truncated combat (which we almost skipped), and found no treasure.  Things are happening, and it was a blast.

Anyway, before I get into specifics, our cast of players/characters were: Dean as Elder Karl the Cleric of the Great Bear, Tedankhamen as the Fighter Leslie the Blue, Alexi playing his Elf Maya Culpa, and myself.  I had thought I'd play my alternate M-U, Thomas the Visionary, but ended up playing Thidrek the Sleestak Crossbowmaster instead due to in-game events.

So we started out to finish cleaning out the alchemist's tower so our work crews could move in, but a delegation from The Hive, led by our buddy Forager, met us near the gates and requested Elder Karl and Thidrek's help.  It was urgent.  So I switched characters back to Thidrek and we all set off for The Hive.

It turns out, the power politics of the Hive is coming to a head.  Forager's faction is facing off against the "red men."  And there's a group of "outsiders" helping the red men.  Well, we were taken to see the Queen.  She's a massive, egg-laying termite with telepathy.

She's much pleasanter than this.

The Queen was unhappy about any outsiders in the Hive, and basically told us that if we don't play our cards right, the Hive will turn hostile to all outsiders, and their territory will be off limits to anyone from Fort Low.  Since the tunnels under the Hive have been our best source of income, and Forager and his faction have been useful allies, that could make our life harder. 

Basically, to keep the Queen happy, we're gonna have to get rid of the other outsiders, who "cloud their minds" from her telepathy, and deal with the Spiked Circle.  Soon.

Well, not knowing really anything about the other outsiders, that became our quest.  Forager helped out, first taking us directly to the red men's quarters where we were turned away rudely, then by showing us some unused side passages where we could approach unawares.

Well, investigating the side passages, we mostly kept to the path (investigating one side room that odd moaning noises were coming from - it was just wind blowing through a vertical shaft), we came to a wall separating us from the room where we could hear voices talking in Common.  Elder Karl's stone fist of mystery came in handy, knocking a large hole in the wall.  It of course also made a lot of noise, so we retreated.  When a group of red men came to investigate, we retreated further to the wind noise room, and soon heard screams and battle nearby. 

After a quick debate - let it go, attack from behind, or go help and try to get on their good side, we chose the third option, and arrived just in time to save two red men from a manscorpion.  After a round of combat with us, taking a fair number of hits, the manscorpion retreated.  We BSed our way into being taken along with the red men, and got more suspicious questions from the large group waiting around the hole Elder Karl had made, but then the "outsiders" called us into their room.

Turns out they're just a bunch of free-loading mercenaries.  They even offered to switch to our side if we payed them enough.  They have no intention of doing anything to help the Hive if they can manage it, and are just living on the Hive's good graces.  They also thought we should band together to loot the Hive. 

Well, we wanted to throw down with them, but Forager would prefer no fights in the Hive, and we were lacking our powerhouse Fighter Ripper, and our Magic-User Mork, so we tried to arrange a "meeting" outside to discuss our options for taking on the Spiked Circle (or looting The Hive) together.  Their leader suggested we meet the next day at noon at a specific marked building north of the Hive, near the Zoo.

Going back to confer with Forager (who is wondering if this is the time for his faction to clear the Hive of the red men...looks like the time is drawing nigh), who confirmed our suspicion that the building of the proposed meeting is a trap.  I suggested then making a nighttime commando raid against the drunken mercs once most everyone's asleep.

Well, we left things off there because it was getting late.  We'll pick it up again in two weeks, and hopefully we'll have a couple more of the regulars (Jeremy, Josh, Brian, if you're reading this, we could use you next time!).  The outsiders are going down, and the red men may be purged!