As the hobgoblin's limp form lies still on the ground, breathing shallowly, it would be a simple task to finish him off. Upon closer inspection, you see that he is wearing studded leather armor, now scorched from Morganna's blasts, carries a shortbow with several arrows, a longsword, and a small pouch at his belt. This pouch contains a silver necklace, three brass rings, and ten gold pieces.
Josiah will take the moment to bind the hobgoblin with rope, anticipating questioning him when he comes out of the stupor.
Basil looks around, again, to see if there are any other hobgoblins, perception after hobgoblin defeated (1d20+8=15).
After looking around, Basil asks, "Is anyone hurt?" while glancing at the spot in the tree where the hobgoblin was hiding, to see if the creature damaged the tree.
Josric nods in approval to Josiah as he ties up the hobgoblin, then looks over towards Basil.
"I am uninjured," he replies to the druids question.
"Bit scratched, damn birds." Josiah grunts as he ties up the hob.
As the hobgoblin's limp form lies still on the ground, breathing shallowly, it would be a simple task to finish him off. Upon closer inspection, you see that he is wearing studded leather armor, now scorched from Morganna's blasts, carries a shortbow with several arrows, a longsword, and a small pouch at his belt. This pouch contains a silver necklace, three brass rings, and ten gold pieces.
"The bow will be useful if we run into any similar armed foes, I can only cast so much per day you see," Morganna leaning on her quarterstaff nods towards the gathered equipment.
"We need to get moving so we can reach this tree or Uzmilla's hut before it gets any later," Morganna muses."So say a brass ring to each with the necklace to one who doesn't take a ring?" Morganna suggests.
"So say a brass ring to each with the necklace to one who doesn't take a ring?" Morganna suggests.
"Divvy spoils a the end of toils." Stam recites an old mercenary's adage, meaning one should worry about who gets what when it's all there is left to worry about.
Basil looks around, again, to see if there are any other hobgoblins, perception after hobgoblin defeated (1d20+8=15).
After looking around, Basil asks, "Is anyone hurt?" while glancing at the spot in the tree where the hobgoblin was hiding, to see if the creature damaged the tree.
Josiah will take the moment to bind the hobgoblin with rope, anticipating questioning him when he comes out of the stupor.
The hobgoblin convulses for a moment, then begins bellowing, in the common tongue, "Aargh! My eyes! You've cut out my eyes!" He continues howling and yelling, and as his vision slowly returns, he quiets a bit, looking around in concern. His cleft palate causes his upper lip to twitch constantly, and he awaits your judgment in relative silence.
Josiah will take the moment to bind the hobgoblin with rope, anticipating questioning him when he comes out of the stupor.The hobgoblin convulses for a moment, then begins bellowing, in the common tongue, "Aargh! My eyes! You've cut out my eyes!" He continues howling and yelling, and as his vision slowly returns, he quiets a bit, looking around in concern. His cleft palate causes his upper lip to twitch constantly, and he awaits your judgment in relative silence.
"Care to tell me why you attacked us, meat?" Josiah asks, watching the hob closely.
"Care to tell me why you attacked us, meat?" Josiah asks, watching the hob closely.
The hobgoblin's eyes shift back and forth quickly. He opens his mouth a few times to answer, thinks better of it each time, screws up his mouth once or twice in a pained grimace, then says, "Can't let you get away and let the other humans know we're coming! Can't let them prepare defenses!"
"Who's coming, meat? How many and from where?" Josiah ignites his mindblade and waves it in front of the hob. "Ever seen an animal gutted, meat? It can live for quite some time, alive and in terrible pain if the hunter's bad at his job. It happens, I'm bad at my job." He then lays the mindblade along the hob's inner thigh and applies just enough pressure to dent the skin without cutting it.
"Josiah..." Josric speaks quietly, his tone tense, "has there not been enough violence? Could you not allow our captive the chance to answer your questions before threatening him with harm?"
Could you not allow our captive the chance to answer your questions before threatening him with harm?"
"Besides, this knave should be more wor-RIE-d bout what the Lumber Consortium will do to him when we turn him in. Unless he answers our questions, eh?"
"Josiah..." Josric speaks quietly, his tone tense, "has there not been enough violence? Could you not allow our captive the chance to answer your questions before threatening him with harm?"
"Look, holy man, maybe you should take a walk while I do what's necessary, eh? Sometimes there's got to be someone who gets their hands dirty, eh? Or you can stay and watch, if that's your deal. Different strokes, eh?" Josiah turns his attention back to the hob. "I'm not hearing singing, meat. I'm getting all twitchy here. You won't like it when I twitch, will you?"
”You cannot defeat evil by utilising its methods,” Josric replies firmly, “it is not only your hands that you will dirty through this, but your soul as well - and that is much more difficult to wipe clean.”
“Please, I recognise the need to learn what he knows, but let us give him a chance to speak before resorting to this.”
"Care to tell me why you attacked us, meat?" Josiah asks, watching the hob closely.The hobgoblin's eyes shift back and forth quickly. He opens his mouth a few times to answer, thinks better of it each time, screws up his mouth once or twice in a pained grimace, then says, "Can't let you get away and let the other humans know we're coming! Can't let them prepare defenses!"
"Graaaaah! All right! There's a hunderd of us, no, a thousand! And we're takin' the vale fer ourselves! They're gonna come down the river in barges and take the town at night! I'm no meat, I swear! Just a scout!"
He turns quickly to Josric, "Please, you gotta get yer friend offa me! He's gonna kill me!"
"Darn straight I'm going to kill you. Slowly, painfully you'll die like a coward, unmourned and unremembered. Your clan, your family, your people will not even know you're dead and no songs will be sung for you. Unless you speak the truth and only the truth. If I so much as suspect you're lying..."
"Bit scratched, damn birds." Josiah grunts as he ties up the hob.
Basil briefly eyes Josiahs scratches and decides that they are relatively minor for now. Basil moves to stand adjacent to Morgana, unconsciously imitating her by leaning on his quarterstaff as well. He listens to the exchange between the party and the hobgoblin. He also blows on his whistle summoning Burrow to draw close.
Basil says to Burrow when the Badger draws near: "Thousands of hobgoblins? What a silly story! Burrow? What do you think of that?"
"Darn straight I'm going to kill you. Slowly, painfully you'll die like a coward, unmourned and unremembered. Your clan, your family, your people will not even know you're dead and no songs will be sung for you. Unless you speak the truth and only the truth. If I so much as suspect you're lying..."
At Josiah's words the hobgoblin blanches and falls silent, his mouth opening and closing slowly as he looks back and forth from Josiah to Josric. After a few moments, you notice a fairly foul smell, and the hobgoblin begins to whimper.
"No army... no army... jus' tryin' t' eat. Fox too small, though' it 'd bring better meat. You lot came along. I was so hungry! Please..." he pleads, looking around, "please..."
Untrained Sense Motive: 1d20+1=4
Reluctantly, Josiah dismisses his mindblade. "Well damn. I trust him. And I smell the proof. I got no interest in killing him. Anyone else care to?"
"Okay Basil how about we go take a look at that poor fox and let these gentlemen decide about this fellow's fate," Morganna suggests to the druid gesturing towards the still trapped animal.
"Well, holy man, you were yakking about souls.. You got anything to save this one?"
"Well, holy man, you were yakking about souls.. You got anything to save this one?"
"You know if he could be trusted... at all he could help us reach our objective in return for meals and at least the option of being allowed to go his own way once we complete our tasks, you never know what else is lurking out there, but still shouldn't that poor distressed animal... the other one over there be more important at this moment in time?" Morganna asks as she continues to point towards the fox.
Jorsic lets out a small sigh, looking towards the hobgoblin sympathetically, "my friend makes a good point, how do you feel about earning your meals rather than trying to take them?"
Jorsic lets out a small sigh, looking towards the hobgoblin sympathetically, "my friend makes a good point, how do you feel about earning your meals rather than trying to take them?"
The hobgoblin narrows his eyes in suspicion, and speaks to Josric. "What kinda meals? I don' live on roots and twigs, as that one looks to," he states, jutting his chin in Basil's direction.
"You need someone who knows these woods, yes? I lead you one place, to 'earn my meal', then I go on my own way. I do not trust my life longer than a day with this one," he says with a nod at Josiah. "My bow and arrows and sword I get back. Even you would not be so cruel to keep them. Death stalks these trees. Agree?" he asks, holding out his bonds.
"Okay Basil how about we go take a look at that poor fox and let these gentlemen decide about this fellow's fate," Morganna suggests to the druid gesturing towards the still trapped animal.
"Very good idea, Morganna. Let's take a look at that poor fox. Perhaps you can keep an eye out while I try to free him? You'd better stay here and keep an eye on old Josiah , Burrow. Don't want to frighten the fox."
Basil turns to go....
Josric lets out a small sigh, looking towards the hobgoblin sympathetically, "my friend makes a good point, how do you feel about earning your meals rather than trying to take them?"
Basil stops and looks at Josric incredulously.
"Josric, I was going to keep quiet, but you are allowing your kind heart to cloud your vision. This..." gestures towards the Hobgoblin "... this, mushroom stomper, just tried to kill us and, need I remind you, used an innocent creature as a lure for its own meal. I'm with Josiah. Kill it. It will attack us or betray us at first opportunity. I tell you what: I will perform a proper burial service for it, if that makes you feel better. Though the creature doesn't deserve it and we can't really spare the time."
Basil turns to Morganna.
"Shall we go, Morganna?
Josric looks to Basil earnestly, “By killing him as mercilessly as he would have killed us, we would only prove that we are no better than he. Perhaps by showing him the mercy that he lacks, we can pave the way for his ultimate redemption, surely that is worth the inconvenience of having to keep a watchful eye on him?”
“I promise you,” he continues, “should he take any action to bring harm against any of us, I will kill him myself.”
"Okay Basil how about we go take a look at that poor fox and let these gentlemen decide about this fellow's fate," Morganna suggests to the druid gesturing towards the still trapped animal."Very good idea, Morganna. Let's take a look at that poor fox. Perhaps you can keep an eye out while I try to free him? You'd better stay here and keep an eye on old Josiah , Burrow. Don't want to frighten the fox."
Basil turns to go....
Josric lets out a small sigh, looking towards the hobgoblin sympathetically, "my friend makes a good point, how do you feel about earning your meals rather than trying to take them?"Basil stops and looks at Josric incredulously.
"Josric, I was going to keep quiet, but you are allowing your kind heart to cloud your vision. This..." gestures towards the Hobgoblin "... this, mushroom stomper, just tried to kill us and, need I remind you, used an innocent creature as a lure for its own meal. I'm with Josiah. Kill it. It will attack us or betray us at first opportunity. I tell you what: I will perform a proper burial service for it, if that makes you feel better. Though the creature doesn't deserve it and we can't really spare the time."
Basil turns to Morganna.
"Shall we go, Morganna?
Morganna nods as she turns to head across to the trapped fox.
"I agree he's going to turn on us at the first opportunity, but I also believe he isn't the only thing lying in wait out here," Morganna whispers to Basil.
“I promise you,” he continues, “should he take any action to bring harm against any of us, I will kill him myself.”
Stam nods his approval and kicks the hobgoblin's weapons toward the beast, then walks away preparing to move on.
“I promise you,” he continues, “should he take any action to bring harm against any of us, I will kill him myself.”
"Well, Josric, I trust you, of course." glances at the Hobgoblin "I just hope we don't regret trusting that creature."
changing topic
"Does anyone here know how to disarm the trap that the fox is caught in? Hmmm.... Maybe that could be a first test for our new friend? Have the Hobgoblin release the fox."
The paladin nods gratefully to Stam and Basil, then turns to look questioningly at Josiah.
"I told you, I got no interest in killin' him. Unless he makes me. Then, I get to cut him into small pieces with my mind. Let's move."
"Very well," Josric says as he bends down to untie the Hobgoblin's bonds, "this was your trap, so you can begin to earn our trust by opening it." He pauses in his work on the knot for a moment, looking the prisoner in the eyes steadily, "You should know that I meant what I said, it is my hope to help you start on a new path, but if you betray us you will receive no further mercy from me."
The hobgoblin looks down at his weapons and picks them up slowly. Looking over at the trap, he calls out, "Jus' need t' pull th' trap open. Now, where you goin'?"
"Better make sure the fox can survive long enough to recover from that trap before letting him go, Basil," Morganna points out.
"So we better head on to that tree, shouldn't we?" Morganna suggests to the others.
"Better make sure the fox can survive long enough to recover from that trap before letting him go, Basil," Morganna points out.
"So we better head on to that tree, shouldn't we?" Morganna suggests to the others.
"Josric calmed the poor thing as he walked by earlier. Hopefully the poor thing can survive my ministrations."
After Basil and Morgana reach the fox
"Let's see..."
Basil kneels down and speaks softly to the fox in an unknown language
"Morgana, please help, be ready to wedge the trap open if you could. I don't want to move the creature until I heal it."
Basil attempts to gingerly open the trap. strength check (1d20-1=10)
I assume that spell casting success is automatic for healing? In case you need a saving throw for the fox reaction to healing? (1d20=8) against DC15 for my spell.
If Basil fails to open the trap, he will call for one of the fighters to assist him.
"Okay but I really aren't much good at these sort of things," Morganna points out to Basil.
Strength check:
[ooc]Strength Check:
Your attempts to open the trap are insufficient. The fox, struggling in the trap, twitches a few times in absolute flight, but slows quickly, and eventually stops moving. The hobgoblin takes a sidelong look at the dead fox, grunts, and mutters, "Gonna haf, t' come back fer it later..."
He looks at Morganna, then turns to Josric. "Lady says you want t' go to a tree. She mean th' old tree?" He looks up at the sun, now past noon. "Won' get there 'till tomorrow." He turns east and begins to follow the lakeshore, not waiting for any behind him.
Josiah follows the hob, sparing a glance back toward the crowd to see how the fox fared.
Basil stands, dusts his hands and murmurs,
"Well, that's a shame. Still, will make a good meal for some other creature, now."
thinks
"Say, can we take this trap with us?"
Josric offers a quiet prayer for the animal's soul, then turns to Basil.
"I am sure the trap could be brought with us, though what use would it be to us?"
Josric offers a quiet prayer for the animal's soul, then turns to Basil.
"I am sure the trap could be brought with us, though what use would it be to us?"
"I am not entirely sure. It might come in handy. I don't want to leave it out here for another animal to stumble across or for another creature," glares at hobgoblin to set. Maye we should just disable it."
Day 2 - Sunset
The hobgoblin takes you along the lakeside, moving quickly without outpacing you, and you actually make much better time than if you had been traveling without him. After you reach a point on the north side of the lake, the hobgoblin turns and plunges straight north into the wood. Just before sunset, you reach a clearing.
The dense trees and thick brush of the forest give way, parting seemingly in respect for the titanic darkwood tree that dominates this clearing. Several times taller than a temple minaret, in one direction the obviously ancient tree reaches into the sky with branches like a giant’s arms, while in the other it plumbs the earth with roots thicker than a man’s waist. Its limbs broad and strong, its bark thick and so richly colored as to almost be black, and its leaves the size of bucklers, the giant thing is less a tree and more a cathedral of boughs and branches.
Here, the hobgoblin turns and says, "There it is. Now I'm free to go, yes?"
"Go. If we ever see you around these parts again, you're forfeit. Get lost, hob."
Josiah will walk toward the tree, looking up at it. "Doesn't seem like much, does it?"