Thoroncir: “Gladly, Gwaelur. And while we do not plan to slay them out of hand nor torture them,” glancing at Gil-Gandel, “they don’t need to know that.”
Thoroncir draws steel and takes a suitably menacing stance near the bound prisoners.
“Also - and this may have all the more impact if I wait for the severity of your mien to impress them first - it would be not unlike the King to deal more leniently with those who chose to make a full confession of their crimes and intentions. Many of Gondor’s foes were amazed at His Majesty’s mercy following the defeat of him whom we still do not name, though they had been openly in arms against the realm. You will not mind if I present you as the hand of present and cruel retribution, and myself as the face of justice and lenity?”
:smack: :smack: :smack:
Wow, I managed to speak as well as act on behalf of someone else’s character in one post. Both of those, of course, should have been my character, Theogrim.
The berries were used on injured prisoners (they only do 1 hit point per berry.)
Ghân says to Mulligan "When I cast more Goodberries, I will pass you some. If you are scouting ahead, at least you will have some curing ability. 
"
Finder’s fee is to be expected, as you take risks on our behalf.
But be aware we can detect magic items, and will consider concealing those to be an offence.
with a smirk; Gwaelur: So elf, you have questions after all. Good, you are fairer tounged than I and may proceed as the face of lenity and justice. Spellcaster, is it possible to rouse one orc at a time from their slumber, or will all awaken when the spell is broken?
anyone who wants to answer that last question go ahead.
It’s a great spell v troops. You can sleep 4-16 orcs, 1-4 Uruk-Hai and maybe (50%) get an Ogre.
Having the choice to cast either Sleep or Magic Missile is tremendously useful.
And it’s good tactics to decide if you need to cast all your spells. No need to spray spells around if we’re winning - we can use them v reinforcements or in another battle the same day.
Well this was a chasing combat in fairly open ground. If we go underground, you will see everyone on foot, probably with the Scout going ahead and a tightly packed marching order.
Also we had a lot of power to spare (plus an excellent plan). Future combats will be tougher!
You’ll have to be quick to beat Mulligan to the loot!
I assume the Advanced Orc simply meant he was scouting ahead of the rest of the orcs.
Spell books held by orcs? You’ll be lucky!
Although Ghân can speak to birds, you should have no trouble explaining anything to your familiar.
Ghân replies “Although my people hate orcs for their destruction of forests, we too do not wish to make them talk under threat. We are better than them and must behave so.
The only spell I can offer is Faerie Fire, which would place glowing flames around them. They look real but do no harm. But is this trickery or evil?”
I believe you can wake them individually. The spell simply puts them all to sleep.
Ghân fully approves of the King’s Justice. This is why my tribe helped during the War of the Ring - to see the return of the rightful King.
Gwaelur: If it would not be a waste of your talents perhaps using the faerie fire to create a more…serious…backdrop for ourselves would aid in our quest for knowledge without creating conflict within yourself.
I propose to ask:
Where are you from
How many others do you travel with
where are the others
what was the purpose of this raid
&
where were you headed
I am open to suggestions of other questions, though I am keeping them intentionally direct and blunt.
I also propose that Gwaelur interogates the orcs in a style befitting Jack Bower, with less torture. Allowing himself to be contained, just barely by Gil’s good cop routine. Lot’s of swinging his axe around as though he is going to chop off thief limbs at any moment. But not actually harming them more then the ocasionall slap with the flat of the axe.
I sugest also that we wake them on at a time if possible so as to minimize the danger to ourselves and as an interogation aid.
“You can explain that the flame will not harm those who speak the truth and all of it. This is not a lie, is it?” smiles the Harper. “They will wake shortly of their own accord, if this is the same enchantment as my folk sometimes use. Let us take each in turn aside.”
Once he has an Orc to talk to, Gil-Gandel will put it to him that it would be better to speak, in the hope of earning the King’s mercy, than remain silent and anger those hot-headed men and dwarves hereabouts. We want to know who ordered this raid, and where he is to be found. They may fear retribution from whoever it is, and we are willing to see to it that only the King, or his appointed magistrate, will be told who talked. There will surely be punishment to come for their crime, but it will be less if they cooperate.
Ghân: I see your point and will happily do this if asked.
Ghân approves.
Ghân will have nothing to do with this. 
Ask your questions from an impressive background of fire, but do not tell me that pretending to cut off limbs is the King’s Justice.
There seems little danger from tied-up orcs, but I agree there is no reason to let them hear each other’s stories.
I know, but it’s worth a try. You never know who they looted beforehand.
Worry not friend Ghan, they will be in no danger and no harm shall come to them. But if they are to turn to the elf in honesty, they must see him as the better alternative than myself.
The elf’s proposal that we take each aside in turn for individual questioning, however would seem to be an even better way to go. So the point is most likely moot.
Ghân: I wish you luck!
My spells come to me through meditation each morning, so I cannot help.
Perhaps Lord Meriadoc can tell you if such scrolls are sold anywhere in Minas Tirith.
Gwaelur, there is already an ancient emnity between good Dwarves and evil Orcs.
Let the Orcs’ minds create their own fear and turn to another to speak truth.
But to pretend to cut off a limb is already causing harm. We Druids would not treat an animal like this.
I want to let this play out a little more, but Deor already knows of places to buy scrolls. He just doesn’t have the Gold to do so. He trained here in Minas Tirith.
Fair enough, I will bow to your superior wisdom. I shall simply hold my axe in a visible manner and shall not swing it about.
I concur.
I shall certainly impress upon our captives that you are fierce, hard to restrain, and not to be trifled with; but you need not embellish this with feigned violence.
To clearly stand on guard is just and wise!
I thank you for your agreement. It is may be difficult for us all to work together when we come from such different places.
But I foresee in our small group a remarkable joining together of Free Peoples - men, dwarves, elves, halflings and woses. 
I like the elf’s idea of taking each aside in turn. Do we have a plan then? Interogate the prisoners one at a time as a small group? It seems unwise to have the whole party interogate the prisoners. Perhaps 3 or 4 of us should handle the interigation while the rest continue to forage the site and guard the captives that are awaiting questioning?