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A Simple Negotiation

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A Simple Negotiation

A Simple Negotiation loading screen.jpg

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A Simple Negotiation is the third story step of Jormag Rising, the fourth episode of The Icebrood Saga.

Objectives[edit]

Mediate the discussion between Smodur and Braham.
  • Meet up with your allies in the United Legions camp.
  • Join the discussion.
Find a path forward.
  • Consider Braham's plan.
  • Consider Smodur's plan.
  • Speak with Crecia to decide a plan of attack.
  • Survive.
Finalize your plan.
  • Confer with your allies.

Rewards[edit]

Walkthrough[edit]

Achievements[edit]

A Simple Negotiation Jormag Rising 1Achievement points
Complete the story chapter A Simple Negotiation.Journal: A Simple Negotiation Completed Completed the Story Chapter "A Simple Negotiation" 1Achievement points
  • Complete the story step.
This achievement rewards items. Return to A Simple Negotiation Return to Jormag Rising 0Achievement points
Complete the story mission A Simple Negotiation in Living World Icebrood Saga Episode 4.
Reward: Rare Charr Salvage.pngRare Charr Salvage
Completed A Simple Negotiation 0Achievement points

NPCs[edit]

Allies[edit]

Charr
Humans
Norn

Foes[edit]

Charr
Icebrood
Norn

Dialogue[edit]

Rytlock Brimstone: Commander.
<Character Name>: What are you up to?
Rytlock Brimstone: Not killing Smodur.
<Character Name>: That bad, huh?
Rytlock Brimstone: He and Braham are going toe-to-toe on strategy. Neither one's a bad plan by our standards. But...
Rytlock Brimstone: We were this close... This close to getting Ryland back.
<Character Name>: I know.
Rytlock Brimstone: So yeah, not killing Smodur? Harder than it looks.

At the negotiation table:

Braham Eirsson: Again—look—I'm not saying my idea's perfect—
Smodur the Unflinching: You want to take the commander and a strike team through the norn ruins under the keep.
Braham Eirsson: Yeah, then we go straight up to Bangar and take him out before he wakes up Jormag.
Smodur the Unflinching: Have you even opened the door to the ruins?
Braham Eirsson: Well, not yet—
Smodur the Unflinching: We need the commander with us on the front lines. I am going to stop Bangar, and you are going to help me.
Lady Kasmeer Meade: Braham, how close are you to opening the door?
Braham Eirsson: Close. The Spirits are there, and the carvings clearly say their magic is what opens the way.
Malice Swordshadow: But you haven't been able to talk with them. Or else they would've let you in by now.
Smodur the Unflinching: Commander, we can't wait for this...magic. My siege engines are ready. Let's kick in the front door.

Hearing Braham's argument:

Commander, I know I'm asking for a lot here, but I'm sure I can find us a way into the keep.
Talk more option tango.png What is the key to opening the door?
Braham Eirsson: The Spirits of the Wild. Their magic, channeled through the runes around the door.
Braham Eirsson: I've been trying to get Wolf, Raven, Leopard, and Bear to answer. But I think they're keeping their distance.
Smodur the Unflinching: Maybe for good reason.
Braham Eirsson: Maybe. But we haven't exhausted our options yet.
Talk more option tango.png You mentioned the corrupted Spirits before...
Braham Eirsson: Yeah. If the other Spirits won't answer, maybe they will. It worked back at Drakkar Lake.
Rytlock Brimstone: Are they still corrupted?
Braham Eirsson: I can handle it.
Talk more option tango.png What do you think of Smodur's plan?
Braham Eirsson: Don't get me wrong, Commander. I'm all about kicking in the door and blowing up the place.
Braham Eirsson: But this is Jormag's territory. Bangar's got the advantage.
Efram Greetsglory: Yes. No telling what surprises he's got waiting for us in here.
If Iron Legion charr:
Smodur the Unflinching: Commander, you're one of us. You know this is exactly the sort of thing we train for.
Otherwise:
Smodur the Unflinching: This is what Iron trains for. This is what we do, Commander.
Talk quest option tango.png Give me a moment.

Speaking with Smodur:

Braham's plan is a good one, but Jormag gets closer to waking up every second. We need to march now.
Talk more option tango.png What's between us and the front door?
Smodur the Unflinching: Frost Legion, Svanir, and icebrood.
Efram Greetsglory: Don't forget the Claw of Jormag flying around out there.
Smodur the Unflinching: Stiff resistance. But I know Bangar's strategies like the back of my paw. Imperators study each other.
Lady Kasmeer Meade: Then that means Bangar knows your strategies, too.
Malice Swordshadow: He absolutely knows your strategies.
Smodur the Unflinching: And it will avail him nothing. I will end him, Commander. And you will help me.
Talk more option tango.png Why do you need me on the front lines?
Smodur the Unflinching: Your presence will send a message. To the legions. To Bangar. He'll see his time has come.
Malice Swordshadow: What he'll see is all his enemies in the same place at the same time. We call that an opportunity.
Smodur the Unflinching: I call it fighting on the front lines, Swordshadow. Something you don't know anything about.
Talk more option tango.png What do you think of Braham's plan?
Smodur the Unflinching: I think if that door was open we'd be having a different conversation.
Smodur the Unflinching: But Jormag will wake up. And soon. Every second we argue is a second we give Bangar and the dragon.
Talk quest option tango.png Give me a moment.

Speaking with Efram Greetsglory:

Efram Greetsglory: I think we should give Braham the time he needs. If we go all in, we put everyone at risk.
Efram Greetsglory: We don't even know enough about their defenses. We don't even know how many Frost Legion are in there. I don't like it.

Speaking with Kasmeer:

Lady Kasmeer Meade: Smodur is confident. Maybe too confident. But this is what he does, for better or worse.
Lady Kasmeer Meade: The ruins under the keep might be a safer choice, but we'd be fools to think Bangar doesn't know about them.

Speaking with Rytlock:

Rytlock Brimstone: I'd never admit it to his stupid face but Smodur's prob'ly got the right idea. We can't just sit around.

Speaking with Crecia:

Crecia Stoneglow: All right, Commander. What do you think?
<Character Name>: I think we... What is—?
Smodur the Unflinching: Oh—!
(Ryland appears through a portal and kills Smodur with a gun.)
Braham Eirsson: What—?
Efram Greetsglory: NO!
Crecia Stoneglow: (gasp of surprise)
Lady Kasmeer Meade: Smodur—!
Rytlock Brimstone: Ryland!
Ryland Steelcatcher: We've got every exit covered. Drop your weapons.
<Character Name>: You drop yours.
Ryland Steelcatcher: This isn't a negotiation!
Crecia Stoneglow: Commander, get down!
Malice Swordshadow: Head on a swivel! They're everywhere!
Efram Greetsglory: Push them back! We can't let them take the camp!
Ember Doomforge: Svanir, incoming!
Lady Kasmeer Meade: Hurry! Take out those portals, or they're gonna overwhelm us!
Rytlock Brimstone: Dammit, Ryland!
Crecia Stoneglow: The portals, Brimstone! Focus!

After holding off the attack:

Rytlock Brimstone: Well. That's inconvenient.
If charr:
<Character Name>: It's a lot more than that. Our imperator...
Otherwise:
<Character Name>: It's a lot more than that.
Efram Greetsglory: How did Ryland find us? One of your double agents get caught?
Malice Swordshadow: We've been blowing up their camps. Loudly. We knew this was bound to happen.
Rytlock Brimstone: Yeah, but not this soon. And not with a hole in Smodur's head.
Lady Kasmeer Meade: Doesn't change anything. It can't.
Crecia Stoneglow: Every second we stand here, more Frost Legion enter the field. Who's Iron's second-in-command?
Malice Swordshadow: Most likely Mia Kindleshot. Tribune. Smodur trusted her.
<Character Name>: She helped us fight Kralkatorrik at Thunderhead Peaks. Where is she?
Ember Doomforge: Not here. But we'll find her.
Crecia Stoneglow: No time. Efram, you worked pretty closely with Smodur and Iron south of the line.
Efram Greetsglory: I did. Doesn't mean Iron will take orders from me.
Malice Swordshadow: They saw you fight alongside Smodur. They respect you. I'll help you organize the rank and file.
Braham Eirsson: What should I do?
Crecia Stoneglow: If you can get that door open before we march, we'll go with your plan. But that's as long as we wait.
<Character Name>: Crecia's right: The more we talk, the bigger the Frost Legion gets. And the the closer Jormag is to waking up.
Crecia Stoneglow: We're not just fighting to stop Bangar. We're fighting for the future of all the charr. Braham?
Braham Eirsson: I won't let you down. Commander, meet you there.

Talking to Efram:

This is a disaster. An imperator's been assassinated in cold blood.
Talk more option tango.png We can't let that distract us. Smodur wouldn't want that.
We never agreed on much, but he and I both know Bangar was just the first of many problems the charr have before them.
Talk more option tango.png You mean Jormag?
Jormag. The Dominion. The very beliefs that got us here. Smodur knew that poison runs deep amongst the charr.
Talk end option tango.png And you're going to help root it out. I know it.
Talk end option tango.png We'll stop Ryland and Bangar. We have to.

Talking to Malice:

This is...inconvenient, to say the least.
Talk more option tango.png That's all you can say?
Smodur and I, we've had our differences. But we always made things work. For the good of the charr. Now...
Talk more option tango.png We owe him a lot. Despite everything.
We do. And Iron will remember him a certain way. But Ash, Blood, and Flame? We'll all remember him in different ways, I'm sure.
Talk end option tango.png I'm sure.

Talking to Braham:

Hey, Commander. You doing okay?
Talk more option tango.png I'm fine. Can't believe Ryland got the drop on all of us.
I heard how angry he was after Cinder. At you. At Crecia. But Smodur more than anyone.
Talk more option tango.png We should have taken greater precautions.
Can't blame yourself. Knowing what I know about Ryland, he would've found his way in here eventually.
Talk end option tango.png That's a good point. Anyway, let's focus on getting into Jormag's keep.
Talk end option tango.png I'll feel better once we've opened that door near the ruins.

Talking to Crecia:

We can't let this halt our momentum. We seize up, we die.
Talk more option tango.png We're not going to stop. I'll work with Braham on the door.
And I'll do what I can to help get Iron in line. Smodur has...had a lot of supporters. They won't stand for this.
Talk end option tango.png And I don't blame them.
Talk end option tango.png Then let's get back to it.

Talking to Rytlock:

Smodur might've been an ass, but I'm not sure he deserved that.
Talk more option tango.png Ryland had the drop on us. It could've been worse. A lot worse.
I guess, yeah. But if Smodur hadn't killed Cinder—
Talk more option tango.png We wouldn't be in this situation, I know.
Talk end option tango.png I'm not sure, either.

My story[edit]

A Simple Negotiation loading screen.jpg

The moment I returned to our hidden camp, I heard Braham and Smodur arguing strategy. Neither plan was a bad one, but they were mutually exclusive. Everyone was in disagreement, and I would need to break the logjam.

I listened to both Braham's and Smodur's plans. Braham was certain he could find a way to convince the Spirits of the Wild to open the stone door by the norn ruins. Smodur, on the other hand, was more than convinced it would be a waste of time and we should put all our resources into a single frontal assault.

But before I could make a decision, a bang echoed through the caverns. Smodur went down. Standing high above us: Ryland Steelcatcher, carrying the rifle that had done the deed.

Portals opened around us, enemies pouring out.

We repelled the attack and drove Ryland's forces back, but he'd accomplished what he wanted: Smodur was dead.

There was little time for mourning, unfortunately: if Ryland knew where our camp was, we had no choice but to move up our timetable.

Efram and Malice stepped up to lead Iron in the assault on the front gate, while Braham resolved to open the door in the ruins. If we could get that door open, we'd have a straight shot right to Bangar. It was as good a plan as any.

My story