”I’d say there’s little doubt this guy was in league with the hobgoblins. He might know about their movements, numbers, and plans.”
Elyas moves up and tries to stabilize Yorc, after making sure he is under guard or tied up by a stronger party member.
Alezandu jogs over to the group standing around Yorc. "I'm sorry if anyone was surprised by that," he says. "I couldn't think of a way to communicate without warning Yorc, and we needed surprise to stop him from getting away."
He looks down at the bound centaur. "Any ideas on how to transport him?"
"I think we should try to talk with the Troglodytes, maybe we can help eachother."
"We could just wait here until we can get him to awaken enough for questioning. Then we can decide whether or not to free him, transport him or simply do away with him."
:: Rova 30 - Late Morning - Chernasardo Forest::
After about an hour, Yorc stirs. Yorc looks around at the group, with a confused look on his face for a bit, then speaks weakly "Either heal me or kill me. But don't leave me suffering."
Alezandu scowls slightly but says, [b]"He does have a point. Either we should heal him and head back to camp, or we should just kill him and go talk to the troglodytes. I'm willing to do either one, but we need to decide now.
"Which of those we do will depend upon the truthfulness of your answers. Are you in league with the Hobgoblins?"
:: Rova 30 - Late Morning - Chernasardo Forest::
Still a bit dazed looking, Yorc's voice is slow and lethargic, and his facial expressions are odd. "As much... as I can be... Not a lot of choice where I cam from..."
Solace thinks he's being truthful, but its hard to tell in his injured and addled state.
"Definitely a good idea to question him first, but I doubt he'll be able to provide much information in his current condition." Alezandu turns to Elyas. "Can you get him fully conscious?"
"Yes, I can bind his wounds a bit to help him concentrate a bit more
:: Rova 30 - Late Morning - Chernasardo Forest::
Yorc looks better, though still slightly woozy.
"It seems you mean to keep me alive. What else do you want from me then?" Yorc says, his voice still weak.
Falcon wants to know how many there are, what they’re doing with their prisoners, and are they planning on expanding to other territories.
Claustipher, finally having caught his breath, starts to pay more attention to the captive. His first question is pretty simple.
"Why is this happening now? What has changed, is it some new leader come to power?"
He finds a rock or fallen log and sits.
"You know we don't like hiding in the woods and killing those we find you know. Why put is in this position? What is your part in this?"
"Were you trying to convince the Troglodytes to help the Hobgoblins kill humans? Are you aware of any other groups of survivors fleeing the Hobgoblins?"
How many hobgoblins have moved in? where are they based?
Without any pressing questions that haven't already been asked, Alezandu waits for Yorc to answer, paying close attention to how he speaks.
:: Rova 30 - Late Morning - Chernasardo Forest::
His head still a little fuzzy, Yorc appears to do his best to answer the questions.
"I am not sure of the full count of the army, a few hundred at a minimum. The prisoner's are being used as slave labour." Thinking for a bit, Yorc continues "I've no idea why it is happening now, I am merely a low level scout in the grand scheme of things. I was asked to come here and so I came. I am not even sure where their main forces are based out of."
At Solace's questions he answers a bit more darkly, "Aye, I was sent as an emissary to speak with the troglodytes, they figured I would fit in better. I am not sure I succeeded though, they are too proud to ally with others it seems. And I do not know of any others in the area that are still free, other than the Chernasardo Rangers possibly."
To Claustipher, "I am sorry to have forced you to run around out here. But, given what I know of the army involved, there's little chance we'd be allowed to settle anywhere peacefully anyway."
Everyone's impression of Yorc is that he is being as truthful as he can be given what he knows.
"How it is that you've started working for the hobgoblins? I don't remember them and centaurs being good friends."
”He’s a collaborator. Doing their dirty work to save his own neck.”
"Sadly you are correct." he looks at the captive "I assume you would like to live, correct? What is a good reason we should allow that. You see I am an old man with little time on this planet and my guilt for killing does not last long any more."
He lets out a sigh. "It is a waste to kill the young but you have not made much of yourself. You actions break the laws of civilization so tell me.. what can you give us or do that will buy your life? What assurances? Probably none and nothing is the same of it."
Solace quietly waits to hear his answer to Claustipher's question.
:: Rova 30 - Late Morning - Chernasardo Forest::
"I started working for the Ironfang Legion shortly after they left Molthune. My regiment was disbanded and the Molthuni populace treated us like scum. I tried to join some of the centaur bands here but was rebuffed, as it was known that my people had served the Molthuni. The Legion help create a few safe spaces to live, in return for service as a messenger and scout." Yorc says, "Kind of hard to pass up a warm bed and a full belly."
At Claustipher's comments, Yorc says, "Of course I would like to live. It's why I joined the regiment in Molthune, for food and board. Why I joined the Legion, for food and board. If you need a reason to let a mere foot soldier live instead of capturing them, you might be more ruthless than the Legion."
With that, Yorc seems ready for the conversation to end, one way or the other.
"What do we do with him now? We know he is a scout and we need to keep ourselves hidden. Seems to me the best course of action is to kill him quickly, much like the last Legion member we caught...
”We can’t afford to start taking prisoners, and we can’t afford to let enemies roam the forest.”
"Well we do not have food and bed, as you can clearly see and you present us with a moral problem. Make no mistake I can be ruthless but I don't like to be mean. You are trying to make your way in this world just as we are."
He pauses to get himself up off the log he has been siting on and walks over close.
"I suppose there would be a gain for you in telling your superiors that you have seen us but you know this Ironfang Legion, as you call it, will fail. You will have been on the side of the wrong twice at that point. We may offer you a better chance, though in the short term a worse life. Stay with us and help set things right. When it is done we can insure that the free people will look on you well."
:: Rova 30 - Late Morning - Chernasardo Forest::
Yorc perks up a bit at the idea of a way out. "I will help you as best I can if it means a start to a better life." Yorc says, his voice both tired and full of emotion.
Alezandu listens to Yorc's answers, obviously troubled by the whole situation. He eventually comments quietly, "Not particularly smart of the Legion to send a recent conscript out alone on a diplomatic mission."
Eyeing Falcon uncomfortably at his belligerent comments, Alezandu speaks up. "I have to agree with Claustipher. Yorc's decision to work for the legion may not have been ideal, but he didn't have much choice. We're going to have to make difficult alliances if we want to survive this and someday get our home back."
He looks down at the centaur. "I'm willing to let you join us if you're really serious about abandoning the hobs. Your speed will definitely come in handy, and we'll do our best to actually make you a part of our group for the time being. I'm guessing that's more than they ever did for you."
Alezandu addresses everyone. "In any case, we need to get moving if we want to find the troglodytes and try to negotiate with them today. Their tracks are getting more obscured every minute we delay."
Olivia will lay on hands to heal Yorc.
"Welcome, Yorc. Lets work to recover our homes, or find a new one."
She turns to the group.
"Alezandu is right, lets find the troglodytes."
"Very good my new friend. I give you my word that we will be steadfast with you if you are an honest companion. I know that this well may set you against those that were once allies, it is a bad position. Still, if we make it though this you may well be thought a hero by the end."
He pauses looking around.
"Have you been fed? I am sure we could spare something if you are in need." His answer may tell us something about this treat we face. Is the army happy or abused and starving.
:: Rova 30 - Late Morning - Chernasardo Forest::
"Thank you. All of you." Yorc says as Olivia heals him and Alezandu and Claustipher acknowledge his joining the refugees. "I am quite well fed, actually. I can wait until whenever you take your normal meals."
With little else to do, the group heads out after the troglodytes.
.
:: Rova 30 - Late Afternoon - Chernasardo Forest ::
You follow the tracks of the troglodyte negotiator for maybe a quarter mile before the turn a bit to the south. After a few hundred feet, the tracks you are following intersect with the trail you made earlier, and follows it backwards along your tracks.
After a another hours or so, you get back to where you detoured to follow the troglodyte tracks. You notice that the refugee group has moved through here. Their mass of tracks is unmistakable. You also notice a set of lizard and troglodyte tracks coming from where the hunter's cabin was, the second group of troglodytes was definitely following the refugees.
About another half hour of walking later, you can hear some people wailing and crying. Other yelling and hollering. Rushing ahead, the refugee group seems to be in turmoil. There doesn't look to be much guidance, but there's plenty of fear.
Alezandu grabs for his bow and rushes forwards, peering ahead in an attempt to locate the cause of the commotion. he shouts to the disorganized refugees.
Falcon is quite unhappy that the collaborator has been welcomed like a long lost brother, but he won’t go against the wishes of the group. When they get back to find the camp in disarray, he growls to Yorc, ”Your friends have been busy,” and goes to see how he can help.
:: Rova 30 - Late Afternoon - Chernasardo Forest ::
"They as much my friends as your." Yorc mutters under his breath, a wry tone in his voice.
Lirosa is the first to notice the groups return, it seems only she and Taidel are keeping watch. As Lirosa comes over you can hear Edran's voice.
"We have to go after them! The scouting party isn't anywhere to be found at the moment, and waiting will only make things worse." Edran is saying.
You can hear Aubrin's reply over the quieting group as well, "We will wait, more because I doubt we have the ability than that its the best idea."
As Lirosa reaches you she says, "Dylan Fisher and Tam Barten have been killed while out foraging. Teaheel, Kae, and, Jenifer Robertson were dragged off. They were all out foraging when some creatures came out of the forest. We didn't really hear anything but their screams. Aubrin looked at the tracks and thinks it might be troglodytes."
"Right, that makes sense I guess. We saw some while we were scouting." He brings Yorc forward "We have a new.... member as well. This is Yorc he has been giving us some information so do a favor for an old man and treat him well."
He looks at Falco who is clearly unhappy, mumbeling "Needs must my friend, needs must." after a pause "Do you think we should check the area they were in when attacked? I am not much of a tracekr."
”Neither am I, but we should.”
Solace sighs unahppily and speaks quietly to her group. "If it was the Trogs that killed them, it pretty much kills any chance of trying to enlist their aid against the Hobgoblins."
To the group at large she volunteers to check the area the missing were dragged off from. "We should head out right away while the tracks are still fresh if we hope to be able to find them."
Alezandu sighs at the news. "I have to agree with Solace. Things will be a lot easier if we can intercept the troglodytes before they get back to their base. Yorc, you should stick with us for the time being."
Once everyone else is done talking, Alezandu asks for directions to the place where the foragers were attacked and heads off towards it.
”Where we can keep an eye on you,” Falcon mutters under his breath, finishing Alexandru’s Thought.
"If they're not with the hobgoblins, why did they attack us?", Olivia follows the group.
Solace shrugs. "Why not attack us? Maybe with the Hobgoblins in the area they just can't find enough resources of their own and it is easier to take us out than to try to compete with the Hobgoblins. Maybe they just really don't like humans? Maybe our scouts fired first? There could be any number of reasons why."
LEt's worry about the why after we track them down and try to get our people back if they are still alive! if they can be reasoned with, great. if not, we will take our people back and kill their captors!
:: Rova 30 - Late Afternoon - Chernasardo Forest ::
"I'll gladly help." Yorc says to the group, his voice earnest but weary.
"The bodies were found about 600 feet that way." Lirosa points to the north.
Skirting the commotion in the middle of camp, the group heads to where the bodies were found.
Upon arriving at the location, you can see why the foragers were here. There are a lot of dense bushes in the area filled with berries. At first glance you can tell that the troglodytes came into the area from a little south of west, and then continued on to the north east when they left. In a smallish clearing, maybe 15 feet in diameter, it looks like a scuffle took place.
Alezandu looks around and finds five spots in the bushes around the edge of the scuffle, where it looks like people where hiding. Two of the spots have an indentation where a fair sized branch would have been resting in the dirt, but the branch has been removed. Looking over the area where the fight happened, Alezandu can easily find the two branches. Both of which look like they induce blunt force trauma on something.
"Well, this is... ugly..." Yorc says and stays out of everybody's way.
Surveying the scene, Alezandu runs a hand through his hair and mutters "We do seem to spend an awful lot of time tracking down people who've killed our foragers." He takes a deep breath and begins studying the troglodytes' tracks, trying to determine their numbers and then following their trail.
"We should make sure other groups don't come here to forage unless protected. Thats assuming we don't 'resolve' the situation with the troglodytes, of course...", she sighs and follows Alezandu.
Solace follows Alezandu's lead. "Protected how though. We can't be with every group that forages and we can't have all the other fighters out roaming with the foragers and leaving the main group unguarded."
”This is going to keep happening as long as we’re out here in the open. We need a secure base. Where do these troglodytes live? They’re either working for the hobgoblins or just out to get us, unless anyone thinks our foragers happened upon a troglodyte larder here. Let’s track down their lair. If this is a misunderstanding, diplomacy may gain is an ally. If it isn’t, then our weapons can gain us a new home and safe harbour.”