“All I’m asking is whether we’re the bad guys here” said Margaret with a laugh. “We’re committing genocide, we’ve killed children and now we’re gearing up to torture a prisoner. Is this what heroes do?”

“First, we never signed the Geneva convention. Second, we gave the guy a chance to talk, so basically it seems like he wants us to torture him. Third, we’re on a mission from a god, so I think whatever we do is pretty moral from that perspective. Fourth, they’re all going to die when reality ends anyway, so that’s worse than whatever we do to them.”

Laughing, Margaret held her hands up in surrender.

“It is interesting how quickly people adopt an ends justify the means perspective,” mused Laura. “We aren’t even trying other approaches to problems.”

“Last time you tried something else we got mugged by a bunch of kobolds, so I think the kill first ask questions later policy is working pretty well,” argued Dave.

“Would the Frontier Fort torture him if we turned him over to them?” asked Frank. “Maybe they can get the information for us.”

“Ha ha, keep your hands clean by letting someone else do the dirty work?” teased Gary.

“Do we have any spells that would force him to tell the truth or read his mind?” asked Anne.

“That’s a good idea!” acknowledged Gary “Check out your spells lists, there are higher level spells that could help you but nothing you have now I don’t think.”

“Do I learn any of the orc’s language?” asked Margaret.

“Make an intelligence check,” commanded Gary.

“Passed!” Margaret said with excitement, looking at her 20 sided die.

“You learn the basics of HIS orc tribes language. Single word interactions. It won’t help you communicate with other orcs, unless they also know this tribe’s language for some reason.” Gary explained.

“So,” Laura said, starting to change the subject, “apparently I didn’t get the tenure track position that was advertised.”

As a group they registered their disappointment.

“The department told me they wanted me, but the provost made an offer to another candidate. Then when I saw the provost this week she went out of her way to say that she would have liked to hire me but the department wanted someone else. She’s such a liar!”

“I’m no fan of the provost,” Gary prefaced, “but I suppose it’s possible that it’s the department who is lying. Lying is a pretty popular activity around this campus.”

“Especially with the administration!” joked Margaret.

“Does it affect your position now?” asked Frank.

“No, I’ve still got the three year visiting position,” explained Laura. “I’d definitely switch to tenure-track if I could though.”

After a pause where no one seemed to have anything else to add, Gary continued with the game.

“Ok, so you show up back to the gate with the acolyte and a pair of orcs tied up. Sergeant Suzie asks why you’ve taken one of the priest’s acolytes prisoner.”

“The priest turns out to not be such a man of god,” said Margaret in character. “Please summon the captain of the guards so we can explain to him what happened.”

“Her,” corrected Anne.

“Her,” agreed Gary.