As they walk Inside the tower, Rokas study the walls. Trying to determine the age of the construction and if it as any link with Kotelia. He also tries to keep an eye for a quick exit if it comes to it. He then focuses his thought to Terex, trying to pass along a message. "Tell Kincaid that if things goes bad and we need to fight our way out of this, I got an infusion for him. It will transform his hands into living stone. It won't be his sword, but he will be able to punch his way out of here."
Okay! Terex obligingly relays Rokas's message.
That done, he 'speaks' to everyone in the room. We're explorers, searching the world to see what's out there, and hoping to meet other peaceful groups our home can trade with or otherwise form mutually beneficial agreements. Speaking of which, maybe we could trade some information? We could tell you something about where we've explored near here, and you could tell us something of what you know about the area, or maybe why you're here?
After a moment Terex realizes he might have overstepped his bounds. To Kincaid alone he says, Ummm... I hope it's okay I said that?
Kincaid would estimate the tower at 1500 to 2500 years old, likely Old Imperial construction. It's been repaired a lot recently.
The gnoll rubs the side of her muzzle, near the scar. "We are Gra'Vall. We come from east of here, across the Plains of the Lathan, who would not let us stay with them, but did give us passage. We located this abandoned tower and rebuilt it. It is ours now, by right of claim. These woods are relatively unpopulated. You should not continue south if you are going south, there is a city of demons to the south. The demons sometimes make it this far north hunting for food."
Outwardly he showed no reaction but, Kincaid was happy to let Terex talk, the little Pseudodragon seemed to have a flair for it and his story was pleasingly close to the truth without revealing too much. When Terex spoke to him directly, Kincaid thought, 'Looks like it worked, good job. I have a feeling this tower once have belonged to the city but so much time has passed any claim feels churlish.'
When Kapitan Bel'gra'grah explained what he thought was to the was to the south, Kincaid was slightly taken aback. Not knowing what was going on Kincaid chose his words carefully, "A city of demons! That sounds awful, have they caused you much trouble? We did encounter a band of light fingered goblins a few days back but apart from that little of note, as you say this area is lightly populated."
The gnoll barks, and several gnolls around the room also bark, apparently in amusement. "Rock Something Tribe, yes, they hide in the hills to the north. They cower on the edges of Kotelia, hiding in it's shadow, using the fear of it to keep themselves from being slaughtered by others, and hoping Kotelia does not notice them." She spits to the side, showing contempt. "You are fortunate you did not encounter Kotelian scouts as you came south, they cook outsiders and eat them."
Where did they get that idea? Terex wondered to himself.
'Aloud', he said, Really? From what I heard Kotelia was one of the safer places to be around here, as long as you didn't look like you were threatening them. What kind of demons are to the south? I've heard there are lots of kinds.
The gnoll barks in laughter. "Sure, safe if you don't mind being eaten. The merchants who come through warn us, show us half-eaten remains of their friends they found in scout camping pit." She spits, and the other gnolls growl in anger. "Demons? Demons are demons... some have chains, all have claws and teeth, well most do. Nasty things, eat you alive..." She sighs. "Most things around here seem to eat you alive..."
Rokas is puzzled at what the gnoll leader says. "Who would walk around with the half eaten corpse of their friend? I don't doubt that they did show that to you, but I do find that weird." Rokas tries to remember the landscape he saw on the map back in the city. "Those demons, how big is the city and how far do they patrol the region? I know we are asking much, but we are kinda new in this region."
That almost sounds like someone's trying to stir up trouble for Kotelia! Terex telepathically exclaims to his squadmates, making certain not to include the gnolls in his broadcast.
He turns his attention back to the Kapitan, again 'speaking' to everyone in the room. Kapitan Bel'gra'grah, we've asked a lot of questions. Are there questions you want to ask us?
As he waits for a response, he 'says' to his squadmates alone, We really should have come up with a story ahead of time for where we're from...
Hylar thinks strongly that honesty is the best policy. Either the gnolls will attack, or they will understand by action the peaceable intentions of the group.
Xaeken simply listens and waits...
Kincaid did much the same. A number of good questions had been asked and he was interested to see Kapitan Bel'gra'grah's reaction.
The gnoll nods. "Yes, you are... varied... I see a psuedodragon, a fashtali, a hogoblin, a 'taur of a species I've never encountered, a half-demon of some kind, and a construct. It is hard to determine where you come from. Are you all from the same place? Did you see any sign of Kotelian scouts on your trip? We have heard rumors that they are expanding their territory and building new outposts, perhaps as part of a move toward expansion instead of defense."
The gnolls, in general, are very tense about this question.
The gnolls are very tense about this question, and seem to be fearful of the answer, although whether they fear a yes or a no you're not sure.
Abbo feels a little bit of tension in the air, but doesn't say anything. Instead, he limited himself to look around the room and try to notice if someone was drawing weapons or guarding their exit. In his core, the fashtali hoped his companions would diplomatically lighten up the mood.
Terex is not surprised that they're worried about Kotelia, after what they'd been told.
We do actually all come from the same place! Terex happily explains. The funny thing is, we actually didn't see any signs of anything Kotelian between here and as close to the walls as we dared to get. Well, not that we could necessarily tell a Kotelian fire pit from anybody else's. So I suppose we might have and just not recognized it, but really, except for the goblins, it's been pretty deserted.
There seems to be a sudden deflation of tension in the room as a lot of hairs stop shedding from stress. The Kapitan nods. "That is good to hear. The hunting near here is thin, thanks to the demons to the south, and the Kotelians to the north. West is mountains, and we are not well suited to mountains."
Holy Sithana Nehandris taught that mercy and compassion where the goals to live your life by. Kincaid could see what might happen here if he did nothing, the city was bound to note the strategic nature of this place and garrison it. If that were to happen the Gra'Vall would suffer greatly. It was a long shot, he had to walk a tricky line with the truth and decorum, but there might be a way for a happy outcome.
Kincaid made a show of appreciating the stone work, his voice grating line stones in a bucket he observed, "I suppose this was once a watchtower for the Kotelians, one they abandoned long ago. Looks like you've put a lot of hard work into it, I reckon it's your by rights now, any claim they one had was negated by centuries of neglect."
This was delicate ground, Kincaid defiantly didn't want to undo Terex's work.
The gnoll Kaptian shakes her head. "No, this was an Imperial Outpost, we found old scrolls while repairing, signed by one of the Emperors of old. Kotelia never get this far south, everyone we meet say so. Else we not settle here."
When Kincaid suggests working with Kotelia, the gnolls all exhibit various signs of nervousness. They are too disciplined to speak, but several breaths are heard. "Worse thing could happen is that they eat my messengers. I will not ask my followers to walk into butcher's and lay head on block. You think we should ally with Kotelia?" She says, sounding upset. "Why don't you take a message for us then, put your own head on the roasting spit, if you think that's such a good idea?" A round of growls accompanies the response.
Terex shot Kincaid a glare before quickly interjecting, I think we don't really understand how dangerous Kotelia is. The truth is, until now, we'd mostly been avoiding talking to people, so we hadn't heard much about them other than them having a huge wall. What do the Kotelians look like, so we can avoid them? I'd really rather not get eaten.
As he waits for a response, Terex speaks to his squad, Somebody's been giving us a bad name, and I don't think we're going to fix that overnight. We need to get more information, track down just who's doing this and how, and maybe then we can start trying to convince people that Kotelia's not like what they've been told. But if we rush it we're just going to get ourselves killed.
Calmly but firmly Kincaid says, "Peace! I did not mean to offend." Looking the Kapitan in the eye Kincaid tells him, "
I wouldn't suggest something I wasn't prepared to do myself... Assuming I get there in one piece, there's no guarantee anyone would listen, but I'd be willing to try."
The Kapitan reaches up and scratches an ear as she looks at Terex, and instantly every Gnoll in the room draws their weapons, archers pointing their arrows at the group, the melee armed gnolls just pulling and pointing toward the group.
"They are lying."
To the group, she stands up, one hand on her weapon. "You are lying to me, you know more than you admit to. For all I know, you are Kotelian spies."
One of the gnolls with a bow growls. "Advance scouts, find our weaknesses, how we defend, so attackers can take us. Army must be near."
You want the truth? Terex 'shouts' as hard as he can telepathically. The truth is you've been lied to! Whoever's told you about Kotelia doesn't know what they're talking about, because we are from Kotelia and we don't eat people! Kotelia doesn't care what goes on outside of its walls unless people attack it, which is why we're the first scouts to get this far from the walls in years! And if you kill us when we're here unarmed, aren't you just as bad as you were just blaming Kotelia for being?
Rokas mind was drifting while the discussion was happening. He was thinking about how to improve on the repair of the tower, and about what siege weapons design could work well in its defense. When the Kapitain quickly stood up and the others gnolls drew their weapons, Rokas was surprised at the turn of the event. He thought for sure the smooth talker of the group was getting through to the Gnolls.
"Secure them in the cells. Get a cage for the dragonlet. We'll let the witch sort this out. Get the children to the shelters near the escape tunnel. Tell the sentries to prepare for an attack by Kotelia."
Two of the Gnolls, the ones who took up guard behind the PCs, begin to move slowly up behind the group, taking cuffs out of the satchels on their hips.
"You're lying about something, I don't know what at this time. Until I am sure you are not a threat to my people, you're spending time in my cells. If I determine you are not a threat, you'll go in a few days with my apologies." Then she shows all her fangs. "And if you are a threat to my people, I will leave your hides on the sides of my tower to tan in the sun as a warning to others."
There's no attack coming, Terex 'says', trying to project a calm he does not feel. We are not a threat, and if we have to sit around and wait a while to prove it, we can.
To the rest of his squad, he sends, I really really hope that's true...
"Of course we withheld information about us. Since the moment we have got here, you've had weapons pointed at us. Then you tell us outrageous claim of Kotelia scouts killing and eating people when we know for a fact that no troops were sent outside the city walls for a long while. Even worst, throughout history, Kotelia was attacked multiple times from outside force and not the other way around." Rokas take a small pause to let his words sink in.
"You are afraid of attacks? Answer this, when was the last time you were attack by troops from the city? Was it days? Weeks? Months? Years?? Did it ever happended? You treat us like ennemies, yet you don't know us. We announced ourselves, and dropped our weapons to get to talk to you. Isn't that something that show that we are looking for a peacefull solution? Think about how you want this to end. Actions we take right now are important, they will define how history will record this. You have a chance to help your people here. Don't let this pass."
I will go to no cell. We came with no weapons, seeking understanding. Like my companion said, you were never attacked by us, just heard rumors. If anyone attacked you, then it's the same who attacked us, and we should seek such enemy instead. - Abbo was patient, being a monk; but with lycanthrope blood on his veins, this wouldn't last long. Different than what Terex had implied, he wasn't willing to sit around in a cell and "wait".
Abbo, Rokas... Terex silently pleads with his squadmates, If we fight, none of us win, no matter what happens. Maybe we break free, maybe we don't, but either way there's a lot of dead people for no good reason.
Xaeken waits. Neither situation was ideal but so much relied on his companions choices...
Kincaid was most dismayed, disaster struck and it seemed blood would be let at any moment.
Gently but firmly he told his hobgoblin squad mate, "Stand down Rokas, there's too many. That goes for you too Abbo."
It was possible nobody would listen to him now, but with sorrow in his heart Kincaid spoke loudly and clearly, "There is no army out there, and nobody wants to cook and eat you. The Kotelia you talk about doesn't exist, none of us would stand for it if it did! We didn't come to spy or to fight you. We came with peace in our hearts hoping that our nearest neighbors might one day become friends..."
The female gnoll pauses, then nods at the guards. "Take them alive if they resist. If you speak the truth, demon spawn, then you will be released in a few days and I will apologize. But I cannot risk those whose lives are in my fist."
The guards nod and sheath their weapons and instead draw small wooden cudgels.
The two behind the PCs continue to move forward with the restraint devices.
The small shrub succumbs to the guards.
Terex stands unmoving. I won't resist. If this is the only way to prove our innocence, then I'll do it.
Rokas looks at Kincaid. "But we didn't... We just can't..." He seems to try to find something else to say before his shoulder just drop as he comes to terms with the fact that there isn't any better solution. He then looks at the Gnoll leader. "We are putting a lot of trust in your word. Don't make us regret this.
Waiting for Abbo. In which the party waits while philosophizing in french?
"I will walk to a cage," Hylar says. "And Kasha with me, but anyone trying to place a chain on me will find their neck broken. I have been chained before, I will not be again." It is apparently something he takes seriously. He will not actively resist so long as no one chains him, but if they try cuffing him as it looks like they might, he will resist.
The gnolls look to the Kapitan, who looks at Hylar...
...and hesitates, then nods at the gnolls that this is acceptable.
Abbo grinds his teeth, but keeps his cool.
We will wait your days. - says the Fashtali, looking from above at the gnolls coming from behind.
The group (other than Hylan) are put in shackles, and then led down the stairwell. Terex, part way down, is pushed into a metal cage that looks like someone hastily repaired it. It's rusty and old, obviously not used in decades, perhaps hundreds of years. A piece of flat steel, obviously part of some damaged armor, has been bent over a rusted out bit and then bits of metal twisted around the bars to hold it in place.
The stairs lead to the ground floor, and then they move a canvas and reveal more stairs going into the ground. The stairs lead down underground about a hundred feet to a large cavern with dozens of gnolls in it. The group sees dozens of smaller gnolls, children, being led in lines toward tunnels branching off from the central cavern.
They are led to an older portion that seems little used, where there are cells cut into the walls of the caverns. Old rusty iron bars form cages of the cells. Of the six cells, one is unusable due to the bars having rusted out. One has two gnolls in it already. The other four are soon filled with the group. Abbo gets his own cell, while Kincaid and Hylar are put in another, and Xaekan and Rokas in the last.
Terex's cage is hung from a hook in the hallway. Two gnolls peel off and stand guard. Once they are in the cells, the gnolls take the cuffs off the group, one at a time, archers covering the prisoners.
Then the prisoners are told to take off their equipment and push it out the briefly re-opened door.
Eventually, about an hour later, the gnolls bring the prisoners food from their packs. The guards look at the food and sigh before pushing it through the small hole for food. Rokas gets a double ration, as they push through some for Xaeken too.
The Kapitan supervises the feeding. "You will be seen to by the witch in the morning, after she has recovered. She is old, and tires easily."
The cells are clean enough, with fresh cut grass under clean blankets for beds.
Kincaid was reluctant to part with his sword and even more so his armor, it was all he had left to remind him of his guardian. Yet Sithana taught that pride is stone about your neck... Kincaid carefully removed the armor and placed it neatly upon his cloak, lest the metal get scratched.
Feeling rather melancholic but putting on a brave face for the others Kincaid told them, "Now I suppose we must wait. Get some sleep if you can." He hoped that Terex would be able to communicate to them, so they wouldn't have to talk in front of the guards. Among several other morbid thoughts he wondered if such communication was really as private as the little pseudodragon thought.
Terex sighs and settles down in his cage. Well... I guess we wait now. Hopefully this witch lady is honest, and has some truth-detecting magic so we can prove we mean no harm.
I hope your diplomatic approach doesn't mean we rot in this forsaken place. - says Abbo, a little grumpier than his usual - Let's try to catch some sleep, then.