"Gentlemen, what makes someone 'undesirable' in your estimation? You will need a very good explanation for you have orphaned our friends, and we are not very happy with you."
Indicating Morgrom: "My large, angry looking friend here *is* large and *very* angry. He is in pain, and we very dearly wants to share that pain with someone."
Glancing at skittle, "You have already met our extremely hungry pet. He doesn't have a very large mouth, so he has to eat slowly. Fortunately for him, his poisonous bite paralyzes, so he can take his time."
"Talk. Talk a lot, talk fast. And pray that you say something interesting."
[dice=Intimidate]d20 + 2
Any religious markings, symbols or designs on either of them [dice=Perception]d20 + 6?
"Huh? Orphaned? What?"
"You're a funny little guy. Maybe we won't get told to destroy you after all."
The pounding in the last warehouse starts up again, this time loud enough that everyone can hear it. It's almost like somebody is hitting the group over the head with something.
"Mr. Goatsfoot, why don't you and I check out the last warehouse. Mr. Thorthal, care to join us? I'm sure our guests will be quite happy in the company of Mr. Hellblade and little Skittles."
The warehouse is barred from the outside. It looks like a slipshod recent addition.
"Who is in there? Are you hurt?"
Haer Kul looks at the door to see if it's trapped (although he doesn't see any reason why it would be).
If the prisoner seems nonhostile to us, unbar the door .
Haer Kul only hears more thumping in reply.
"Shoud A break th' duir doun?"
"Couldn't we simply remove the bar as it is on the outside?"
The group opens the door and reveals five bound and gagged villagers within the warehouse.
Morgrom stands, looking at the villagers, then snears down at the prisoners, and spits. He shrugs his pack off his shoulders, pulls out a rope and begins tying a noose. "Had yer chance ta walk. Now ya hang."
Petronicus removes the gags on the prisoners and tries to comfort them.
"We are here to help but we need to know if you have been affected by the madness. Please tell us what happened to you."
One of the men speaks up.
"Thank Erastil you've come! We all made it through the madness alright, but then Lorgg and his cronies kidnapped us. They've already taken a couple away and not brought them back! They kept talking about a voice inside their heads telling them what to do, called him the Hooded Lord. Think he was some kind of fiend. There's somebody else who works for him, but I didn't see them."
The others shake their heads to indicate that they have not seen the Hooded Lord's agent.
"I'm pretty sure the priests of Abadar are also working for the fiend, way the guards talked."
"Can you at least untie my legs, I really need to go outside for a minute!"
Haer Kul will look for signs of madness in the prisonsers. .
"Mr. Hellblade, the guards are helpless prisoners. Hanging them now may feel good, but they may still be of use to us. Please leave them in a condition to answer questions for now, yes?"
Back to the prisoners: "What did the guards say about the priests of Abadar? Real priests of Abadar would not hang innocent townfolk."
Morgrom looks at Haer Kul then at the prisoners. "There's more 'en one so it only means I need one ta talk. First one tha talks wins an' tha other swings by his neck. If youz fink if no one talks no one hangs, let's see what happens. I count to 10 then swinging starts. One..."
Sigh. To the guards: "Maybe you'd better start talking and try to convince Mr. Hellblade that you're worth something alive. I've done my best for you."
To the prisoner that wants to go outside: "And who might you be? What is so important to you about getting outside?"
Prahd looks at his crossbow, gathers up some bolts to restock his supply, and refills the hopper.
"I'd talk fast, he rarely remembers all of the numbers."
"Ummm... I need to talk to a man about a horse."
The other prisoners are also squirming.
The guards seem resigned to their fate.
"Whatever. Not like we could trust an orc to set us free anyway. Your punishment will be all the worse for it."
Morgrom turns angrily at that guard. "Youz kidnap and kill these villagers, hang 'em from their oak tree, burn 'em alive in tha church an' I can't be trusted? Youz can't e'en be trusted ta try an' save yer own skin! Youz be cowards who deserves nuttin but deaf yet I was willin' ta let youz go."
Stepping over to the talker Morgrom kicks him hard in the ribs. "I also only goez after skilled warriors." Looking at the others who didn't talk, "Deal still stands. Tells us everyfing an' ya walk."
To the prisoners: "With the madness we can't afford to take chances, gentlemen. So once again, please tell me who each of you are and what you might have overheard from the guards or their Hooded Lord. We are here to help, but we need to make sure that you are safe."
Hurriedly, while wriggling around nervously, the prisoner answers.
"Wat Plowshare. Farmer. Other folks are neighbours of mine. Wendred Lorgg was the leader of these'uns. Hooded Lord talked to them in their heads, they said. They think he's a fiend or sumpin. Had sumpin to do with the sickness. They've been catchin folks who didn't get the disease, taking them somewhere else. I heard them talking to someone else outside who takes the folks at night. They took a woodsman last night and night before. Think the Abadar priests are doing sumpin similar, but not working together."
"Now, sweet Sune! Can I go behind the shed afore I burst??"
"Those who serve will be rewarded! Those who resist will die!"
"You see, that's exactly the kind of statement that makes us reluctant to untie people. Please try to hold your bladder. This warehouse is unpleasant enough."
Who's Wildred Lorgg? What did he do before the madness.
"We serve. We serve truth and the good folk in this town. Are you about to resist us?"
"Senior Militia, I think. Please, ask your questions quickly."
The farmers clenches his jaw.
Guarding them closely, Prahd and Thorthal take the prisoners one at a time around the back of the shed (though propriety is observed with the two women). After they have been returned, they express their gratitude and willingness to answer more questions.
Looking at the party, Morgrom says, "Youz want tha armour, youz take it, or I'm gonna."
"Where we gonna find tha Hooded Lord? What youz want whiff tha villagers?"v he says to the guards.
To the prisoners: "Can you tell us any more about your captors and the ones they've taken away?"
Quietly to Thorthal and Prahd (so the guards do not overhear): "If none of us can detect any signs of madness, I think we should take the prisoners to the inn. Although Vessa will complain about her food supplies. We may need to help with that."
To the prisoners: "Are they feeding you here? Do you know where the supplies are? Guards, you may feel free to chime in on this question."
Wat thinks for a moment, and looks at the other captives.
"Hmmm... not sure if there's anything else. I'm pretty sure they took the strongest folks first. They took them somewheres out of town. There's probably some food around here somewhere, tho they didn't give us much."
"You probly could get the most information outta Lorgg, or even more outta the other fella who we heard talking to them. Pretty sure he's the one that took folks away."
"What does Lorgg look like? Hopefully he is not one of the dead."
"Big fella. Wore difrent armour than the other guards."
As no one is speaking up, Morgrom begins to remove the banded armour from the guard.
Haer Kul turns away from the half-orc before he starts to strip. There are just some things that would be impossible to unsee.
To the guards: "Who else is here in this compound? Are there going to be more people returning? If so, when?"
There is a small supply of food in another warehouse, mostly heavily salted beef and root vegetables. No sign of the darkwood shipment here, though there were some piles of lumber outside the mill compound, closer to the manor.
One of the guards recoils a bit from Haer Kul, and answers: "No others yet, but the Hooded Lord will send more to swell our ranks. And eventually he will conquer all!"
Morgrom finishes donning the leader's banded mail. It's sturdier armour than he had before, but only of standard quality.
Bardos has been very quiet and taken to reading a book he purchased at the alchemist's. He looks to be getting to the end of the book though.
"I agree with the plan and suspect we need to investigate this orphanage next."
"Let's take the food and prisoners to Vessa. It might not be what she wants, but better than nothing."
One last to see if there is any sign of madness with the prisoners, then we should probably untie them, and take them to the inn.
An elderly woman among the prisoners speaks up.
"Scuse me. You just mentioned the orphanage. Knew I recognized that voice... the other fella outside taking folks away is the Oddle boy. Big lad, but not a lick of sense."
Wat replies: "I think you're right Goodwife Pritch. Tho I never would have guessed, as the lad is gentle and... not smart enough to be organizing this kind of thing. Still, Lorgg and the others are certainly not acting like themselves either."
One last to see if there is any sign of madness with the prisoners...
"These poor people look perfectly fine to me. Does anyone wish to do anything further here?"
"Are we ready tae gae?"
The group secures the two guards, and leads their five prisoners to The Hapless Harpy.
On the way, Goodwife Pritch asks, "What about any other captives the priests may have taken? Or are you just heading out of town for the orphanage?"
"Hmmm yes you make a good point my dear. Perhaps some kicking in of doors and manly heroics may be called for. And I will accompany these heroes as always."
"What other captives? Where are they?"
"Didn't you hear young Wat? The priests are acting like the militia were. Just not workin together."
"Youz know how ta get inta the church? We ain't figured it out yet."