Decision Making Under Uncertainty

Episode Fourteen: The Last Temptation of Gorakheel

AK 594/9/27-10/6 (1976-1985 PK)

To nobody's surprise, Gorakheel was one of the negotiators hammering out the details of Banzeel's peace agreement. And to nobody's surprise, one evening he took the opportunity to check on his old shop and see if a hidden cache of items he'd stashed in the basement was still there.

Gorakheel's first stop was the common room of the inn he'd been staying at, where he hired a local fighter (or thief) named Denzeel for an evening of bodyguarding. (Denzeel lost an arm-wrestling match to Gurga, a C-Ra grunt fighting for the Westerners, but he seemed to have a brain in his head. Gorakheel lost 2ep betting on the match.) The pair went to the site of Gorakheel's shop and found a rough-looking tavern called Snakey's (though there wasn't a sign), complete with rough-looking bartender sporting lots of tattoos, an eyepatch, and an earring in his left ear. Gorakheel expressed an interest in buying the building from Snakey, got precisely nowhere, and left. (Snakey was quite adamant about his tavern staying open.)

For a little extra money, Denzeel set about trying to dig up some dirt on Snakey and the tavern. Gorakheel used a locate object to determine that his old sign was somewhere on the second floor of the building. Denzeel reported that Snakey had found the shop abandoned and moved in, that he was rumored to have a non-human eye under the patch, that snake-people were living in the building, and that they were quietly gathering recruits for transformation rituals in the sewers. Which explains why Issssssss said he knew where Gorakheel's spellbooks were, I suppose.

After another day of negotiations, Gorakheel and Denzeel headed back to Snakey's, and Gorakheel even bought a drink (something distilled called Silka's Tears). Gorakheel mentioned that he'd spoken to Isssss when he'd gone to the Western camp, and Snakey told him that such things were only discussed downstairs. Snakey also said that no weapons were allowed down there. So Gorakheel left his daggers with Denzeel, along with instructions to come looking for him after an hour, and headed down with Snakey.

It turned out Snakey wasn't too happy about what he perceived as Gorakheel's attempt to extort ransom for the yuan-ti high priest, and he had lots of snakes and yuan-ti down there for backup.

Snakey:

"Here are two plans. Tell me which you think will work better:

1. We kill you and send back your head to the Westerners with your hireling as proof that we demand business.
2. We keep you hostage and offer to exchange you for our high priest."

Snakey:

"Look, friend, I like you and all, but we have to get Issss back. I'm sure you'd do the same in my place."

Gorakheel:

"Look, I came here willingly, and even disarmed myself. And I came more openly than Isss arrived at the camp"

Snakey:

"Yes. And I took advantage of that. Avoided bloodshed and kept you alive. It's a tough world, and the smart survive. Be smart, my friend, and we may all come out ahead."

1. Write a ransom letter offering an Isssss for Gorakheel exchange. If the Westerners accept within 2 weeks, everyone goes home happy. If not, Gorakheel picks again from the remaining options.
2. Release, on the following conditions:
   1. "That you help in the revolutionary cause against the Imperialists"
   2. "That you strive to seek the release of the High Priest from the Westerners"
   3. "That, as a symbol of your rebirth, you undergo the Ritual of Sissilis" (an evil ceremony with side effects like temporary physical transformation and loss of paladinhood)
3. "You will be sacrificed in a beautiful ceremony to Sissilis."

Omimajish:

"Gorakheel will be welcomed as a hero into the Seven Heavens. Maybe Issss should be executed just to make the message crystal clear."

Nomistrus:

"I counsel that Issss continue to be held prisoner rather than being executed."

Omimajish:

"I did preface that last statement with `maybe'."

Silvana contacted Horon, and together they put together a team of adventurers and mercenaries to investigate the area under the zoo. Omimajish sent a reply to Gorakheel's inn:

"Request denied. We do not negotiate with terrorists. Virtue is rewarded; Evil is punished. -- High Priest Omimajish"

"Isss remains alive and well, although Omimajish is irate about the disappearance of a negotiator. Perhaps given more time, we can convince him to arrange a trade. Don't do anything on impulse. -- Silvana"

Scaley:

"I sssssuggesssst replying `BANSSSSSEEL' -- don't want to lie." :-)

Scaley and Gorakheel talked more over the next few days. Scaley sympathized with Gorakheel's arguments for his release but felt he couldn't go against the word of his god. He also brought Gorakheel a tome to look over; it was written in a swirling sort of script, but Scaley provided some basic swirly-to-E.C. translation notes. Some of the passages read:

"The enlightened are born twice. Once as <???>, then again as snake. Emerge from your egg praising Sissilis, for the journey is <???>. As a symbol of your <???>, destroy your old <???>. As a symbol of your new <???>, slough off your old skin, revealing to your kin the glory of Sissilis' <???>. Follow always the circular road."

Gorakheel:

"I wish I could talk to your god myself."

Scaley:

"I am pleased to hear you say that. Then we shall proceed with the ritual."

Gorakheel:

"I meant before going through with that."

Scaley:

"Sissilis does not talk to worms."

Scaley:

"It seems that I too was tempted by weakness. I was led astray by this man's educated bearing and obvious intelligence. I must seek forgiveness from Sissilis. I feel impure and I cannot sacrifice you. I will have my assistant do it instead. Please forgive the fact that I could not be with you in your final moments. Farewell!"

Assistant:

"Choose yourt death: poison or pain."

Gorakheel:

"Which one hurts more?"

Omimajish:

"In the end, we must all die. However, dying on an altar is not the way of choice. If I could, I would want to know how Gorakheel would want to die -- and help him get his wish. If he were brought back to life, do you think that he would do it all over again?"

Nomistrus:

"Do what? Die on an altar?"

Omimajish:

"Defy Evil to the end. Die with honor and bravery and single-minded commitment."

Nomistrus:

"For some it's habit-forming. Others are terrified after their first death."

Silvana:

"Who can predict what humans will do?"

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